Singapore – Omnicom Media Group agency PHD has appointed Kiron Kesav as chief strategy officer, APAC. In his role, Kesav will lead strategic planning, business growth, innovation, and digital transformation, powered by the Omni open operating system.
With over 15 years of industry experience, Kesav was most recently OMG Malaysia’s Chief Strategy Officer, during which he led several successful multi-market and local pitches including OPPO, Warner Bros. Discovery, CelcomDigi, and Dutch Lady.
Kesav also championed AI adoption across the agency and elevated OMG Malaysia’s reputation as an industry thought leader through several initiatives, including conceptualising the flagship ‘Future Play’ event.
Before taking on the group role, Kesav spent three years with PHD Malaysia as GM, Strategy and Platforms, driving strategy and the use of new technology platforms, and scaling the adoption of Omni in the market.
As a result, PHD Malaysia was among the top 10 markets globally in terms of Omni Studio usage. Additionally, Kesav was instrumental in conceptualising and designing key strategy products, including the Digital Efficacy Monitoring Framework, PHD Pulse, and OMG OOH Priority Radar.
He reports into PHD APAC CEO Eileen Ooi, effectively immediately. Together with PHD’s regional leadership team, Kesav will drive better business outcomes for clients by leveraging intelligence that connects businesses to the next generation of consumers.
Speaking on his new role, Kiron said, “PHD APAC boasts of some of the sharpest strategic minds in the industry and for me, it is a fantastic feeling to once again to don the PHD colours and work alongside them. I see our strategy teams across markets being the force multipliers in our journey to make our new proposition – Intelligence. Connected. – meaningful in APAC while capitalising on the immense potential of OMG’s capabilities. I am excited to partner with our global and regional teams to deliver transformative growth for our people and our clients with a focus on bringing clarity in complexity.”
Kesav will continue as OMG Malaysia’s chief strategy officer in the interim while a search for his successor is underway, ensuring a seamless transition and sustained momentum.
Meanwhile, Ooi commented, “Kiron is a seasoned strategy expert who is skilled in navigating the complexities of brand building. Having worked with him during my time at PHD and OMG in Malaysia, I recognised Kiron’s knack for insightful analysis and creative problem-solving that successfully brought clients’ visions to life. His ability to unlock growth opportunities while leveraging OMG’s Agency as a Platform proposition to create inspiring executions will help our clients outthink, outpace, and outgrow their competition, making him a valuable asset to PHD APAC.”
