Shyam Sunder: The Marketing Visionary Behind Some of the Region’s Most Successful Brand Transformations

In today’s fast-changing business landscape, successful brands are built on more than creative campaigns—they require strategic thinking, consumer insight, and the ability to adapt across industries and markets. Few marketing leaders embody these qualities as effectively as Shyam Sunder, a seasoned marketer whose career spans advertising, brand management, retail transformation, hospitality, and entrepreneurship.

With more than two decades of experience, Shyam has successfully launched brands, accelerated business growth, and led award-winning marketing initiatives across multiple sectors. His ability to combine creativity with commercial strategy has earned him recognition as one of the Gulf region’s leading marketing professionals.

Shyam began his professional journey in advertising with DDB India, where he managed internationally renowned brands including Citibank, Apple, and Henkel. Working with global clients provided him with a strong foundation in brand strategy, consumer behavior, and integrated marketing communications, shaping the strategic mindset that would define his career.

In 2005, he transitioned into brand management, expanding his expertise beyond advertising and into business leadership. Following a successful period in the real estate sector, he joined Landmark Group, one of the Middle East’s largest retail and hospitality conglomerates. During his decade-long tenure, he played a pivotal role in transforming brands across fashion retail and hospitality, leading innovative campaigns that not only strengthened brand equity but also drove measurable business growth.

His work at Landmark Group was marked by several breakthrough initiatives and award-winning campaigns, demonstrating his ability to align marketing innovation with commercial performance. By combining customer insights, digital transformation, and strategic storytelling, Shyam helped position brands for long-term success in highly competitive markets.

Today, Shyam brings this wealth of experience to a diverse portfolio of businesses as a strategic marketing consultant, advising organizations in travel technology, sports, and emerging industries. His consulting approach focuses on helping brands build sustainable growth strategies, embrace innovation, and strengthen their market positioning in an increasingly digital economy.

Further extending his entrepreneurial vision, Shyam founded The1Collective, a full-service marketing platform that connects brands across the Middle East with creative talent and specialist expertise from around the world. The platform reflects his belief that exceptional marketing is built through collaboration, global perspectives, and access to world-class creative capabilities.

Beyond his executive and entrepreneurial roles, Shyam is an influential contributor to the global marketing community. He serves as an Executive Member of The Marketing Society and is frequently invited to judge prestigious international awards, including The Drum Awards and the Campaign Agency of the Year Awards Global. His expertise is also shared through keynote presentations at leading marketing conferences, universities, and industry forums.

His contributions have been widely recognized through numerous industry accolades. Shyam has been featured among the Top Marketers in the GCC by Gulf Marketing Review, listed among the Top 10 Clients by the B&W Report, and included in the prestigious VMF Power List, reflecting the respect he has earned from peers across the global marketing industry.

As marketing continues to evolve through artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and changing consumer expectations, Shyam Sunder remains committed to helping organizations build brands that are not only memorable but also meaningful, resilient, and commercially successful.

His career demonstrates that great marketing is about more than communication—it is about creating lasting business value, inspiring innovation, and building brands that stand the test of time.