Singapore – Edelman has appointed two new creator marketing leaders in Asia Pacific, bolstering its regional creator-led marketing capabilities amid growing demand for influencer and creator partnerships across the region.
The appointments see Sushant Vithaldas join as Head of Creator Marketing for India, based in Mumbai, while Vimlarithan (Rithan) Vijaya takes on the role of Creator Marketing Leader for Southeast Asia, based in Malaysia.
The hires come shortly after Edelman named Kenny Gold as its first Global Chief Creator Officer, signalling the firm’s continued investment in creator marketing as a key component of its integrated communications offering.
In their new roles, Vithaldas and Vijaya will work across social, paid, performance and earned media disciplines to develop creator-led campaigns designed to drive cultural relevance and business impact for clients across Asia Pacific.
The expansion reflects a broader shift in consumer behaviour, with audiences increasingly turning to creators as trusted sources of information and influence.
According to Edelman, growing client demand across APAC has accelerated the need for creator strategies tailored to local cultures and communities.
“At the core of our creator offering is the idea of the ‘Trusted Creator’. In an era where audiences increasingly turn to people and communities they trust, Edelman is uniquely positioned to help brands navigate and deliver in this environment,” said Kenny Gold, Global Chief Creator Officer at Edelman.
“With Sushant and Rithan, we’re adding deep market expertise that strengthens our ability to promote and protect our clients through engaging, earned-led storytelling—partnering with the most impactful voices across these markets,” he added.
Meanwhile, Rakesh Thukral, CEO of Asia Pacific at Edelman, said creators have become an essential part of how brands build influence and engagement across the region.
“Today, no organisation – whether B2B or B2C – can effectively connect with its audiences without creator partnerships in the mix,” Thukral said. “These appointments reflect how we are evolving our business to help clients meet that reality.”
Vithaldas brings more than 20 years of experience spanning marketing, digital, content and brand communications. Prior to joining Edelman, he led revenue growth and strategic brand partnerships at Collective Artists Network and previously held leadership roles at Schbang, Landmark Group, Dell and Apple in India.
“The creator economy is creating new opportunities for brands to engage audiences through culture, community and storytelling,” said Vithaldas. “Edelman’s strength at the intersection of earned, integrated communications and trust makes it uniquely positioned to help clients build impactful creator-led programmes.”
Meanwhile, Vijaya joins from Monks, where he led creator strategy for regional and global campaigns involving brands such as Vaseline and Google. He also previously worked at Astro and Rocketfuel Entertainment, helping to build creator ecosystems across Southeast Asia.
“In Southeast Asia, where audiences are incredibly diverse, success depends on understanding what people genuinely value and trust,” Vijaya said. “There is a strong opportunity to build creator programmes that are not just visible, but credible, meaningful and enduring.”
The appointments underscore Edelman’s broader push to strengthen its creator marketing proposition globally as brands increasingly seek trusted voices to drive engagement and influence consumer decisions.
