Tag: Appointments

Japan – Dentsu Creative has announced key members of its global leadership team, including Andrea Terrassa, the new global chief operating officer, Iván Czwan Altobelli, the new global chief people officer, Julie Scelzo, the new global clients chief creative officer, and Jon Dupuis, the new global clients president.

Terrassa has acted as the chief operating officer of Dentsu Creative Americas since 2021, where she was instrumental in the organisational and transformation efforts of moving from 11 agency brands to three, and joined dentsu International in 2018 as chief operating officer for 360i. She will work closely with the global operations teams across all areas of the business, including Media and CXM, led by dentsu International’s Global Chief Operating Officer, Nnenna Ilomechina, to help achieve the business’ ambition of offering Horizontal Creativity to clients and being the world’s most integrated creative network.

Meanwhile, Altobelli will oversee all Human Resource functions, including an ambitious talent acquisition strategy. He joined dentsu International in 2021 from Accenture Interactive, where he played a key role in delivering its creative and digital agency integration for agencies including Karmarama, Rothco, Droga5, Creative Drive, MXM, and PacificLink.

In her new role, Scelzo will ensure creative excellence for global clients focusing on delivering modern creative ideas that Create Culture, Change Society and Invent the Future. Since 2018 Scelzo has served as global executive creative director for DentsuMB’s American Express business. Before that, Scelzo spent several years as a creative director at Leo Burnett, FCB, and Meta. Prior to joining Dentsu, she was the executive creative director of Pandora Music. Using this experience, Scelzo will look to offer enhanced content marketing, entertainment and IP creative strategies, as well as ensure creativity delivers horizontally for the client, from content to commerce, media to CXM.

And lastly, Dupuis will be working with Dentsu Creative’s leadership teams globally to ensure that clients are provided with powerful integrated solutions to achieve bold new executions that connect with the largest possible audience in contextually relevant ways. The key to this will be using data and technology to connect the right global talent around the right global client briefs and build teams that reflect the modern world. Dupuis has been with dentsu since 2017, when he joined as global managing director for dentsuMB and was promoted to global president and CEO in 2019.

Together, they are tasked with building and sustaining a culture of creativity, through operational excellence, attracting, and retaining world-class talent and ensuring seamless collaboration, to ensure that clients achieve the full potential of ‘Modern Creativity’ – Dentsu Creative’s expanded capabilities and bold ambition.

Fred Levron, Dentsu International’s chief creative officer, commented, “We are on a journey to design the creative network of the future. Andrea is without doubt one of the best when it comes to engineering modern structures and processes, while Iván is top in the game to onboard the best next generation of talent. In Julie and Jon, we have [a] unique driving force, who together will deliver the most compelling offer to meet the needs of, and attract more, global clients. They say, ‘If you don’t like change, you will not like irrelevance’, and we are building for change.”

India – Dentsu Creative India has announced the appointment of Dalip Daniel, as the new group executive creative, and Tulika Seth, as the new group creative director, to bolster its creative team. Both will be reporting to Joy Mohanty, chief creative Officer of Dentsu Creative India.

In their new roles, Daniel and Seth will be focusing on boosting the agency’s creative competence for its existing and prospective clientele. They will design ideas that ‘Create Culture, Change Society, and Invent The Future’ by keeping modern creativity at the heart of the business.

Daniel is a seasoned creative leader and has held leadership roles across agencies and radio stations like Ogilvy & Mather, GroupM ESP, and BIG 92.7 FM. He has worked for brands like Airtel, Nokia, Limca, Dabur, and Pepsi, as well as SONY, and Honda, amongst many others. In addition to this, he has also created branded content for TV shows and launched BIG 92.7 FM in North India.

Meanwhile, armed with over 16 years of experience, Seth has led creative teams at agencies like Lowe, TBWA, Grey, Innocean, and Humour Me in Delhi and Mumbai. Some of the brands she has worked with include Hyundai, Dunzo, LG, and National Geographic, as well as Henkel, and Anne French, amongst others.

Commenting on his appointment, Daniel said, “This is an exciting opportunity, and I am thrilled to be joining dentsu at such a pivotal time.”

Meanwhile, Seth also commented, “‘Wholly integrated’ is the key descriptor that has really got me excited. The work that has been coming out of the agency is truly inspiring, and I can’t wait to dive right in.”

Mohanty said, “Together with a superb body of work, Tulika & Danny bring with them a wealth of experience across formats. They will both play a key role in driving our agenda of creativity beyond silos. It is great to have them on board.”

Just recently, Dentsu Creative India announced the appointment of Benny Augustine as its new chief operating officer, where he will oversee the agency’s operations in India. His objective will be to build various frameworks, platforms, and business processes that promote efficiency and effectiveness for clients using modern creativity.

Sydney, Australia – Advertising agency Howatson+Company has appointed Doug Hamilton and Michael Kleinman as its new creative directors.

Prior to joining Howatson+Company, Hamilton was a creative director at BMF and TBWA. Moreover, he also spent five years in New York at Droga5, and Anomaly. While Kleinman joins Howatson+Company from 72andSunny, where he was head of design. Prior to that, he also spent five years in New York at Droga5.

Commenting on their appointment, Hamilton said, “We’re delighted to be let inside the doors of Howatson+Company. One day in and we can tell it’s stuffed to the gills with lovely, clever humans. Michael and I never got to work together at Droga5, so we’re excited to have the chance now. We’re looking forward to rolling up the sleeves of our matching outfits and getting stuck in.”

Meanwhile, Levi Slavin, CCO at Howatson+Company, said, “I had the good fortune of working with Doug at Anomaly and have been a fan of Michael’s for ages. Both are splendid humans and extraordinarily talented. I’m absolutely thrilled they joined us in Sydney.”

In April 2022, Howatson+Company also added a duo to their creative team; Sophie Beard and Joash Tham are appointed as new creative directors.

Australia – Creative agency BMF has announced four new appointments, in an aim to double down on the agency’s creativity, effectiveness, content, and social capabilities. These include Hannah McHard, the new head of effectiveness, Phoebe Carden, the new content and social strategist, and Alister McCann and Joe Mallett, the new senior creatives. 

Before joining BMF, McHard has a four-year stint as insights and strategy manager at supermarket ALDI Australia. In addition, McHard also has held a 14-year position at Kantar. As new head of effectiveness, McHard will be harnessing data, analytics, and insights, to further BMF’s culture of effectiveness. 

Meanwhile, Carden has been appointed after working as a content social strategist and writer for recognised brandings including Disney, the ABC, Optus, Universal Sony, and NSW Health. In her new position, Carden will be working in a hybrid role with both BMF and its content production arm Bantam, which has worked with clients including ALDI Australia, MONA, TAL, Gumtree, RMIT University, and UN Women. With the recent wins of Lounge Lovers and George Weston Foods’ social account, Carden will be driving both Bantam’s and BMF’s social capabilities and identifying new opportunities to inform brand and content strategy, working across key clients.

Adding to its creative team is Mallet, who has spent six years at Lucky Generals London and has worked on world-class clients including, PlayStation, Hostelworld, the co-op supermarket, and most recently Amazon’s Super Bowl commercial, featuring Scarlett Johansson.

In addition, McCann, who also joins as a senior creative, has worked at agencies including AnalogFolk, CX Lavender, The Works, M&C Saatchi, and The Green House on brands including Westfield Australia, Westpac, CommBank, McDonald’s, Optus, Woolworths, and Curtin University, as well as Coke Zero and Coors Beer.

“Alister and Joe have only just got through the door and they’re already making a big impact, not only on our client’s business but on the culture of collaboration and kindness that BMF is so proud of. With their talent and experience in non-traditional thinking, both here and overseas, they’re going to do great things and we’re all very happy they’ve decided to call BMF home,” said Alex Derwin, chief creative officer at BMF Australia.

Meanwhile, Christina Aventi, chief strategy officer at BMF, commented that they’re thrilled to have Carden and McHard join their motley crew of planners, as both are believers in creativity and effectiveness that will help them navigate the metrics that matter in a world of data overload. 

“Phoebe will be working closely with Irina, Executive Director, Digital and Direct Strategy across our clients and our content unit Bantam. Hannah will be working across ALDI and government and any client that expresses an interest in unlocking even greater effectiveness in their communications (like everyone?). In a tight talent market, we feel really lucky to have these two dynamos join us,” said Aventi.

Indonesia – Public relations and content marketing agency Mutant has appointed Tanya Tresnasari, former general manager of Golin and Weber Shandwick, to be its new country manager for Indonesia.

In her new role, Tresnasari will be leading, running, and delivering strategic and results-driven campaigns across PR, content, social media, and branding.

Tresnasari brings more than 20 years of experience in the communications industry, spanning advertising, activation, and public relations. At Golin and Weber Shandwick, she was instrumental in driving cross-practice collaboration and helped to diversify the agency’s roster with key clients, including Sanofi, MSD, Clubhouse, Linktree, Carousell, Shell, and Hyundai, as well as Cathay Pacific, and Singapore Airlines, amongst others. 

Mutant said that expanding to Indonesia was the next logical step for the agency after a successful decade in Singapore and robust growth in Malaysia since its launch in 2019.

Commenting on her appointment, Tresnasari said, “Just as the name suggests, Mutant is constantly evolving. I’m excited to bring the agency’s blended PR, content, social and branding approach and adapt it for clients locally. With the addition of new hires, Mutant Indonesia has already hit the ground running, and I look forward to welcoming and driving real business outcomes for clients.”

Meanwhile, Joseph Barratt, founder and CEO of Mutant, noted, “It’s an exciting time to enter the market, with a differentiated offering that combines PR, content, social media, and branding to help businesses succeed. I can’t think of anyone better than Tanya to lead us through this, and pave the way for Mutant’s next chapter.”

In addition, Gabriela Gunawan also joins Mutant Indonesia as a PR Manager. Previously from Golin Jakarta and Weber Shandwick, Gunawan has worked with a variety of clients, including Morgan Stanley, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, and SK-II, as well as Mastercard.

India – Dentsu Creative India has appointed Joy Mohanty as its new chief creative officer. In his new role, Mohanty will be instrumental in accelerating the agency’s growth trajectory in the North region. 

Moreover, Mohanty will be aligning with Dentsu Creative India’s ambition and work closely with the creative teams to build solutions that have the power to transform brands and businesses through the lens of Modern Creativity.

In a career spanning over three decades, Mohanty’s professional journey has been deeply rooted in Indian culture. He has worked on a host of brands such as Maruti Suzuki, Google, Nestle, and Absolut, as well as Thums Up, and HP, amongst others. In his previous roles, he held creative leadership positions in agencies like Publicis Capital and Lowe Lintas. Prior to joining dentsu, he also led Goldilocks – an agency from the Usha International Group.

Some of the notable campaigns Joy has worked on include Maruti Suzuki’s ‘Kitna Deti Hai’, Absolut’s ‘Colourless’, Google Maps 2-wheeler’s ‘Paaon Zameen Se Door Rahenge’, and Housing.com’s ‘Yahan Search Khatam Karo’, amongst others. He was also a part of the ‘Money Made Simple’ campaign for Google Pay and Google Assistant’s India launch.

Commenting on her appointment, Mohanty said, “I am excited to join forces with Ajay and Amit and be part of the superb talent hub they have turned Dentsu Creative into. An enviable list of clients makes this a big opportunity. I look forward to adding to the energy and doing some great work.”

Meanwhile, Ajay Gahlaut, group chief creative officer at Dentsu Creative, said that the agency is transforming into a powerhouse of creativity, and they are rapidly building capabilities to stay ahead of the curve in a dynamically evolving industry. 

“However, the tallest structures are built on strong foundations. Joy’s appointment is, thus, vital to our plan for times ahead. He is a veteran who has worked on some of the most groundbreaking campaigns. I am certain that his experience will bring solidity and wisdom into the fresh, bubbling cauldron of creativity at dentsu,” added Gahlaut.

Vietnam – Vietnam-based digital bank Timo has announced two new key leadership appointments. These include Henry Nguyen, the new executive chairman, and Jonas Eichhorst, the new CEO and will retain his position on the board of directors. 

As executive chairman, Nguyen will continue on working on strategy and planning, as well as regulatory and external relations, including partnerships and strategic alliances. In addition to Timo, Nguyen also serves as chairman of Phoenix Holdings, whose portfolio holdings include strategic partners of Timo, including VietCredit and Kredivo, Viet Capital Securities, and Viet Capital Bank.

Meanwhile, in Eichhorst’s new leadership role, he will continue to work closely with Nguyen and the senior leadership team at Timo. Over the past 15 years, Eichhorst has supported the development of a wide range of high-scale products and businesses across various emerging markets. Having first joined Timo’s Board in 2020, he took on the CFO position in 2021 before now being promoted to CEO.

Timo said that the change also marks the two-year milestone of Timo’s relaunch of service under its long-term partnership with Viet Capital Bank.

Commenting on his appointment, Nguyen said, “While my work at Timo will remain unchanged and uninterrupted, I am extremely excited about Jonas’ promotion to CEO. It reflects all of the hard work and leadership he has exhibited at Timo so far while also expressing the potent and high expectations we all have for him.”

Meanwhile, Eichhorst said, “Timo has had an incredible journey since its founding seven years ago to become the most trusted digital banking brand in Vietnam. We have a unique opportunity to really set the benchmark for digital banking in a market that is quickly developing. Ultimately, our customer’s success in moving, managing, growing, accessing and protecting their money drives our success.”

Hong Kong – To prepare for its APAC growth, independent communications agency Sinclair has announced new leadership appointments. These include Carbo Yu as the new regional executive director and Jessica Man as the new managing director for Hong Kong.

Yu, a seasoned industry professional in APAC, will now be furthering the agency’s integrated service offerings across SEO, content strategy, influencer marketing, research and insights, and creative services, as well as driving business development across the agency’s cross-industry B2B and B2C client base across the offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Singapore.

Meanwhile, Man, a highly sought-after strategic advisor and expert communications consultant, will be leveraging her passion for protecting and growing brand reputation alongside her dedication to nurturing next-generation talent, and will be taking full responsibility for the Hong Kong business’ revenue growth and talent development.

The agency has also elevated Philippa Lui as the new chief financial officer. Lui, an 18-year finance and operations professional, will continue to ensure Sinclair meets the highest ethical standards in cross-border operations and compliance, as well as helping to steer agency growth.

Kiri Sinclair, founder and CEO at Sinclair, said, “Sinclair’s Team First philosophy focuses on growing the careers of our team, and we wish to attract and nurture instinctive leaders, bold thinkers and creative problem-solvers. These are exactly the attributes that Philippa, Carbo and Jessica live by and empower their colleagues to strive for.”

Meanwhile, Stephen Millikin, chief operating officer at Sinclair, noted, “At Sinclair, we champion agency and personal successes equally, and I wholeheartedly congratulate Philippa, Carbo and Jessica on their professional achievements. It means that we are doing something very right, and I look forward to seeing more individuals continue to grow their careers with Sinclair.”

Singapore – Global advertising company Publicis Groupe in Singapore has promoted Joanne Theseira, the current managing director of Publicis Communications, to be its new CEO of Publicis Communications in Singapore, where she will take on executive responsibility for Leo Burnett, Publicis Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi, Prodigious, and MSL. 

In this new role, Theseira will also champion the continued development of clear and ownable client, business, and employee positionings for the agencies under her stewardship. She will ensure that they are evolving in line with clients’ needs and reflective of the way consumers are engaging with brands today.

Additionally, Theseira will take on the newly created role of chief growth officer for Publicis Groupe SEA, and will report to Amrita Randhawa, CEO of Publicis Groupe Singapore and Southeast Asia. She will be leading Power of One accounts expansion, powering new business development, and managing the profile of Publicis Groupe in SEA. Theseira will also work closely with the Publicis Groupe SEA market CEOs and Practice leadership across APAC to deliver on the growth agenda.

Speaking about her appointment, Theseira shared that she believes that a strong and positive talent-centred culture is integral to the business of creativity, and this opportunity to hone and harness their different creative agencies is one that only Publicis Groupe can offer.

“Driving growth across Southeast Asia gives me an incredible canvas to scale and shape the future of our agency offerings and make a meaningful impact on our industry and our clients. I’m excited to get started,” she said.

Meanwhile, Randhawa said that Theseira’s passion for the creative business is addictive, and the clarity of her vision for their creative communications agencies and her determination to make the Groupe the fastest growing in the market is energising and impressive. 

“Joanne has demonstrated a strong capability to build high-performing teams and attract both clients and outstanding talent into the Groupe which makes her uniquely qualified to make an impact in this role,” she added.

India – Creative agency Wunderman Thompson India has appointed two new senior hires for its Mumbai office, as the agency embarks on an accelerated growth path of creative transformation with a continued focus on driving relevance and scale, inspiring growth for its clients. 

The new hires are Rakesh Varma, the new vice president and executive business director at Wunderman Thompson Mumbai, and Abhay Godbole, the new vice president and client servicing director at Wunderman Thompson Mumbai.

Varma has over 15 years of advertising experience, having worked across a diverse range of brands with a special liking for the automobile and the auto ancillary category with brands like Volkswagen, TVS Motorcycles, Ashok Leyland, and Gulf Oil. He has been associated with leading brands like Hotstar, Radio City, FBB, Gelusil, and Tata AIA, amongst others. Varma has also an in-depth understanding and experience in brand strategy, campaign planning, and leading integrated marketing efforts. 

Meanwhile, returning to Wunderman Thompson is Godbole, who was instrumental in leading the much-lauded ‘Mutual Funds Sahi Hai’ for AMFI during his previous stint at the agency. He has close to two decades of experience in marketing communications working across categories like FMCG, automobile, and BFSI. Passionate about advertising and creativity, Godbole believes any marketing challenge can be addressed through compelling creative solutions. 

Commenting on his new role, Varma said, “At Wunderman Thompson, we’re building a future that’s as exciting as its legacy. And I’m really fortunate to be a part of this transformation. With its diverse brand portfolio, integrated service approach and promising growth vision, WT is all set to thrive. Looking forward to nurturing some of the long-standing client relationships and creating new ones.” 

Meanwhile, Godbole also commented, “I am delighted to be back at Wunderman Thompson, one of India’s finest agencies that has nurtured and built multiple brands in the country. Wunderman Thompson is in a unique position of creating the agency of the future, an agency that is capable of delivering the best of both mainline and data-led digital communications. I look forward to being a part of this exciting and transformational journey.”

Anurag Tandon, managing partner at Wunderman Thompson Mumbai, noted that as they continue to diversify their client roster and grow their talent base, it was critical for them to have the right hands on deck. 

“Rakesh and Abhay bring with them extensive experience and domain knowledge that will propel us to drive growth in key industry domains and deliver the best outcomes for our clients. Both our senior hires have an impressive track record of building strong consumer brands and I am looking forward to scaling new heights with our client partners,” said Tandon.