Tag: Leadership

Wellington, New Zealand – Long-time tech executive Sukhinder Singh Cassidy has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of Xero. She succeeds Steve Vamos after serving as CEO for almost five years.

Cassidy’s appointment fully takes effect on February 1, 2023, albeit she will join Xero this November. Through the transition, she will work closely with Vamos related to the CEO transition.

She is a long-time experienced Silicon Valley executive, with more than 25 years’ global leadership experience, including as president of Asia Pacific & Latin America at Google; president at StubHub; founder of theBoardlist; founder of Joyus, where she was CEO; and co-founder of Yodlee.

Speaking on her appointment, Cassidy said, “I’m thrilled to be appointed as CEO, and appreciate the Xero Board’s confidence in me. What excites me about Xero is the people and culture of the company and the passion Xero’s partners and customers have for our product as well as the large Total Addressable Market opportunity.”

She added, “I believe Xero is a critical business tool for small businesses and their advisors. There are huge opportunities in front of us and I’m committed to building on the business’ great momentum, in line with Xero’s values. I’m looking forward to meeting Xero’s people, partners, customers and shareholders around the world, and leading the business through its next stage.”

David Thodey, chair at Xero, said, “As Xero continues to focus on achieving our global ambitions, we’re delighted to appoint someone of Sukhinder’s calibre as CEO to lead Xero through our next phase of growth. Sukhinder’s appointment follows a rigorous global recruitment process where we considered a number of exceptional candidates.”

He added, “Founded in New Zealand and ASX-listed, Xero has enormous opportunities to accelerate the adoption of cloud and digital technologies by accountants, bookkeepers and small businesses around the world. Sukhinder is based in Northern California and expects to spend considerable time in New Zealand, Australia and Xero’s other international markets.”

Thodey also acknowledged Vamos’s significant contribution to Xero’s growth and development.

“Steve has overseen significant expansion of Xero including completing several acquisitions in Canada, the US, Sweden, Singapore, Denmark, Australia and the UK; completing two capital raises; operationalising our global sales team and go-to-market channels; and introducing sustainability and climate targets for Xero,” he said.

Hong Kong – Edelman Hong Kong continues to bolster its integrated creative team with the appointment of Andy Chan as design director and Richard Poon as producer and production manager.

Edelman will leverage Chan’s and Poon’s design and production expertise to further enhance the firm’s ability to deliver outstanding work in full-spectrum service.

Chan brings over 10 years of design experience to the agency, having worked in different design-based companies in the past from product design, graphic design, and advertising art directing to in-house branding at Ogilvy UK and HK, DDB and Cathay Pacific.

Meanwhile, Poon comes from an animation and design background and brings over eight years of experience to the firm. He has worked as a producer, mostly in the broadcast industry, across brands such as Disney, FOX, National Geographic, and CASETIFY. 

Both hires will report directly to John Koay, Edelman’s Executive Creative Director for Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to welcome Andy and Richard onboard; they are both very experienced talents in their own fields. The expanded Creative and Digital team of 20 at Edelman Hong Kong offer our clients a focus on truly integrated solutions while the industry transforms its expectations around the role and impact of communications,” Koay said.

The new Hong Kong appointments come after Edelman recently appointed Ex-Straits Times Warren Fernandez as its new chief executive officer in Asia-Pacific.

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.”

Singapore – Citi, a multinational banking company, has recently appointed Lay Fang Tan as its head of marketing and communications for Citi Commercial Bank in the Asia-Pacific region.

Tan has previously worked as Citi Singapore’s vice president for corporate affairs and held the company’s senior VP for corporate affairs role for six years. 

She also held senior positions for IDC APAC’s marketing communications and media relations department for about five years. Prior to that, she also worked in the marketing and public relations department for the manufacturing company Hansgrohe.

Hong Kong – Multinational advertising and public relations company Publicis Groupe has launched L’avenir, a leadership and creative development program tailored for high-potential female creatives across its network in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Middle East and Africa (MEA) regions. 

The program aims to change the gender ratio amongst its creative leaders across the region and to equip high-potential women with the skills needed for creative leadership roles. 

“Globally at Publicis Groupe, more than 50% of our workforce is female and 41% of key leaders are women: we’ve made huge strides when it comes to gender representation overall. Yet industry-wide, the percentage of female Creative Directors remains comparatively low,” said Natalie Lam, chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe APAC & MEA, who is also the key driver and developer of the L’avenir program.

She added, “To lead the change, we’re launching L’avenir, a tailored creative mentorship program that will nurture high-potential female creatives in two ways: career development, and creativity development.”

Publicis Groupe APAC & MEA will be selecting high-potential mid- and senior-level creatives every year to join the L’avenir program.

“We’ll identify our top female creatives, because true diversity makes the work better. L’avenir is a tailored program that pairs mentees and mentors according to specific skills and potential, backing up their positions as future leaders with a strong portfolio of work,” says Lam.

Fifteen female creatives have already been picked for the program over the last two months. They will be paired with 30+ mentors, including Publicis Groupe APAC & MEA’s Natalie Lam, Chief Strategy Officer Ed Booty, Chief Client Officer Anthony Wong, Head of Creative Technology Laurent Thevenet, and Head of Creativity Jason Williams.

They will be joined by top management and C-Suite leaders from Publicis agencies as mentors such as, Kelly Pon (CCO, BBH China), Sally Anderson (Group CD, MetaDesign China), and Ajay Thrivikraman (CCO, Publicis Groupe, Southeast Asia), amongst others. 

Anna Tomasetti, creative community manager at Publicis Groupe further explains, “L’avenir means ‘the future’, and it is a program where our future creative leaders can reach their full potential through targeted skills development and mentorship. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime career development opportunity for our participants that will contribute directly to Publicis Groupe’s creative and leadership base for years to come.”

The program includes 1:1 monthly mentorship meetings, career growth sessions with chief talent officers, tailored creative training sessions, and leadership masterclasses. Participants will also get to use relevant technology and digital tools. Moreover, they will get to partner with one of Publicis Groupe’s biggest clients in the final three months of the program.

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.”