Tag: Appointments

Malaysia – The global head of marketing of Malaysia Airlines, Waikuan Wong, will now have a more dedicated focus on the airline’s flagship airline business. Wong takes in a new role with the official position, Head of Airlines Global Marketing. The announcement was made via a LinkedIn post by Wong.

In the new role, she will be responsible for the direct channel commercial and overall marketing for Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, and Maswings of Malaysia Aviation Group’s businesses. 

Wong was previously the airline’s global head of marketing, where she handled its branding, strategic partnership, and overall digital commercial and revenue performance, amongst others.

Prior to joining Malaysia Airlines, Wong was also the senior vice president of group marketing at the leisure, travel and tourism company Themed Attractions Resorts & Hotels Sdn. Bhd. She also held the assistant VP of branding role at Maybank for about three years.

Wong will also be speaking at MARKETECH APAC’s upcoming ‘What’s NEXT 2023: Marketing in Asia Pacific’ conference, where she will be discussing about how CMOs build a ‘dream team’.

Sydney, Australia – Sydney-headquartered digital agency Orange Line has appointed Adam Donnelley as its new head of strategy, where he will be leading the development and implementation of strategic initiatives for the agency’s portfolio of clients across various industries.

In the new role, Donnelley will be leveraging his expertise in customer insights, CX, digital transformation, and business strategy.

Prior to joining Orange Line, Donnelley was senior director of client strategy and innovation at IT company Capgemini. He has also worked at leading digital consultancies and agencies in Australia and the US including RXP Group, DDB Sydney, and MRM/McCann.

Speaking on his appointment at the agency, Donnelley said, “Orange Line have had great success fusing digital, performance and creativity – a combination clients need more than ever. The real business impact they have is testament to the depth of capability, rigour and culture they have nurtured.”

David Klein, co-founder and director at Orange Line also shared his excitement over Donnelley’s appointment.

“We are delighted that someone with Adam’s extensive experience and reputation is joining Orange Line as we continue to evolve the business to meet the needs of our clients. His insights will be invaluable to ensure we are delivering the best digital strategic consultancy for our clients,” he said.

The consultancy-led agency also works with leading brands including AWS, Atlassian, Blue Nile, Roche, and Noom on SEO, paid media, conversion rate optimisation, creative, data and intelligence.

Mumbai, India – Advertising agency TBWA in India has appointed Russell Barrett as its chief creative experience officer to further the agency’s commitment to delivering disruptive brand experience solutions for its clients.

In the newly created role, Barrett will be setting the creative vision and delivering TBWA\India’s total brand experience approach to the agency’s portfolio of clients. He will likewise be working closely with the agency’s key management team in India and its global creative leadership to drive the global ambition for TBWA’s creative product.

Prior to joining TBWA, Barrett was managing partner and chief creative officer at ad agency BBH India. He also has 27 years of experience working with brands like Abbott, Google Chrome, Red Bull, Audi, and Uber, amongst others.

On his new appointment, Barrett said, “TBWA is a brilliant brand globally with a sharply defined culture of creativity and innovation. The opportunity to create brand experiences rather than just another campaign speaks directly to my own creative ambitions. Through conversations with the TBWA leadership, it is clear we’re chasing the same goals.”

Govind Pandey, chief executive officer at TBWA\India, also commented that Barrett will be helping elevate the agency’s disruptive creative thinking that its clients demand.

“His depth of experience and varied skill set will sharpen our creative thinking and deliver ongoing value across the entire brand experience for our clients,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sean Donovan, president of TBWA\Asia, also said, “With Russell on board, we will be accelerating our collective mission to provide category-defining solutions that defy convention while delivering meaningful business impact.”

Ben Williams, chief creative experience officer at TBWA\Worldwide, also shared his excitement over Barrett’s appointment. 

“A changed world requires a changed approach to creative work. With Russell joining the\ collective, I look forward to seeing him bring his unique perspective and experience to the table in crafting disruptive work with brand experience at its core.”

Previously, TBWA\India has also appointed Amit Kekre as its CSO to elevate its strategic approach across its planning department.

Singapore – Marketing data and analytics company Kantar has appointed Jane Ng and Paromeeta Mathur Banerjee as general managers of insights. Ng will be leading the team in Singapore, while Banerjee will be steering the Malaysia team.

In the new role, Ng will be bringing her 18 years of experience in the insights industry in Kantar Singapore and the Philippines, as well as with brandssuch as the Coca-Cola Company. She will also be developing brand and communication plans and strategic business plans for the company. 

Speaking on her appointment, Ng said, “I am delighted to lead the team and partner with world leading brands in Singapore and the region to develop data-driven marketing strategies and find growth opportunities.”

Meanwhile, Banerjee is expected to leverage her 20 years of experience in the insights industry across India and Malaysia. Prior to the new role, she was chief client officer for Kantar’s Insights division in Malaysia. 

She is also a well-known industry leader and is currently president of the Marketing Research Society of Malaysia (MRSM).

“I’m very excited to lead our team in Malaysia to help clients find new opportunities among changing consumer behaviours in the region. Whether it’s through current workflows or mining the wealth of data they already have through a different lens, this is a significant turning point for our region,” Banerjee commented. 

Katie McClintock, managing director for Southeast Asia at Kantar also shared her excitement over the new appointments.

“Jane’s and Paro’s leadership and experience will be crucial in fulfilling the ambition that we have for Kantar in the region as we set ourselves up for growth. I am so pleased to add two outstanding leaders to the SEA team in a dynamic region with enormous potential,” said McClintock.

Both Ng and Banerjee’s appointments are effective immediately.

Last February, Kantar Australia also appointed Straford Rodrigues as its head of media and marketing effectiveness and Lee Catlin as its senior director of customer experience.

Mumbai, India – Influencer marketing agency Barcode Entertainment has announced the appointment of Ajay Kulkarni as its business head, where he will be bringing his diversified experience in revenue, brand management, communications, and marketing, amongst others.

In his new role, Kulkarni is expected to bring seamless processes to the agency, as well as help grow its businesses with the aim to make the company one of the most prominent players in the social commerce, influencer marketing, and content space.

Prior to joining Barcode, Kulkarni led the content and strategic partnerships at TikTok (ByteDance) for South Asia and was assistant vice president for international business at Times Network. He has also worked with notable organisations in India such as Star India Pvt Ltd, Tata Teleservices, and Times Group.

Speaking on his appointment, Kulkarni said, “I am delighted to be part of the immensely specialised and talented team at Barcode Entertainment. The rapid rise of influencers and the creator economy at large is a force to reckon with in today’s digital landscape.”

He also added that he believes Barcode is well-positioned to be the leading company supercharging the influencer marketing, content, and live commerce space.

Rahul Khanna, co-founder of Barcode Entertainment, also commented, “We are immensely happy to have Ajay on board as the Business Head at Barcode. Having experienced growth at a lightning-fast pace, we are setting our sights on leveraging this growth momentum and scaling new heights to be the next big thing in the influencer, content and live commerce space.”

Founded in 2019, Barcode Entertainment helps various brands connect and collaborate with more than 20,000 macro and micro-influencers across the country.

Singapore – Brand and customer experience agency VMLY&R has appointed Rhys Taylor as its new managing director for Singapore. He will be reporting to Hari Ramanathan, CEO of VMLY&R South and Southeast Asia and Japan.

In his new role, Taylor will be overseeing VMLY&R’s SG’s sales, account management, and revenue generation. 

Prior to joining VMLY&R, Taylor was managing director for Asia Pacific at marketing and advertising agency dentsu international. He also has 14 years of industry experience working in senior leadership roles at Wunderman and financial services company Saasu, amongst others.

Speaking on his appointment, Taylor said, “VMLY&R stood out because its culture is built around an attitude of innovation and connectedness; and I’m incredibly excited to get to know and work closely with everyone who has been a part of its success so far and look forward to building more with our clients in 2023.”

Meanwhile, Ramanathan also commented, “Rhys’ background in strategy and CX makes him the ideal leader to take Singapore to the next level, complementing our full suite of capability leaders, and helping us to build connected brands for our growing portfolio of clients via our cutting-edge Commerce, Experience, Technology and Creative offering,”

Taylor’s appointment is part of VMLY&R’s strategy to strengthen its regional flagship operation and emphasise its focus on commerce as the intersection point between business experience and customer experience. 

VMLY&R Singapore also launched its global commerce accelerator programme last September in partnership with the Singapore Economic Development Board.

Bangkok, Thailand – Food and grocery delivery platform foodpanda has appointed Ann Suwanjindar as its new director of marketing for Thailand. 

In her new role, Suwanjindar will be bringing her more than 20 years of experience in digital marketing, social media strategy, brand strategy, media planning, and go-to-market strategy, amongst others.

Prior to joining foodpanda, Suwanjindar was a Mastercard advisor for APAC at Mastercard. She was also previously the country manager for the Stockholm-based e-book and audiobook subscription service platform Storytel. 

Moreover, she has also held leadership roles at companies such as Facebook, McKinsey & Company, Siam Commercial Bank, American Express, IBM, Pfizer, and McCann Worldgroup.

The appointment follows the one-year anniversary of foodpanda’s brand ambassador Pau-Pau.

New Delhi, India – India’s flag carrier airline Air India has appointed Ronit Baugh as its new lead of corporate communications.  Baugh made the announcement through a public LinkedIn post on January 9. 

In his new role, Baugh will be bringing his experiences as a communications specialist in various sectors, as well as his expertise in devising communication strategies, driving campaigns, and leadership.

“It thrills me to be joining the global airline at a time when it stands on the cusp of transformational change. As a communicator, it is this story of what is, arguably, one of the most challenging turnarounds in aviation history, that I am most excited to tell,” the post read.

Prior to joining Air India, Baugh was head of corporate communications at airline Jet Airways. He also held the communications and public affairs lead for India at the Oxford University Press.

Air India has also previously appointed Campbell Wilson as its chief executive officer and managing director in May last year.

Sydney, Australia – The Works, a creative agency part of the Capgemini group, has appointed Johnnie McGinness as its customer engagement lead. The agency has also promoted Jacq Henderson to strategist. 

McGinness will be joining The Works from Oracle CX Consulting, where he partnered with organizations in multiple sectors across JAPAC. He will be reporting to Strategy Partner Dan Pankraz. 

Speaking on his appointment, McGinness said, “It’s an exciting time to be joining The Works, the backing of Capgemini provides endless possibilities for data, insights, and technology to create powerful and engaging experiences for our clients and their customers.”

He added that he is looking forward to bringing new perspectives and ideas to The Works’ clients to help achieve its goals.

Pankraz further commented, “We are super excited to welcome Johnnie. At a time when we’re further developing our Accelerated Journeys CX offering, bringing in someone with his level of CX, data and digital capability will add incredible value to our clients. Johnnie is refreshingly passionate about pushing customer engagement to new levels and we can’t wait to see him elevate our CX and CRM offering.”

Meanwhile, Henderson has been elevated to strategist after joining the agency as a junior strategist in 2021. In her new role, she will be leading strategy on key accounts and helping drive growth and client satisfaction.

On Henderson’s promotion, Pankraz said, “The Works has always focused on developing people and promoting internally as a priority. We’re always delighted when both our business and team grow and it’s amazing to see young strategists like Jacq develop their skills and hone their craft.”

This follows Julie Dormand’s appointment as managing director for the agency.

London, England – Global brand publishing agency Green Park Content has promoted Lesley Renton as its head of marketing and demand generation for APAC. Renton made the announcement through a LinkedIn post on January 5.

Renton is a seasoned digital marketing leader with expertise in online and offline integrated marketing campaigns, digital marketing, new business, and events.

Prior to her new role, she worked as head of new business for APAC at the agency. She also previously held the general manager and director of marketing role at event marketing agency Clearwater Communications.

“I am so proud to be part of the amazing, world-class Greenpark family and team, and to continue to build on our significant 2022 new business and growth achievements. Looking forward to great collaborations, and powering up the growth of Greenpark through the power of marketing and demand generation,” Renton’s post read.

Green Park Content has also previously bagged the digital and creative mandates for the Indonesian snack brand Maxicorn and the Philippines’ telco giant Globe.