# Takeshi Sano
> Representative Executive Officer, President and Global CEO, Dentsu Group Inc. at dentsu
- Profile type: Person
- Profile status: baseline
- Last updated: 2026-05-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Canonical URL: https://thestateofstreaming.com/people/takeshi-sano/
- Also known as: Sano Takeshi, Takeshi Sano Dentsu, Dentsu CEO Takeshi Sano, Sano Dentsu
## Summary
Takeshi Sano is Representative Executive Officer, President and Global CEO of Dentsu Group Inc., appointed March 27, 2026. A 34-year Dentsu veteran who built his career inside the Japan business, Sano succeeded Hiroshi Igarashi and simultaneously holds the CEO role for dentsu Japan, the group's largest profit center by revenue and operating profit.

## Profile facts

- Current title: Representative Executive Officer, President and Global CEO, Dentsu Group Inc.
- Current company: dentsu (https://thestateofstreaming.com/companies/dentsu/)


## Career trajectory

- 1992-04-01 — Joined Dentsu Inc. at dentsu. Began career at Dentsu, rising through the Business Produce divisions.
- 2017-01-01 — Managing Director, Business Produce divisions at dentsu
- 2021-01-01 — Executive Officer, Dentsu Inc. at dentsu. Took on director roles across group companies covering marketing and promotion, Business Transformation (BX) and Digital Transformation (DX).
- 2023-01-01 — CEO, Global BX and Managing Executive Officer, Dentsu Inc. at dentsu. Joined Group Executive Management.
- 2024-01-01 — CEO, dentsu Japan and Representative Director, President and CEO, Dentsu Inc. at dentsu
- 2025-01-01 — Deputy Global Chief Operating Officer, dentsu at dentsu
- 2026-03-27 — Representative Executive Officer, President and Global CEO, Dentsu Group Inc. at dentsu. Succeeded Hiroshi Igarashi following the 177th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders. Continues concurrently as CEO of dentsu Japan.

_This page uses only public-professional information (roles, public statements, media appearances)._

## Key facts

- Takeshi Sano was appointed Representative Executive Officer, President and Global CEO of Dentsu Group Inc. effective March 27, 2026, following the 177th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders. — Dentsu Group Inc. — Notice Regarding Change in Representative Executive Officer: https://www.group.dentsu.com/en/news/release/001607.html
- Sano succeeded Hiroshi Igarashi, who stepped down after serving as Global CEO since 2022 and joining Dentsu in 1984; Igarashi transitioned to Executive Senior Advisor. — Dentsu Group Inc. — Notice Regarding Change in Representative Executive Officer: https://www.group.dentsu.com/en/news/release/001607.html
- Sano joined Dentsu Inc. in 1992 and has spent his entire 34-year career at the company, rising through the Business Produce divisions before moving into Business Transformation and group executive roles. — Dentsu — Leadership profile: https://www.dentsu.com/who-we-are/our-leadership/takeshi-sano
- In his prior role as CEO of dentsu Japan from January 2024, Sano led a Japan business that generates roughly 40 percent of Group net revenue and more than half of operating profit, posting 11 consecutive quarters of revenue growth. — dentsu — New Global Management Structure: https://www.dentsu.com/news-releases/dentsu-announces-new-global-management-structure-2026
- Sano continues to serve as CEO of dentsu Japan in parallel with the Global CEO role, an unusual dual mandate the group framed as preserving Japan's growth momentum while creating cross-region synergies. — Dentsu Group Inc. — Message from Takeshi Sano, Newly Appointed Global CEO: https://www.group.dentsu.com/en/news/release/001637.html


## Related

- dentsu (Representative Executive Officer, President and Global CEO; also CEO, dentsu Japan) — https://thestateofstreaming.com/companies/dentsu/


## External coverage

- 2026-02-13 — Dentsu Group Inc.: Notice Regarding Change in Representative Executive Officer of Dentsu Group Inc. (https://www.group.dentsu.com/en/news/release/001607.html)
- 2026-03-27 — Dentsu Group Inc.: Message from Takeshi Sano, Newly Appointed Global CEO of Dentsu (https://www.group.dentsu.com/en/news/release/001637.html)
- Dentsu: Takeshi Sano — Representative Executive Officer, President and Global CEO (https://www.dentsu.com/who-we-are/our-leadership/takeshi-sano)
- 2026-02-13 — Dentsu: Dentsu Announces New Global Management Structure (https://www.dentsu.com/news-releases/dentsu-announces-new-global-management-structure-2026)
- 2026-02-13 — Marketing-Interactive: Dentsu names global CEO as Hiroshi Igarashi steps down (https://www.marketing-interactive.com/dentsu-names-new-global-ceo-as-hiroshi-igarashi-steps-down)
- 2026-02-13 — Campaign Asia: Dentsu to appoint Takeshi Sano as its new global CEO (https://www.campaignasia.com/article/dentsu-appoints-takeshi-sano-as-ceo/4mcn829t8mjdfs25a1p0gkcgx8)

## Profile
Sano's appointment is the first time Dentsu has handed the global CEO role to an executive whose career was built primarily inside the Japan business in more than a decade. His parallel mandate as CEO of dentsu Japan — the unit that throws off roughly 40 percent of group net revenue and more than half of operating profit — signals where the new leadership thinks the center of gravity should sit while the international business is rebuilt.

The flatter management structure announced alongside Sano's appointment eliminated the standalone Global COO role and the global president-of-practices role, with regional CEOs and practice presidents now reporting directly to him. For an industry tracking how the holdcos respond to the Omnicom-IPG combination and Publicis's Connected Media push, Dentsu's bet is on tighter execution from a Tokyo-anchored leadership team — measured against management's FY2027 targets of 4 percent organic growth and a 16-17 percent underlying operating margin.

## Tags

- executive
- ceo
- holding-company
- advertising-agency
- japan

---
View this profile in a browser: https://thestateofstreaming.com/people/takeshi-sano/
Browse the directory: https://thestateofstreaming.com/people/
Machine-readable index: https://thestateofstreaming.com/llms.txt