Harshu Deshpande joins Publicis Sapient to drive AI in Australia

Publicis Sapient has appointed Harshu Deshpande as Vice President, Product and Engineering Lead for Australia, as part of its focus on AI-powered engineering in the local market.

Deshpande will be based in Melbourne and is set to oversee multi-disciplinary teams tasked with the delivery of large-scale digital transformation programmes. In his role, he will utilise Publicis Sapient's AI platforms to support legacy modernisation and expand AI adoption across client organisations.

Deshpande's appointment signals Publicis Sapient's ongoing investment in the Australian market, reinforcing its strategy to combine AI, engineering, and product expertise through senior leadership. The company has also recently appointed Gavin Seewooruttun as Vice President, Data and AI Lead for Australia, with both roles intended to support next-generation, integrated solutions for clients throughout the region.

Leadership perspective

"We are thrilled to welcome Harshu to lead our engineering and product teams in Australia. His deep expertise and innovative mindset align perfectly with our commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions for clients," said Angela Robinson, Country Managing Director, Australia, Publicis Sapient.

Robinson added, "At a time when businesses are actively seeking fresh perspectives and transformative partnerships, Harshu's appointment underscores our continued ability to attract top talent, enabling us to better serve our clients as they navigate this exciting and rapidly evolving AI-powered world."

Focus on AI-driven transformation

In his new position, Deshpande will take charge of multi-disciplinary teams to deliver agile transformation programmes and support the implementation of scalable technology solutions for clients. He will also champion the use of Publicis Sapient's proprietary AI platforms, such as Sapient Slingshot and Bodhi, with the aim of improving the speed and effectiveness of client outcomes.

Deshpande's role will see him participate in Publicis Sapient's SPEED framework-Strategy, Product, Experience, Engineering, Data and AI-where he is expected to nurture engineering talent and promote practices that align with clients' evolving needs in AI and digital transformation.

Extensive industry experience

Harshu Deshpande brings over 20 years of experience from multiple technology and digital consultancies, including senior positions at Google, Slalom Build and Accenture. Prior to joining Publicis Sapient, Deshpande was Field CTO and Advisor for Digital Natives at Google, where he was involved with scaling high-growth Australian startups and providing guidance in product engineering, cloud strategy, and agile transformation.

Deshpande has also served as Managing Director for Slalom Build in the Asia-Pacific region, where he helped to establish and lead a team of more than 150 engineers, designers, and product owners across Australia and Japan. Before that, his 15-year tenure with Accenture included leadership roles focused on large-scale application transformation and cloud technology adoption for major clients.

His industry recognition includes a high commendation for Management Excellence at the 2021 ARN Innovation Awards, reflecting his impact and leadership in the engineering sector.

Perspectives from Deshpande

"I'm incredibly excited to join Publicis Sapient at a pivotal moment," said Harshu Deshpande, VP, Product and Engineering Lead Australia, Publicis Sapient.

"AI is fundamentally reshaping engineering and the value clients are looking for, and with our proprietary AI platforms and SPEED capabilities, we are uniquely positioned to accelerate legacy modernisation, scale AI implementations and deliver end-to-end business transformation. I look forward to unlocking significant value and driving innovation alongside this talented team."

Deshpande's remit will include supporting businesses as they adapt to new digital and AI-related challenges in Australia's competitive market environment. His appointment is part of a broader approach by Publicis Sapient to provide data-driven and agile solutions across its client base.