Dentsu names Takeshi Sano as new global CEO as Igarashi steps down

Dentsu Group has appointed Takeshi Sano as its next Global Chief Executive Officer, replacing long-serving chief Hiroshi Igarashi, in a leadership overhaul that comes amid mounting financial pressure.

The transition will take effect after the company’s 177th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders on March 27, 2026. Sano will assume the roles of Executive Officer, President and Global Chief Executive Officer.

Igarashi’s exit ends a near four-decade career at the group, which he joined in 1984. The company said the change is aimed at strengthening competitiveness and accelerating transformation under a new management structure.

The reshuffle extends beyond the top role. Yoshimasa Watahiki will become Executive Officer, Executive Vice President, Global Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of dentsu and Chief Operating Officer of dentsu Japan. Arinobu Soga, currently Executive Officer, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Governance Officer, will step down as executive officer.

Shigeki Endo, dentsu’s Global Chief Financial Officer, will be appointed Director, Executive Officer and Global Chief Financial Officer from March 27. Endo previously held senior finance roles at ITOCHU, GE, BAT and Accenture Japan before joining dentsu as Global Chief Financial Officer Designate in July 2024. He formally assumed the CFO role in February 2025.

The leadership changes come against a challenging financial backdrop. Dentsu reported a record consolidated net loss of 327.6 billion yen for the year ended December 2025, largely driven by a 310.1 billion yen impairment charge linked to weak overseas operations.

The loss widened from 192.1 billion yen a year earlier. Operating loss increased to 289.2 billion yen from 124.9 billion yen, although sales rose 1.7 per cent to 1,435.2 billion yen. Following the results, the company said it would not pay an annual dividend.

Sano, born in March 1970, joined Dentsu Inc. in April 1992. He has held several senior roles, including Managing Director of the Business Transformation Division in 2021 and Chief Executive Officer of Business Transformation in 2023. Since January 2024, he has served as Chief Executive Officer of dentsu Japan and Director, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dentsu Inc.

The appointment places a transformation-focused executive at the helm at a time when global advertising and marketing groups face pressure to streamline operations, adapt to digital disruption and stabilise overseas performance.

With impairment charges weighing on earnings and international operations under scrutiny, investors will be watching closely to see whether the new leadership can restore profitability and rebuild confidence in the group’s global strategy.