Sonali Malaviya is the Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at EssenceMediacom,South Asia. In early 2023, Essence and MediaCom joined forces to launch an innovative and new global agency designed to help clients grow in a rapidly evolving media landscape. EssenceMediacom will infuse the digital strategy, data-driven creative, analytics, and technology capabilities of Essence with MediaCom’s world-class scaled multichannel, audience planning and strategic media expertise. Sonali plays a powerful role in driving the integration of the digital and data-driven DNA of Essence with Mediacom’s multichannel, audience planning and strategic media expertise, facilitating client growth globally through an agile response to an ever-evolving media landscape.

Sonali has a deep conviction for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the workplace, having personally led agency and group-wide initiatives to embed the same. In 2021, Sonali was elevated to MD of Essence India. As a MD, she was leading Essence across its offices in Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai. She was responsible for driving continued client-centric innovation in data, analytics, and technology, as well as business growth and company culture for the agency in India. Joining Essence in 2018, Sonali previously led the agency’s Google business in India and Southeast Asia as Senior Vice President, Client Services. Earlier, she served as Chief Operating Officer at Colorbar Cosmetics and Country Marketing Lead at Twitter in India. With over 20 years of experience in management, marketing and media across industries and markets, she has also held senior roles at Mindshare, PHD, Roy Morgan Research and MediaCom in India, the United Arab Emirates and Australia.

A postgraduate in business management from the Australian Graduate School of Management, Sonali strives to build strong, collaborative partnerships with clients and employees alike, and is an advocate of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. In addition, she is a firm believer in change as the only constant, and continuous learning and exploring are what keep her going.