Tag: agency

APAC – Global creative agency Amplify, has announced two new key appointments namely, Sabrina Khong as the new associate creative director and Caitlin Todd as a new business lead.

These appointments follow Amplify’s vision of diversifying and strengthening their offering and expertise across multiple fields as an advertising agency. 

Khong joins from Foxtel, where she was an Art Director working on conceptualisation and creative strategy for Foxtel campaigns. Previously, she was an associate creative director at Section in Singapore where she worked with brands such as Uniqlo, PlayStation, Durex, and Nikon.She was also an art director at Publicis Singapore for three years, where she worked on winning pitches for brands including Tiger Crystal, Samsung, HPB and Disney.

On the other hand, Todd comes from three years at integrated social agency, Ground, in Sydney. Prior to that she was with Hill+Knowlton Strategies in London, starting as a junior consultant and working her way up. Throughout her career Todd has worked with a broad range of clients across the entertainment, tech and lifestyle space including Nike, Activision Blizzard, Huawei, Sennheiser, Intel, Oatley, and Team GB.

On these hires, Gareth Davies, managing partner at Amplify, said, “We’re truly excited to welcome Sabrina and Caitlin to the team. Sabrina’s experience delivering quality creative work across multiple mediums, from social campaigns to TVCs and augmented reality experiences along with Caitlin’s experience  across PR, strategy, social and digital makes them both a perfect fit for Amplify.”

Speaking on her appointment, Khong said, “I am thrilled to be collaborating with so many talented individuals in the Amplify team and I look forward to pushing the boundaries of creativity and contributing to the already impressive list of clientele.”

Meanwhile, Todd also commented, “I’m very excited to have joined Amplify and I’m particularly looking forward to working alongside such a talented team as we continue to grow our exceptional client relationships.”

Sydney, Australia – Media agency Initiative has announced the appointment of Danielle Galipienzo as head of Impact to lead its purpose-led consulting division. The appointment comes as the agency continuously develops the department, expanding from pro-bono partners to include paid services and impact consulting open to all clients.

She will be responsible for looking upon opportunities where Initiative can do its role of helping employees, clients, media partners, NFPs and other businesses to positively amplify the impactful work they’re doing. She will also create impact campaigns supported by a team across Initiative nationally. 

Galipienzo will retain her role as the agency’s client director. Working with Initiative, she has been a very intergral part in strategising the ad spaces and running campaigns of its clients.

Sam Geer, national managing director at Initiative, describes Galipienzo as a genuine market leader, and her experience and passion are evidences that she can lead Initiative’s impact division into its growth.

“We are in a unique position in our industry thanks to the resources, skills, and influence that we have. This new role will help me do my best work where I can effectively drive change in culture, for our clients and the industry,” Galipienzo expressed.

This year, Initiative has also appointed David Cook as its head of marketing and IQ. 

Singapore – To strengthen its operation in Asia, global brand and customer experience agency VMLY&R has announced the appointment of Raymond Chin as its chief creative officer for the region. He will report to VMLY&R Asia CEO Yi-Chung Tay.

In his new role, Chin will enhance and develop the agency’s creative capabilities and service offerings across Asia whilst leading its teams in delivering world-class solutions for clients.

His appointment is also a part of agency’s strategy to attract the best industry talent and fulfill its mission of building connected brands.

Chin brings with him an experience in delivering high-impact creative, digital innovation and experience solutions for both agencies and tech consultancies. He has worked for brands including Ikea, Unilever, Nike, LVMH, Shiseido, Starbucks, Huawei, VW, and Ferrari, amongst others.

Before joining VMLY&R, Chin also worked as a chief creative officer at Wunderman Thompson based in Shanghai, China.

CEO Yi-Chung Tay said that Chin is one of the creative leaders who truly understands the importance of creativity for all dimensions of the brand experience, which is also needed in every touch point of customer journey. 

“The freedom to think bigger than many agencies are able, excites me greatly, and I look forward to adding my own blend of magic into the mix,” Chin added.

This month, VMLY&R has promoted Paul Nagy as its chief creative officer for Asia-Pacific region. 

Asia Pacific – Global brand experience agency VMLY&R has announced the promotion of Paul Nagy as its chief creative officer for Asia-Pacific region. He previously served as the chief creative officer for Australia and New Zealand.

In his new role, Nagy will be responsible for overseeing 21 offices across ten countries in Asia and ANZ whilst strengthening the agency’s client partnerships. He will also help in creating deeper connections between brands and their audiences through storytelling and creative innovation. 

Nagy brings with him experience working on creative campaigns. Before joining VMLY&R in 2018, he also assumed the chief creative officer position at Y&R Group Australia, one part of the merged latter. 

Yi-Chung Tay, CEO at VMLY&R Asia, said that they are excited to work with Nagy with his new role because they have seen his ability and consistency in bringing substantial impact to the agency.

Meanwhile, Thomas Tearle, CEO at VMLY&R ANZ, added, “Our momentum as a network is down in no small way to Paul’s energy. His unique perspective of combining creative excellence and innovation to solve client challenges coupled with his wonderfully infectious personality is such a great asset.”

Nagy commented, “My job is a simple one – support the amazing talent we have in our network and let them be the best they can be. I’m incredibly lucky to work with such a talented team across Australia and New Zealand, and I’m already impressed with the capability and firepower we have across the rest of Asia.”

VMLY&R’s recent appointments also include Didi Pirinyuang as its new chief creative officer for Malaysia. 

Previously, MARKETECH APAC got a chance to speak with Thomas Tearle, CEO of VMLY&R ANZ, as part of the Agency Leadership Decoded series. In it, Tearle shared how the agency creates success from within to achieve its mission of ‘creating connected brands.’

Australia – Red Havas, the global consumer and creative communications arm of Havas, has announced the appointment of Shane Russell as its chief executive officer for Australia. Russell will be growing its client roster and driving the business’ overall aggressive growth ambition.

Russell brings with him an experience in consumer and corporate communications with a focus on technology. Before joining Red Havas, he served as the executive vice president of New York-based 5W Public Relations where he helped in driving its rapid expansion to become one of USA’s top 10 independent PR agencies by size.

James Wright, global CEO at Red Havas and Havas Creative Group Australia, said that he is looking forward to Russell’s skills and attitude that he maximised in the US market and apply it to the agency’s growth plans in Australia.

Meanwhile, Russell expressed his excitement in further building the agency’s reputation for leading-edge creativity alongside a phenomenal roster of consumer and corporate brands.

“With my strong professional background in all areas of technology, I’m also excited by the significant investments Red is making to increase our presence as a leading agency in the tech sector,” Russell added.

Red Havas is the global consumer and creative communications arm of Havas which was launched in 2019. It currently operates in 14 markets and has 26 offices as of present.

Singapore – To set its growth path, digital agency ADK Connect announces the appointment of Rie Otsuka who will simultaneously work as its chief executive officer for Singapore and emerging countries and chief growth officer for ADK Global.

In her new role, Otsuka will be responsible for unlocking the value of the markets in Australia, India, Singapore, and other emerging markets while maintaining the network’s continued success.

Her appointments are also a part of the agency’s commitment to address the post-pandemic communication landscape and prepare itself as a future-ready communications partner. 

Otsuka brings with her an experience in CRM, digital, and global marketing. Before joining ADK, she led the digital and CRM practices at McCann Worldgroup, particularly the global teams for Mitsubishi Electric, Hitachi, and Panasonic. 

Yasuyuki Katagi, chief executive officer at ADK Global, said that they need a leader who will oversee the transformation and structure the change management processes to make it possible.

“With Rie Otsuka’s pedigree in agency leadership and her rich experiences in digital, her dual appointment makes perfect sense. Singapore remains a prime market for many clients as a regional hub,” he added.

Meanwhile, Otsuka added, “Teamwork is a crucial strength of the ADK network. It may not be a new buzzword, but it is an old adage that is challenging to upkeep. We must focus on fostering and empowering great talent to move forward in our highly competitive marketing industry.”

ADK Connect specialises in digital, creative and performance media. It partners with clients in solving marketing challenges by providing innovative solutions.

Australia – Havas Media has announced the promotion of Kevin Fernandes as its national head of partnerships and adtech across all media channels. The appointment coincides with the restructuring of the partnership team, where it fuses online and above-the-line channel planning and buying to focus on engaging with audiences across all channels in all formats.

The restructuring also emphasises the agency’s focus to find the greatest opportunity for marketers to engage audiences along the customer decision journey. Moreover, this allows more seamless delivery of integrated audience data collection and meaningful insights to be activated at speed across multiple media platforms to drive online or in-store purchases.

In his new role, Fernandes will be responsible for leading the newly merged team to develop integrated thinking across all channels. He previously worked as head of data solutions and adtech for Havas Media where he led the delivery of innovative client solutions across addressable and digital offerings. 

Virginia Hyland, chief executive officer at Havas Media Group, said that Fernandes’ promotion is their natural next step as the company experience the integration of digital and data employment across all media channels.

“I am looking forward to leading the team on our integrated digitisation journey, as we look to deliver solutions for the now and future. Utilising data points and technology to continue to evolve advertising innovation, efficiency, and effective results for our valued clients,” Fernandes added.

This month, Havas Media has also named Rebecca Tos as its new managing partner to lead the new Havas Market× business division.

Sydney, Australia – After a competitive pitch, media agency Initiative has retained its media remit for distillery company Pernod Ricard to work across the entire brand portfolio including all Pernod’s wine, spirit, whiskey, champagne, RTD and ‘new to world’ brands, focusing on Australia and New Zealand market.

Since its sealed partnership in 2019, Initiative has helped the company to propel into culture, with notable highlights including challenging gender bias through The Glenlivet Break The Rules campaign, tackling regional inequality through Absolut Pride Relay, and launching major brands like Malfy Gin and Altos Tequila into market. 

Jo McAlister, managing director at Initiative, said that the agency is excited for another 3 years of partnership with the company to continue its journey in leading ANZ’s competitive alcohol beverage markets across all brand categories.

“This is phenomenal news and we are so proud to continue our partnership. For the past three years we have grown together as brands, collaborating via a truly open and transparent relationship and enjoying an agency/client bond that I’ve rarely seen in market,” McAlister added.

Eric Thomson, CMO at Pernod Ricard Winemakers, added, “The chemistry between Initiative’s team and ours was evident from the start of our relationship three years ago and it has not waned. We are delighted to continue our partnership as we both push forward to produce effective and creative work that connects and engages our customers in an increasingly complex market.”

In January, Initiative also retained its media business remit for energy networks owner Jemena Limited, extending its 10-year relationship with the brand. 

New York – To strengthen its status as one of the few significant agencies on the West Coast, marketing communications agency Wunderman Thompson has appointed Emily Chang as its chief executive officer for West Coast region to lead its offices in LA, Seattle, as well as the Swift boutique agency in Portland.

Chang’s remit also includes overseeing the region’s growing client portfolio including technology companies Microsoft, T-Mobile, Qualcomm, Venmo, Snap, and major automotive brands and DTC companies whilst leveraging Swift boutique agency’s creative and social media expertise.

Prior to joining Wunderman Thompson, Chang also held the CEO position at McCann Worldgroup in China where she restructured the leadership team and developed new strategic and digital capabilities to grow its revenue. 

On the brand side, Chang served as CMO at Starbucks China, chief commercial officer at InterContinental Hotels Group, and was the first executive in China for Apple Retail.

Audrey Melofchik, CEO at Wunderman Thompson North America describes Chang as a powerhouse leader who will bring people together to deliver inspiring brand stories along with her expertise across the marketing ecosystem.

Chang added, “I’ve watched Wunderman Thompson’s build its reputation as the authority on inspiration and look forward to tapping into this insight and adding inspiration of my own when it comes to our clients and culture.”

This month, Wunderman Thompson has also appointed Raji Ramaswamy as chief growth officer and Joy Chauhan as chief client officer for South Asia. 

Asia Pacific – In addition to its existing media remit in Taiwan since 2020, marketing and advertising agency Dentsu International expands its partnership with online delivery platform foodpanda to support its media transformation journey and bring closer collaboration across the markets of Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

Prerna Mehrotra, CEO of dentsu Media APAC, said that the agency built a strong foundation in Taiwan by differentiating foodpanda from its competitors, making a great relevance to its target audience. 

Mehrotra added, “To be entrusted with and grow our remit in APAC is a true testament to foodpanda’s confidence in us and we are honoured to add this portfolio in our roster. We are excited to continue driving meaningful difference in their media and marketing strategy and can’t wait to do some great work together.”

Meanwhile, Ankit Kochar, head of brand media for foodpanda APAC, said that the company decided to extend their partnership with the agency due to its strong legacy in media roots by being able to navigate today’s digital complexities.

“Their extensive network and versatility were some of the key criteria that we were seeking in a partner, and we look forward to a meaningful and collaborative relationship in the years ahead,” he added.

Last month, dentsu in Africa has established a partnership with global outdoor advertising technology provider Moving Walls to launch a full-stack Out-of-Home (OOH) adtech platform across the multiple markets in the continent.