Karthik Shankar has been elevated to Senior Vice President – Digital Investments & Partnerships at WPP Media. In this role, he will lead digital investment strategies and strengthen partnerships across the media and advertising technology ecosystem.
Shankar brings more than 17 years of experience in digital advertising technologies and has built a strong track record in driving digital investment strategies and scalable business models across the media industry. He is based in Bengaluru and has been associated with WPP Media since June 2025.
Prior to this elevation, he served as Head – Digital Investments at GroupM, where he played a key role in shaping digital investment strategies, video monetisation models and partnerships across media and Platform-as-a-Service ecosystems. In that role, he also worked across digital trading, partnerships and e-commerce initiatives, while leading national efforts around brand safety and ad verification.
Earlier in his career, Shankar worked with Amazon as Senior Program Manager for Amazon DSP, contributing to the development and management of programmatic advertising solutions and strengthening the company’s advertising technology capabilities in India.
During his earlier tenure at GroupM, he also held the role of Senior Director – Digital Investments, where he worked on corporate strategy, portfolio management, business modelling, contract negotiations and go-to-market strategy. Over the years, he has collaborated with video technology startups and helped build programmatic and connected TV platforms across Southeast Asia and Middle Eastern markets.
Shankar holds a Master of Science in Applied Genetics from Bangalore University and a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from University of Madras. With deep expertise in advertising technology, media investments and platform partnerships, he is expected to play a key role in advancing WPP Media’s digital growth strategy.
