In an exclusive fireside conversation with CNBC Senior Media & Tech Correspondent Julia Boorstin, dentsu Global CEO Takeshi Sano reflected on 125 years of client centricity, the role of AI in reshaping marketing, and why culture is becoming one of business’ most important competitive advantages.
At Cannes Lions 2026, dentsu marked its 125th anniversary with a forward-looking conversation on what it takes to create meaningful growth in an era of rapid technological and cultural change.
In his first external fireside conversation since being appointed Global CEO, Takeshi Sano joined Julia Boorstin, CNBC’s Senior Media & Tech Correspondent, for “A New Era of Innovating to Impact” — a 30-minute session exploring how dentsu’s founding principles continue to shape its future.
Drawing on more than three decades with the company, Sano described his mission as building on dentsu’s 125-year legacy while driving the business into new ground. For Sano, that means staying true to dentsu’s culture and purpose while helping clients navigate one of the most significant shifts the marketing industry has ever faced.
“Technology will continue to change, but the fundamentals remain the same,” said Sano. “We need to listen deeply, create value for clients around the world, and unlock the full potential of our people.”
Client centricity means earning trust
A central theme of the conversation was dentsu’s long-held belief in client centricity — not as a slogan, but as a way of working.
Sano reflected on lessons from leading dentsu’s Japanese business, where long-term client relationships are built on trust, mutual respect and collaboration. He described true partnership as becoming “one team” with the client: sharing ambition, solving problems together and taking responsibility for outcomes.
He also made clear that client centricity does not mean simply saying yes. The strongest partnerships, he argued, are built on the trust required to challenge constructively and have honest conversations about what will serve a client’s long-term growth.
“True client centricity means earning the right to say no,” said Sano. “If we believe a decision may not serve the client’s long-term interests, we should have the courage to challenge it. That is what real partnership looks like.”
From innovation to impact
The discussion then turned to AI and the acceleration of change across the marketing industry.
Sano described innovation not as novelty, but as progress — the ability to turn new possibilities into measurable outcomes for clients and society. Over 125 years, he said, dentsu has repeatedly played the role of connecting ideas, industries and institutions, from broadcasting and sports to entertainment, digital platforms and now AI.
Today, as clients move from AI experimentation to implementation and scale, Sano said the question has shifted from “what is AI?” to “how does AI create impact for my business?”
For dentsu, that means embedding AI across creativity, data, media and technology in ways that help people and clients move faster, think more originally and deliver measurable results.
“Innovation only matters when it creates meaningful outcomes,” said Sano. “If it doesn’t change an outcome, it is just noise.”
Culture as competitive advantage
Boorstin and Sano also discussed the role of culture in helping organisations embrace technology and navigate uncertainty.
Sano argued that culture is one of the most powerful assets a company can build because it is shaped over time and cannot be replicated overnight. In a period of disruption, he said, leaders need to be transparent about the challenges ahead while creating excitement about the opportunities that change can unlock.
At dentsu, that culture is rooted in curiosity, human creativity, mutual respect, collaboration and trust. Those qualities, Sano said, are what enable people to experiment, learn and create new value — especially as AI becomes more deeply embedded across the industry.
“Culture becomes a competitive advantage when it is lived by every role,” said Sano. “Innovation becomes sustainable when it is part of the system, not a separate initiative.”
Creating the future together
The session closed by returning to dentsu’s 125-year milestone and the company’s ambition for the next era.
Sano framed dentsu’s future around a simple “1, 2, 5” idea: one team with clients; the two superpowers of innovating and impact; and five cultural qualities — curiosity, human creativity, mutual respect, collaboration and trust — that make dentsu’s promise possible.
As Cannes Lions audiences looked ahead to the next chapter of creativity, technology and growth, Sano’s message was clear: dentsu’s future will be defined not by waiting for change, but by helping clients shape it.
“The future isn’t something we wait for,” said Sano. “It’s something we create, together.”
