Cheil SWA elevates Kumar Awanish as group’s Chief Operating Officer

Transitioning from his role as Chief Growth Officer, Awanish will now lead the group’s operational strategy and will be instrumental in mapping the next phase of the group’s evolution

by e4m Desk
Published: Mar 17, 2026 11:54 AM | 3 min read

Cheil South West Asia has appointed Kumar Awanish as the new Chief Operating Officer, transitioning from his previous role as Chief Growth Officer.
Awanish will oversee the group’s operational strategy and report to President & CEO Sungkyoon Kim, based at the agency's Gurugram headquarters.
His focus will be on enhancing operational excellence and advancing the agency's shift towards becoming an AI-first organization, integrating technology with creativity.
Awanish brings over two decades of experience in advertising and marketing, having previously led growth initiatives at Cheil India and worked with major companies like Airtel and Snapdeal.

In a strategic move to fortify its leadership bench, Cheil South West Asia (SWA), announced the elevation of Kumar Awanish to group’s Chief Operating Officer.

Transitioning from his role as Chief Growth Officer, Awanish will now lead the group’s operational strategy, reporting to the recently appointed President & CEO, Mr. Sungkyoon Kim. Based at the agency’s Gurugram headquarters, Awanish will be instrumental in mapping the next phase of the group’s evolution.

In his expanded remit, Kumar Awanish will champion the group’s commitment to operational excellence, fostering seamless collaboration across the group. He will be at the forefront of the agency’s journey towards becoming an AI-first organization, ensuring that Cheil SWA blends cutting edge technology and data with its signature creativity to provide clients with truly innovative, future proof business solutions.

Commenting on his promotion Sungkyoon Kim said, “Cheil SWA is ushering a new phase of advertising transformation led by AI. Kumar Awanish has the right skill set and experience to lead the group into this dynamic journey. He is passionate about Cheil SWA group and his enthusiasm for work is contagious. I wish him the best in his new role and looking forward to his second innings at Cheil SWA group”

A seasoned advertising and marketing leader with over two decades of multifaceted experience, Awanish has consistently operated at the intersection of technology, data, and brand growth. His career is defined by his ability to scale digital ecosystems and drive measurable business outcomes across both agency and brand-side roles. Awanish has worked as Chief Growth Officer at Cheil India where he led a high performing team of 100 plus specialists. He was instrumental in establishing and scaling the D2C and commerce functions, while simultaneously sustaining high growth momentum in media operations. Before commencing his stint with Cheil SWA group, Awanish has amassed over two decades of experience driving growth for market leaders such as Airtel, Snapdeal, Times Internet, GroupM and Oppo.

Awanish said,” I am incredibly grateful to our global and local leadership for their trust in me to drive our vision forward. We are on a mission to double down on AI literacy across all functions and group agencies, empowering our people to use AI not just for efficiency, but as a catalyst for human creativity. By blending advanced capabilities, with human ingenuity, we are architecting the future of Cheil SWA. This evolution is strengthened by the reunion of media and creative, ensuring that an agency of our scale remains agile and delivers the holistic, full-funnel impact our clients deserve”