Popularly known as 'Paddy', Santosh Padhi started his advertising career 25 years back. An art graduate from Mumbai, he started his advertising carrier with DDB followed by Leo Burnett, after 13 years of industry experience he decided to create his own path, culture and approach towards advertising, he co-founded Taproot in 2009, In no time he took the agency to greater creative heights by setting high standards of creativity with unique work culture. After 12 wonderful years of unmatched creative success at Taproot, which is not only in India but globally by winning at every local and international advertising creative shows, he finally decided to moved out of the Taproot/ Dentsu network. In March 2022 he joined W+K network as Chief Creative Officer W+K India to take their creative legacy forward in India by taking over Delhi office and setting up W+K’s 9th global office in form of Mumbai.

Paddy has won every single Creative Advertising Awards in last two and half decades, with over 200 international and over 300 local awards, multiple golds, Grand Prix titles under his belt, he is one of the most awarded creatives in India. 

Paddy has deservedly served as a jury member and jury president at numerous local and international award shows across the globe including Cannes Lions, Clio, D&AD, OneShow, New York Festival, London International Awards, Dubai Lynx, Adfest Pattaya, AdStar Busan, ADC, ANDY etc.

These days he passionately promotes running and fitness along with creativity, as he himself has experienced how a healthy body leads to healthy mind/ideas.