Dentsu has appointed Yuichi Toyoda as CEO of Dentsu Asia Pacific, effective 1 January 2026. He will also join the group executive management team, reporting to Hiroshi Igarashi, dentsu’s president and global CEO.
Toyoda currently serves as global practice president for business transformation and BX president at Dentsu Japan, as well as managing executive officer at Dentsu Inc. With more than 30 years at the company, including leadership roles in India, Thailand and China, he has overseen major turnarounds across international markets.
Since 2022, Toyoda has led Dentsu Inc’s global division and Dentsu Group solutions office. In 2024, he took on leadership of Dentsu’s global business transformation (BX) practice, helping export the model developed in Japan to teams and clients worldwide – an area the company says continues to deliver double-digit revenue growth.
“It is with a deep sense of responsibility and pride that I take on this role at such a pivotal time,” Toyoda said. “The region is undergoing unprecedented transformation, with disruption reshaping every industry and redefining how our clients compete and grow. We will choose to lead this transformation by building a uniquely dentsu business model that creates value beyond expectations and delivers sustainable growth.”
After 13 months as interim APAC lead, Yoshiki Ishihara will return to his role as global chief strategy officer at the end of 2025 to focus on driving Dentsu’s medium-term management plan and international growth.
“We are delighted to appoint Toyoda as CEO of Dentsu APAC,” Igarashi said. “His deep knowledge of the region, global experience and leadership in business transformation make him ideally suited to lead this dynamic and highly competitive region. We are also grateful to Yoshi for his outstanding leadership over the past year, laying the foundation for a return to growth.”
Ishihara added: “It has been a privilege to lead APAC over the past year. We’ve laid important groundwork for growth, and I’m confident Yuichi’s leadership and vision will accelerate that momentum.”
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