Tag: Appointments

Bangkok, Thailand – Ogilvy Thailand has elevated Gumpon Laksanajinda, its former executive creative director, to be its new chief creative officer, where he brings in craftsmanship and awards expertise.

Under the new role, Laksanajinda will be providing creative leadership, strengthening and diversifying Ogilvy’s creative capabilities, and empowering teams across all creative functions.

A true visionary who skillfully combined creativity, data, and technology to create breakthrough communication works, Laksanajinda is the creative force behind the company’s consistent wins at Cannes Lions and other prominent awards during the past few decades.

Laksanajinda noted that moving forward, he will focus on enhancing the agency’s creative capabilities in four key areas. 

“The first is Variety. Thanks to our comprehensive services that include Advertising, PR & Influence, Experience, Health, and Consulting, we are able to solve clients’ marketing problems creatively and innovatively. [The] second is Speed & Scale. We will utilise [the] latest technologies in Creative Cloud to make our creative process seamless and our creative works scalable in order to serve clients’ increasingly dynamic needs,” said Laksanajinda.

He added, “The third is Talent. We welcome fresh and seasoned talents from a wide variety of backgrounds, skills, and interests, as long as they are passionate about using creativity to make big differences. The last area is Effective Impact. We are convinced that works with mere commercial results are not enough to grow and sustain brands in the long run. We will join hands with our clients to push forward projects that promote [a] positive impact for the people and the planet on top of business performance. We will make sure our clients walk with confidence toward the future with us by their side.”

Meanwhile, Nopadol Srikieatikajohn, chairman of Ogilvy Thailand, said, “It is about time that Gumpon uses his accumulated experiences and expertise to bring our company to a new era of success and to pass on our unique DNA to the next generation of creative talents.”

In August 2022, Ogilvy also appointed Chatree Chokmongkolsatian as its newest chief strategy officer in Thailand.

Singapore – Credit card service company American Express has elevated Marlin Brown, its former country manager of Thailand, to be its new country manager for Singapore, where he will be responsible for the company’s corporate, small business, and consumer card businesses.

Brown joined American Express in 2011, and has held several roles across the company’s consumer teams and worked in various locations including New York, Hong Kong, and Thailand. He was also a part of the American Express finance organisation leading the controllership teams across China, Hong Kong, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

Moreover, before joining American Express, Brown was a senior manager with KPMG’s national office in New York City. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and holds an accounting degree from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.

Commenting on his new role, Brown said, “We have a great brand in Singapore, known for our exceptional customer service and being a trusted partner to our Card Members. Together with my team, we are excited to continue our focus on growing, especially in the premium space, by continuing to evolve with our Card Members as they expand their lifestyle and experiences beyond travel.”

Meanwhile, Fredrik Sauter, senior vice president and head of growing markets cluster and international card services at American Express, noted, “Singapore is an important part of American Express’ overall strategy, and we want to not only accelerate our growth in the country, but also reinforce our leadership in the premium space. With Marlin’s knowledge, understanding of the business and the region, his solution-focused approach and strategic perspective, I’m sure our Singapore business will grow from strength to strength.”

Singapore – Data and AI company ADA has appointed Anthony Chan as its new head of growth. Chan will be spearheading the company’s marketing technology sales team across the APAC region. 

Chan bring with him 25 years of experience in martech sales and partnership management with top companies Microsoft, Sitecore, and Braze, and was most recently vice president and enterprise sales leader of Merkle APAC Region. Chan has supervised exponential growth across multiple businesses throughout his globetrotting career. 

The agency said the appointment is part of its ambitious plans to grow its martech business. Chan’s responsibility is to strengthen ADA’s portfolio of digital marketing solutions for brands. His team will be overseeing ADA’s sales progression and contribute to the firm’s plans in strengthening its position as the region’s largest independent analytics, data, and AI business.

Anurag Gupta, ADA’s chief operating officer, stated, “ADA is thrilled to have Anthony onboard as head of growth. Anthony’s blend of vast experience in B2B sales, partnership management and management consulting is a great addition to our solutions leadership team.”

Gupta continued, “With his appointment, I am confident in the focus that ADA has in place to strengthen and tap on the opportunities that lie in the 10 markets were established in, helping brands maximise their marketing technology ROI.”

Chan commented, “Marketing technology is one of ADA’s fastest-growing solution pillars as we see rapidly increasing integration in our clients’ digital marketing landscape. ADA’s growth plans are ahead of the curve, and I look forward to leveraging my experience to uncover more growth opportunities for ADA.”

New South Wales, Sydney – Apparent, a full-service Sydney-based independent agency, has appointed Matt Olanda as its new client services director. The agency said the appointment comes after significant client growth seen locally and internationally. 

Olanda brings with him extensive leadership experience with 17 years under his belt working across London and Sydney agencies as a client service lead across CX and digital. As client service director at 303 MullenLowe and MercerBell, he managed large teams for clients such as Foxtel, Audi, HBF Insurance, Suncorp, American Express, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, BMW, Unilever, and the Department of Health (UK).

“We’re excited to welcome Matt into our team as we continue to deliver strong growth and win new business both in Australia and internationally while expanding our remit with existing clients. Matt brings with him rich experience and a deep specialism in CX, digital, and customer communications. He sees the agency and client relationship as a true partnership and takes a hands-on approach to drive positive results through creativity.” Phil Smith, Apparent’s CEO, commented.

Olanda himself said, “It’s an exciting time to come aboard. Apparent is one of the fastest-growing independents in Sydney with clients across the globe and a full-service offering. 

He added, “I’m thrilled to join such a talented team and look forward to building on their great work. It’s an opportunity to further strengthen our partnerships with our incredible clients like Cricket Australia, Tourism Australia, Google, and LinkedIn who have a real appetite for solving business problems and delivering customer-first creative solutions.”

Jakarta, Indonesia – BBDO Indonesia has appointed renowned creative talent, Yogi Tapanati Simbolon, otherwise known as Tigor, to be its new creative lead. He will be playing an active role in helping to create compelling new work for the agency. 

Over the past year, Tigor has created work for Exxon Mobil and has landed more local duties for major brands like VISA, amongst others. Tigor began his career as an e-reporter for an English-language tourism website before moving into the world of advertising – first as a copywriter, then advancing to the position of creative director at a number of well-known multinational advertising agencies.    

At age 32, he became one of the youngest local executive creative directors. To date, he has won more than 70 creative awards and while many people in the ad industry might find the prospect of dwelling into difficult or impossible pitches tedious, Tigor finds it one of the most rewarding aspects of his job. 

“I’m thrilled to take on this new role and to work closely with BBDO Indonesia’s talented team to develop the agency’s creative capabilities and create memorable content for clients that really hits home with Indonesian audiences,” said Tigor.   

His creative inputs have been tested and proven; a few of his past projects included Extra Joss, an energy drink that was seeking ways to counteract local and foreign brands taking over the market. For the brand, Tigor developed ‘LAKI,’ an Indonesian word that is impossible to directly translate, but that is most similar to the English word ‘manly’. In Indonesia, it quickly became known that no man was more “manly” than LAKI.

Aviani Primasari, managing partner at BBDO Indonesia, commented, “BBDO Indonesia is evolving, digital is becoming more and more important in Indonesia, and I’m confident that Tigor will further strengthen our digital capabilities and produce some truly powerful creative work that will help our clients grow locally.”

Australia – Internet-first creative agency Snack Drawer continues growth across Australia as they announce three new appointments for their Melbourne operations. This follows the recent opening of the agency’s Sydney office and the development of their Netflix ANZ social content team.

The new appointees are Head of Content and Social Steph Grapsas, Supervising Producer Eliza Bone, and Social & Creator Manager Reyann Khalil.

Grapsas is slated to provide her experiences gained from working in agencies for 12 years, the last five of which were spent as the social media and content director at Alt/Shift. She also held positions at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Thinktank Social, as well as Mango Communications, where she served as the senior social media account manager.

Meanwhile, Bone, former integrated producer at BWM Dentsu, will be bringing skills she developed while working in London as a line producer at One of Us on Netflix Original – Letter for the King Season One. She has also produced animated TVCs and social content for Shotopop and held roles at SBS and Rapid Films.

Khalil, on the other hand, is coming to Snack Drawer after her stint as a social media manager for Mr. Yum. She is the brain behind the popular social platform @YouKnowYoureAustralianWhen and was a Social Media Manager at LADbible Group.

“It’s an exciting time for Snack Drawer as we continue to attract brands increasingly seeking to authentically engage with youth audiences – and top talent to deliver on those client needs,” said Snack Drawer Co-Founder and Managing Director Jamie Searle.

He also added, “We’re so pleased to welcome the wonderful Steph, Eliza and Reyann to the team.”

Snack Drawer recently won awards at the AIMCO – Australian Influencer Marketing Council Awards, and has continued to grow since its inception in 2020.

Mumbai, India – BBH India, an advertising agency under Publicis Groupe, has appointed Himanshu Saxena, former executive vice president and head of integration at McCann Worldgroup India, to be its new chief operating officer and managing director.

In his new role, Saxena will be responsible for BBH India’s developing talent, organisational tools, and new services, as well as steering these to acquire future-facing businesses.

Saxena brings over 29 years of experience across the communication spectrum, including advertising, marketing and sales, brand management, digital and social, and PR, as well as design, and market research. He has helmed country and multi-office leadership for some of South Asia’s leading organisations, including Lowe, McCann, Trikaya Grey, JWT, and Edelman, as well as IMRB, and Reliance Jio.

Commenting on his appointment, Saxena said, “I am both excited and honoured to join BBH. With its legacy of creating stunning work that has transformed not only brands but also categories, BBH India is truly built for the modern age of marketing. I am looking forward to scaling this further and bringing my experience and a fresh perspective to leading such talented individuals and ambitious clients.”

Meanwhile, Dheeraj Sinha, CEO of Leo Burnett South Asia and chairman of BBH India, shared that BBH India, with its legacy of modern, creative and effective solutions that are well-entrenched in the modern Indian zeitgeist, has built a reputation as a creative firepower in the country. 

“I am delighted to welcome Himanshu onboard. A talented leader known for his deep client relationships, his commitment to business innovation, and his operational acumen, Himanshu embodies the black sheep and zag philosophy that will further fuel this brilliant creative engine,” said Sinha.

In September 2022, BBH India also elevated Priya Gurnani and Arvind Menon to become the new executive creative directors. Both Gurnani and Menon were previously senior creative directors, and will continue to report to BBH India’s CCO and CEO, Russell Barrett.

Singapore – Global digital media agency M&C Saatchi Performance has elevated Melissa Yik to country director for Singapore, and Roshat Adnani to managing partner for APAC.

Yik has been with M&C Saatchi Performance for eight years. During her previous role as an account director, she has been responsible for driving digital performance across brands including Amazon Shopping, Beam Suntory, and beIN SPORTS, as well as Grab, and Zalora. In her new role, Yik will continue to steer accounts while guiding the agency’s Singapore office which acts as an important regional hub.

Meanwhile, Adnani has been with the agency for five years. He enters his new role three years after having been promoted to director of growth for APAC, which saw him responsible for managing the P&L across markets like India, Indonesia, and MENA, working across clients like Tinder, Myntra, Swiggy, Alodokter, and MPL, as well as Traveloka. In his new role, along with his existing responsibility, he will be taking care of maintaining the agency’s relationship with existing and new partners and overseeing financial operations.

Both roles will report directly to Kabeer Chaudhary, managing director for APAC at M&C Saatchi Performance.

Commenting on her new role, Yik said that back then, there were only 3 of them in the Singapore office and she is so proud today to be given a chance to lead the team of over 40 talented marketers to drive results for some of the agency’s biggest regional accounts. 

“I look forward to working even harder with our team of inspiring individuals, leveraging on our extensive ability to convert data insights into impactful media strategies for all our clients,” added Yik.

Meanwhile, Adnani also commented, “The next few years will be critical for not just the agency but for the industry as a whole and I am excited about working alongside Kabeer in navigating the changes.”

Chaudhary shared that the agency would not be where it is today without the digital expertise and the ability of Yik and Adnani to always go the extra mile for their clients and their team. 

“Their guidance and business acumen have driven our success making a real impact on our client portfolio and growth. We’re honoured to be able to promote talent that has grown within the agency and together with it,” said Chaudhary.

Australia – Search intelligence platform Captify has announced a new team expansion as part of bolstering its Australian operations. They include Chris Santoso as partner lead, Dan Kearney to lead operations in Melbourne, and Evan Taousanis to bolster client services.

Speaking about the new updates, Krish Raja, general manager for Australia at Captify said, “It’s all about timing. We’ve been in the Aussie market for nearly two years in its full scope now and it’s clear that there’s a huge appetite for a programmatic search intelligence product that can help to illuminate the mid-funnel.”

He added, “Agencies and publishers alike are crying out for privacy-safe activation techniques that leverage cookieless intent data right now, and we’re very excited to be a strong partner to both sides. Our main focus is to improve value creation on both the sell and buy sides of the ecosystem through our technologies.”

Meanwhile, Maddie Basso, head of sales at Captify, commented, “Being first to the table with our cookieless solutions last year gave us a good headstart to iron out some of the wrinkles that everyone must, and we’re now expanding at the right time. Aussie agencies such as Spark, Matterkind, Nunn, Carat, EssenceMediacom and OMD already work with us across their most forward-thinking brands to ensure that they’re in safe hands in a shifting data space. We’re looking forward to expand that support further into the latter part of this year.”

Singapore – Singapore-based social platform for sustainability, abillion, has appointed Laura Kantor, former marketing and sustainability director at foodpanda Singapore, to step into newly created role as vice president of marketing and growth. 

In her new role, Kantor will be responsible for abillion’s all brand marketing, creative, planning, strategy and growth activities. She will also be reporting directly into Vikas Garg, CEO and founder of abillion.

Kantor has over 13 years in marketing and strategy. During her six years at foodpanda Singapore, she grew the business over 100x, launched six business units, and grew the marketing team from 3 to 32 professionals. Passionate about driving change, Kantor is also well-known for spearheading foodpanda’s sustainability strategy across APAC, launching several initiatives which have transformed the Food & Beverage industry; saving billions of sets of cutlery; and becoming the first delivery company to ban the sale of shark fin.

Commenting on her new appointment, Kantor said, “I’m so excited to join Vikas and his incredible team at abillion and be part of such an exciting movement to mobilise communities to get together to save the world.”

Meanwhile, Garg noted, “Our goal is to become the world’s most impactful ecosystem for sustainability, helping consumers and entrepreneurs make choosing sustainably second nature for everyone. Whether you’re buying or selling on abillion’s marketplace, every transaction creates impact, saving lives, feeding the hungry and preserving nature. It’s a completely new blueprint for e-commerce, one that will allow all of us to eat, shop and live our way to a brighter future.”