Tag: Appointments

Australia – Insights consultancy company Bastion Insights has recently announced the appointment of Steven Howlett as its new managing director. 

He will be leading Bastion’s Melbourne and Sydney insights teams and is expected to bring his 20 years of industry experience to the role.

Prior to joining Bastion Insights, Howlett held the role of executive director of commercial excellence at data, insights, and consulting company Kantar. He was also a partner at the global brand consulting agency Hall & Partners.

“What appealed to me most about joining the business, is that Bastion Insights provides a great mix of commercial, social, government and cross-cultural insights,” said Howlett.

He added, “Providing expert and considered advice to help every sector of the Australian economy. Couple this with being a part of Australasia’s largest independent marketing and communications group, the Bastion Think Wide strategy is exciting and market leading.”

Jack Watts, CEO of Bastion, also said, “It is terrific to have someone of Steven’s calibre and experience come on board to lead our Insights consultancy offering.”

He further explained, “Steven has made an immediate impact with our team and clients, and I look forward to this continuing as we work to grow our capabilities across commercial and brand clients, cross-cultural insights as well as nation changing government and social behavioural change campaigns.”

Bastion has also previously appointed Simon Langley as its chief creative officer, as well as Elliot Giakalis as Bastion Reputation’s principal consultant for media and public affairs.

Auckland, New Zealand – Creative agency Colenso BBDO has announced the appointment of three new senior hires in its efforts to bolster its production and account service teams.

Joining Colenso are Jacqui Walker as director of creative production, Charlotte Glennon as EP and head of integrated production, and Keshvi Lal as senior business director.

Walker has previously worked as a senior integrated producer at TBWA\New Zealand and has worked alongside awarded creatives for the last 25 years across ANZ. She has also produced award-winning campaigns across brands such as McDonald’s, Panasonic, Volkswagen, Skoda, Westpac, AFL and more.

Speaking on her appointment, she said, “Working with Angela, Rob, Si and the incredible team at Colenso is definitely a pinch yourself moment. I’m excited to bring my creative production experience to the agency and continue to help create world-class work.”

Meanwhile, Glennon brings her years of experience as a producer for TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Mother London, Host Sydney, and DDB Aotearoa, amongst others. 

“I’m really excited to join the team at ColensoBBDO, who have the same creative ambition as the best agencies I’ve worked at. Selfishly I’m going to lean on the stellar creative department to help my gardening insta account (200ish followers) blow up, follow me for reels of Dahlias mixed to 90s R&B @charlotteinthegarden_ iykyk,” said Glennon.

Lal, on the other hand, will be leading Colenso’s Spark and Skinny accounts, amongst other responsibilities. She has also led work for iconic brands including McDonald’s, ANZ, 2degrees, and Instant Kiwi.

“I’ve long admired the work coming out of Colenso – it’s ambitious, meaningful and effective. I’m thrilled to join the whānau and work alongside the incredibly talented humans at 100 College Hill,” she said.

Angela Watson, managing director at Colenso BBDO, also commented, “Great senior people give everyone around them the momentum they need to succeed. It’s a wonderful thing. Jacqui, Charlotte and Keshvi are real talent who have already made a difference, and we’re lucky to have them.”

Colenso has also previously appointed Maria Devereux and Simon Vicars for creative leadership roles, as well as seven creative hires last June.

Mumbai, India – Puneet Biyani has been named company president of Lemma, an independent supply side platform for digital out-of-home, in order to expand the company’s global footprint. Biyani will collaborate with the board of directors and the leadership team in APAC and other regions to develop the company’s business growth vision, global market expansion strategy, and all operations in all markets.

With over two decades of experience in business operations, finance, international market and strategy, Biyani will be joining Lemma immediately. 

Biyani said, “I am really excited to be part of this amazing team. Lemma has been a pioneer in the digital advertising segment. I look forward to working closely with the team on the exciting journey ahead. The space is bound to expand rapidly, and on the technology front, Lemma is well positioned to lead and shape the development.”

Biyani spent the majority of his career with The Times of India Group, where he held the position of chief financial officer for Times Innovative Media Limited (Times OOH) while also leading their Mauritius business. He also worked for multinational corporations such as Price Waterhouse Coopers and Goldman Sachs. His most recent job was with Times OOH, a Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd subsidiary.

Founder and CEO of Lemma, Gulab Patil stated, “Having Puneet onboard as company president at Lemma will inject a new level of energy and innovative thinking to help accelerate the company’s growth and attain our vision of transforming DOOH to mainstream digital as we enter a new phase of scaling business.”

“Puneet’s expertise aligns perfectly with our business expansion plan as we continue to strengthen our technology and team globally and enhance our programmatic DOOH presence.” Patil said.

Biyani will be based in Lemma’s Delhi office and will serve as a liaison between all teams and markets in the city.

Singapore – Digital ad verification and fraud prevention platform Trafficguard has appointed Elie Shuggi as its new chief product officer. He will be responsible for scaling the company’s product offerings and supporting its growth globally. 

Elie brings over 20 years of experience leading global products in major Fortune 500 companies across banking, insurance, and e-commerce. This appointment comes just weeks after the company announced an AU$3m funding raise to support its growing roster of global blue chip clients such as entertainment giant Disney, online travel leader Lux Escapes, and sports betting businesses such as William Hill and Better Collective.

In his new role, Shuggi will be in charge of growing TrafficGuard’s organisational and product capabilities including advancing a ‘Self Serve’ product designed for SMEs, and a social product, focussing on the rampant ad fraud problem impacting social platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. 

Commenting on his appointment, Shuggi said, “I’m thrilled to be a part of this high-performing company and its mission. Helping develop and scale the business’s product portfolio is a challenge I’m truly looking forward to tackling, with the added benefit of working alongside a talented, high-calibre team.”

Mat Ratty, CEO of TrafficGuard, shared that ad fraud is in many ways, a pandemic – one that is affecting companies more than anyone thinks and impacting traditional metrics which govern spend and investment, and it is a $127b problem plaguing the advertising industry today and they are at the forefront of disruption and innovation in this space. 

“TrafficGuard is fast becoming the measurement and verification tool of choice for enterprises and SMEs globally. We are in rapid growth mode, and Elie’s experience will complement and drive our product ambition forward – especially towards SMEs, who are the hardest hit by bad actors in ad fraud. We are excited to welcome him to the TrafficGuard team and look forward to bolstering our product portfolio and truly helping brands reach their maximum market potential,” said Ratty.

TrafficGuard said that this is its third key leadership hire after the recent promotion of Matt Sutton to chief operations officer and the hiring of Chadwick Kinlay as chief marketing officer. Together, they bring over 25 years of experience and world-class leadership to the business.

Sydney, Australia – As part of its continued expansion in the Asia-Pacific region, data-driven marketing and regulatory solutions platform Fyllo announced that they will be joined by Daniel Cravero as the new VP for ANZ and Chrysa Soon as the VP for customer success & operations in APAC.

The two new senior hires will be reporting to Robert Woolfrey, managing director for APAC. Soon will be based in Singapore while Cravero will be based in Sydney.

Cravero will be bringing his broad digital advertising experience and industry-recognized leadership in data for the development of Fyllo’s marketing and data solutions in Australia and New Zealand. He will also be collaborating with leaders across the region on the development of Fyllo’s data offerings.

On the other hand, Soon will be bringing her decade of agency and platform experience from companies such as Amobee and Havas to her new role. She is also expected to handle regional client management, amongst other responsibilities.

“The debate around data is a pressing concern for brands and consumers alike. Daniel’s leadership on data will help Fyllo navigate this rapidly changing environment, particularly in Australia and New Zealand, while Chrysa will ensure our client management is industry-leading from the outset,” Woolfrey commented.

“Identity as we know it is undergoing significant changes around the world and Fyllo is at the forefront of this movement,” said Cravero.

He added, “Fyllo bridges the gap between ID-based audiences and contextual targeting which allows us to bring scalable solutions to the ANZ market. I am delighted to join Robert and the Asia Pacific team to bring this to life.”

This follows Woolfrey’s appointment last August, which is also a part of Fyllo’s expansion efforts.

Massachusetts, United States – Tripadvisor, a travel guidance platform, has named John Borris, a veteran of the technology, travel, and hospitality industries, as its new chief marketing officer, taking on the responsibility for heading the platform’s B2C and B2B marketing strategy and execution.

Boris will be focusing on developing a comprehensive strategy for driving customer acquisition and engagement, marketing efficiency, brand reach and resonance, partnerships, and expanding the international customer opportunity.

On his new role as the company’s new CMO, Boris said, “I am truly honoured to join this company and humbled to be given the responsibility to continue to make an iconic and industry-leading brand like Tripadvisor essential to the hundreds of millions of travellers around the globe using our products and services to plan their next trip. As we look to the future of all our brands across the company, we will leverage the return of global demand to make the experience of travel and dining more meaningful and memorable for those taking their next holiday or vacation.”

Boris has held a number of c-suite and executive leadership positions throughout his career. He was instrumental in Shutterfly, an Internet-based social expression and personal publishing company, to its growth and transformation into an industry leader as its chief marketing officer. 

Within his experience, Boris also oversaw Zagat, a restaurant discovery platform, to its digital transformation in web, mobile, and subscription, as its senior vice president of marketing, enabling the company to become the omni-channel leader in restaurant reviews and ratings. He has also held a number of senior operational positions. Boris became the CEO of IfOnly, a bespoke experience marketplace acquired by Mastercard in 2019.

Boris will be reporting directly to Matt Goldberg, CEO of Tripadvisor, Inc. 

Goldberg said, “I’m excited to have John join Tripadvisor as our Chief Marketing Officer, knowing he will put the needs of travellers and our partners at the heart of everything we do. John has a demonstrated track record building global brands and this company will benefit from his deep experience in e-commerce, travel and hospitality. Most importantly, John is passionate about Tripadvisor given the global strength of our brand, our wealth of data, depth of content, and the innovative products and services we provide the travellers, experience-seekers, diners and partners we serve.”

Sydney, Australia – Data-driven cloud security company Lacework has announced today the appointment of Meagen Eisenberg as its new chief marketing officer. 

Eisenberg is a veteran technology marketing executive with 20 years of experience in high-tech and specialises in demand generation, marketing operations and automation, and field marketing strategy and execution.  

She also previously held the CMO role for TripActions from 2019 to August this year, as well as at MongoDB for about four years.

Speaking on her appointment, Eisenberg said, “As a marketing executive, business leader, and advisor I have always looked to identify opportunities with strong, customer-focused products that are loved, and teams that can execute.”

She added, “Lacework checks this box and more, breaking through the noise with a truly disruptive product and a conviction to protect customers by changing the way the industry approaches security in the cloud. I’m excited to join this team of passionate problem solvers as we tackle one of the hardest challenges in the enterprise: securing the cloud.”

Jay Parikh, CEO of Lacework also commented, “With her extensive experience building world-class marketing organisations, enthusiasm for industry disrupting products, and ability to create deep understanding and connection with our customers and partners, Meagen will be a critical part of leading Lacework through our next phase of growth.” 

Singapore – Wootag, Singapore-based visual marketing SaaS company that offers visual interactive and insights to marketers, has recently launched ‘Wootag For Ads’. Simultaneously, Jeffrey Kwan has been appointed by the platform as its new managing director.

Wootag for Ads is an integrated solution that enables marketers to explore audience behavioural insights and target them with interactive video and display using Wootag Signal and OTT+ to deliver in-stream and CTV ads. This marketing solution is said to provide marketers with expanding offerings in interactive and intent-based audience engagement across various forms of advertising.

Meanwhile, Kwan’s appointment is seen to help the company expand its business in the Asia Pacific region. Kwan brings with him an outstanding track record in the field of adtech and marketing. He previously served as MD of Teads and business director of Greater China at Reuters. Prior to joining Reuters, he led the Financial Times’ Greater China & South East Asia sales team.

CEO & Founder of Wootag, Raj Sunder said, “The digital industry is growing exponentially. Leveraging the combined strengths of our expanded solutions and Jeffrey’s appointment, we are further capturing the opportunity and significantly boost Wootag’s growth across the region. With Jeffrey’s extensive experience in this industry across publishers and media agencies, we aspire to enhance our push to empower our clients on driving business outcomes with next-gen visual interactive and set new standards for integrated visual marketing solutions.”

Currently, Wootag has operations in 13 countries. 

Melbourne, Australia – Integrated creative, brand, PR, and digital agency Icon Agency welcomed award-winning creative Scott Pritchett as its new senior art director.

Pritchett is expected to elevate Icon’s offering of creative and integrated services across the board, as he will oversee the design and art direction of the company’s creative projects.

Before joining Icon, Pritchett was a senior art director at VMLY&R Melbourne and held the art director role at Dentsu. He also earned numerous recognitions in international award-giving bodies such as One Show, Spikes, AWARD, and Cannes Young Lions, amongst others. 

Icon’s Creative Director Andrew North said, “We’re very happy to welcome Scott to Icon. His previous work is a testament to his skill and we believe his guidance and oversight will support our entire creative team, who continue to produce high quality work across our entire client portfolio.” 

“Icon is committed to solving complex communications challenges, which requires diverse expertise and strong senior leadership. Scott brings a wealth of both,” North added.

Joanne Painter, Icon’s group managing director, also commented,  “Senior appointments like Scott’s are a vital part of our ongoing, sustainable business growth. As we add more senior positions and experts, each with their own experiences and strengths, we expand our ability to solve complex communications challenges and deliver award-winning work for our clients.” 

Pritchett also shared his excitement about working with the Icon Agency team, stating, “The team at Icon are a fantastic bunch and I’m excited to join them in making great, purposeful work.”

Prior to Pritchett’s appointment, Icon Agency has also previously welcomed Simon Hobbs as its new executive director of digital.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – SEA-focused digital marketing agency Lion & Lion has announced two new leadership appointments for its Malaysia and Singapore units. They are Amelia Peng, the new business director for Malaysia, and Hendero Fin, the new business director for Singapore.

Both will report to John Campbell-Bruce, Lion & Lion’s regional managing director, and will focus on creating and strengthening client relationships in their respective markets while ensuring that the finest of data-integrated creative solutions remain at the core of all client services. 

Peng joins Lion & Lion as the newest member of the senior management team. She has been involved in branding and advertising for more than 15 years, working for both the client and agency sides. For several businesses, including Petronas, Grab, Nestle, Proton, AIG, Shell, Astro, and Maybank, she served as team leader for the client servicing division. After building her experience in branding and advertising, she spent a few years leading the marketing and strategy teams for companies like Disney and BookXcess before putting her attention back to what she truly loves – advertising. 

Meanwhile, Fin, who after managing Lion & Lion’s Indonesian market for almost two years, has relocated to Singapore to oversee the agency’s client servicing there. During his tenure as the business director of Indonesia, Fin oversaw the growth of the market with new wins such as biotechnology company Novozymes, and consumer brands Cool Air and Doublemint under Mars Wrigley. 

Fin is an advertising veteran, with 12 years of experience split evenly between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. He has managed clients from a range of industries, from telecommunications to consumer products. His portfolio includes well-known Indonesian and international brands such as Diageo, Indosat Ooredoo, Marlboro, Lazada, and Redoxon, as well as Mars Wrigley. 

Commenting on her appointment, Peng said, “It’s been such a warm welcome to the den. I thoroughly believe that a happy and engaged team will be inspired to do great work. Such a team requires a good leader who isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty while leading the team through challenging times. Armed with my experience, I can’t wait to learn more from my team members. I am also confident that we will be able to enhance Lion & Lion’s status as a place where impactful and meaningful solutions are created for our clients.”

Fin also commented, “I am embracing this new role for two great reasons ‒ personal growth and to bring Lion & Lion even further ahead in Southeast Asia. I aim to grow Lion & Lion’s business here in Singapore, and in the near future, introduce a hub and spoke model to our potential clients in the region. Because of the multiplicity of nationalities and cultures we represent, our people are our most valuable asset, giving Lion & Lion an advantage in offering seamless and comprehensive solutions to our clients.”

Meanwhile, Campbell-Bruce said, “Amelia has integrated well with the Lion Malaysian team. She has quickly established herself and is already driving the business forward. We are very happy to have her on board and I am excited to see how she will help continue the agency’s rise in 2023 and beyond, in line with our expansion strategy.” 

He added, “Fin has been a strong leader for the Indonesian business over the past two years. He came in as a client director, and quickly established himself as an effective marketer and leader. He has shown great determination, talent and smart business acumen, which saw him promoted to business director. I am extremely excited to see him continue his development and take over the helm of the Singapore market, which is a core market for regional networks like Lion & Lion.”