Shashidhar Sharma
Digital Marketing Professional
Bangalore
Summary
Results-oriented Digital leader with 19+ years of experience driving revenue growth, building high-performing global teams, and achieving industry recognition. Proven ability to establish and scale ad operations from scratch, optimize processes, and deliver award-winning campaigns. Expertise spans programmatic media buying, social and digital marketing, team leadership, and client relationship management. Seeking a VP/GM role where I can leverage my expertise to drive innovation and achieve ambitious business objectives.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
3
3
Certifications
Work History
Head of Programmatic & Xaxis
GroupM
01.2021 - Current
- Led the programmatic practice for all GroupM agencies and multiple sub-agencies, spearheading a 200+ member activation team and driving significant adoption of best practices across 250+ client accounts
- Spearheaded revenue growth of over 150% in 2024 vs
- 2023 and delivered over 200% consolidated growth in programmatic media spend from 2021 to 2024
- Led the organization to achieve GMP certification, a first for a holding company in India, demonstrating a commitment to delivering innovation at scale
- Developed and implemented programmatic media buying best practices, resulting in demonstrably improved work quality, timeliness, and response quality, earning positive client feedback and recognition
- Streamlined workflows by introducing SOPs, RACI matrices, and automation, enhancing communication, accountability, and campaign automation, enabling efficient management with a lean team
- Implemented a clean supply path initiative, including SPO implementation and a benchmarking tool, increasing transparency for clients and optimizing supply path management
- Championed team growth and development through training programs and platform certifications, creating a clear growth roadmap and reducing attrition from 60% in 2012 to under 15% in 2024
- Elevated GroupM's industry profile by authoring 20+ articles on programmatic advertising and participating in numerous industry events as a subject matter expert
- Led teams to win over 15 awards for programmatic campaigns in 2023 and 2024, showcasing innovative strategies and exceptional execution
Director – Digital
FCB MEDIA
01.2019 - 01.2020
- Company Overview: (Interpublic Group - IPG)
- Built and led a high-performing 20-person social, programmatic, and ad ops team, significantly expanding agency capabilities and driving new business acquisition
- Developed and implemented agency-wide programmatic and ad operations SOPs and SLAs, improving quality and operational efficiency
- Led programmatic and ad operations, achieving excellent campaign performance and earning industry awards for work with key clients
- (Interpublic Group - IPG)
Associate Director – Digital
OMNICOM MEDIA GROUP - OMG
01.2018 - 01.2019
- Earned “The Drum Asia” award for Best Use of Data in a creative campaign
- Increased programmatic spend by 30% YoY through consistent improvement in digital buy performance
- Optimized campaign management processes, reducing optimization time by 20% and improving overall team efficiency
Operations Lead
GOOGLE
01.2010 - 01.2018
- Company Overview: (Accenture 2015 to 2018 and Intris Consulting 2010 to 2015)
- Scaled the DoubleClick Bid Manager support team from 5 to 150 members, successfully onboarding and training new hires
- Led a project focused on error reduction, resulting in a 40% decrease in 'Agent Driven' escalations and improved operational efficiency
- Optimized team productivity and performance by 25% by implementing strategic approach to ‘Pod’ based mentorship
- Also led client MBR’s and QBR’s analysing team performance and future strategy roadmap
- (Accenture 2015 to 2018 and Intris Consulting 2010 to 2015)
Senior Associate – IT Support
MorgenSegen Technologies
01.2006 - 01.2010
Education
Post Graduate Diploma in Management - Marketing Management
Post Graduate Program in Management - Leadership & Decision Making
Skills
Programmatic Advertising
Digital Marketing
Ad Operations
Team Leadership
Client Relationship Management
Strategy Development
Demand Forecasting
Operations Management
Media Buying
Data Analysis
Team Building
Budget Management
Performance Marketing
SPO
Supply Path Optimization
DCO
BAV
DV360
SA360
CM360
GA360
The Trade Desk
Certification
Digital Marketing & Strategy | TUV SUD
Awards & Thought Leadership
● E4M 40 Under 40 Award (2024): Recognized as one of the top 40 marketing leaders under 40 in India.
● Programmatic Advertising Expertise: Frequently quoted and published in leading industry publications on programmatic advertising trends, challenges, and best practices.
● Industry Speaker & Trainer: Featured speaker and trainer at industry events and academic institutions, sharing expertise on programmatic advertising and digital marketing.
● TAPMI: Listed as a key industry speaker. https://www.tapmi.edu.in/eminent-speakers/key-industry-speakers/
● Integral Ad Science: Master of Media interview discussing programmatic strategies in APAC. https://integralads.com/apac/insider/masters-of-media-shashidhar-sharma-groupm/
● The Media Stories: Interview on charting the programmatic frontier and future trends. https://themediastories.com/charting-the-programmatic-frontier-with-shashidhar-sharma/
● AdGully: Article on the road ahead for programmatic advertising in 2025.https://www.adgully.com/road-ahead-for-programmatic-in-2025-an-ai-powered-odyssey-part-1-154213.html
● AdPushup: Article on navigating ad tech in a cookie-less world. https://resources.adpushup.com/navigating-ad-tech-in-a-cookie-less-world
Timeline
D, GermanySA360, CM360, DV360 & GA360 | GoogleTrading Academy - Practitioner & Professional, Edge Academy – Marketing Foundations | The Trade Desk
01-2025
DV360, CM360, SA360 & GA360 | Google
01-2025
Head of Programmatic & Xaxis - GroupM
01.2021 - Current
Director – Digital - FCB MEDIA
01.2019 - 01.2020
Associate Director – Digital - OMNICOM MEDIA GROUP - OMG
01.2018 - 01.2019
Digital Marketing & Strategy | TUV SUD
03-2015
Operations Lead - GOOGLE
01.2010 - 01.2018
Senior Associate – IT Support - MorgenSegen Technologies
01.2006 - 01.2010
IMT Ghaziabad - Post Graduate Program in Management, Leadership & Decision Making
ALLIANCE UNIVERSITY - Post Graduate Diploma in Management, Marketing Management