Elephant Appoints Kedar Parundekar as Chief Growth Officer to Accelerate APAC Expansion

Why It Matters

Elephant’s appointment of a chief growth officer marks a clear shift in how design consultancies are positioning themselves within the broader marketing ecosystem. By elevating growth strategy to the C‑suite, the firm acknowledges that clients now demand measurable business outcomes from design work, blurring the line between creative services and strategic consulting. This move could set a precedent for other boutique agencies in emerging markets, prompting them to create similar roles that bridge creative execution with revenue‑driven objectives. For CMOs, the development offers a new partnership model that promises deeper integration of design thinking into brand growth plans. As brands in the Asia‑Pacific region accelerate digital transformation, having a consultancy that can align design with market expansion, partnership development, and measurable ROI becomes a strategic advantage. Elephant’s expanded leadership may therefore influence budgeting decisions, vendor selection, and the overall architecture of brand‑building teams across the region.

Key Takeaways

• Elephant hires Kedar Parundekar, veteran strategist, as chief growth officer
• Role created to drive APAC expansion and deepen strategic client partnerships
• Elephant operates a 70‑plus member team across India and Singapore
• Clients include Tata, Reliance, Coca‑Cola, Domino’s, L’Oréal and more
• First APAC growth playbook expected Q2 2026, targeting $12 bn regional market by 2028

Pulse Analysis

Elephant’s decision to embed a growth‑focused executive reflects a broader industry trend where design agencies are moving up the value chain. Historically, consultancies have been hired for brand identity work, but the rise of data‑driven marketing and the need for end‑to‑end customer experiences have forced agencies to prove their impact on top‑line revenue. By appointing a chief growth officer, Elephant is institutionalizing that shift, ensuring that growth metrics become a core KPI for every project.

The timing is also strategic. The Asia‑Pacific design services market is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 9% through 2028, driven by rising consumer spending in India, Indonesia and Vietnam. Elephant’s existing client roster gives it a foothold in high‑growth sectors, but scaling that advantage requires a dedicated growth leader who can negotiate larger, multi‑year contracts and forge ecosystem partnerships. Competitors that remain purely creative risk being sidelined as CMOs prioritize agencies that can deliver integrated, measurable outcomes.

Looking forward, the success of Parundekar’s mandate will hinge on how quickly Elephant can translate strategic partnerships into revenue. If the firm can showcase case studies that tie design interventions to market share gains or sales uplift, it could trigger a wave of similar appointments across the boutique consultancy space. Conversely, if the role remains symbolic, it may reinforce skepticism among CMOs about the tangible business value of design. The next six months will be a litmus test for whether growth‑oriented leadership can truly reshape the consultancy model in the region.