Tag: Appointment

Singapore – Bloomingdale Public Relations Pte. Ltd., a full-service communications consulting agency and PR firm in Asia, has announced the appointment of Vikram Kharvi as its new chief executive officer (CEO). 

With over 27 years of strategic communications and marketing expertise, Kharvi is set to lead Bloomingdale PR into a new era of growth and innovation. He will leverage his extensive expertise to drive strategic initiatives, focusing on growth, operational excellence, talent development, and expansion into untapped geographies. 

Kharvi has held senior roles at prominent firms including Adfactors PR, Tata Housing, Sampark PR, ANSSI Wellness, and Indian Express. His extensive experience in public relations, corporate communications, and both traditional and digital marketing underscores his ability to lead Bloomingdale PR with confidence and visionary leadership.

With Kharvi’s appointment as CEO, Diana Fernandes, Bloomingdale PR’s founder, will assume the role of Group CEO, based in Singapore.

Commenting on the appointment, Fernandes shared, “We are pleased to welcome Vikram to our leadership team. His extensive experience and innovative approach to communications will be pivotal in driving Bloomingdale PR to new heights. Vikram’s leadership will enhance our capabilities and unlock new opportunities for expansion and creativity. With Vikram at the helm, we are poised to elevate our operations and further solidify our position as a key player in the industry.”

Also speaking on his new role, Kharvi said, “I am honoured to join Bloomingdale PR. Having known Diana for over a decade, I have always been inspired by her tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit. This role is more than a professional milestone; it’s an opportunity to work with a dynamic team that shares my passion for excellence. Together, we will elevate Bloomingdale PR to new heights, transforming it into a powerhouse of strategic communication and brand excellence. I am excited to embark on this journey and drive impactful change across industries and borders.”

Bloomingdale PR operates offices in Singapore, India, and Dubai. In Southeast Asia, the firm manages PR campaigns for notable clients including Crunchyroll and Bel Group (known for brands like The Laughing Cow, Kiri, and Babybel), as well as global brands such as Kaspersky and Brother Industries. 

Recently, Bloomingdale PR has also collaborated successfully with organisations like the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS) and the Art of Living Foundation on impactful PR campaigns in Singapore.

San Francisco, USA – Sitecore, a global provider of digital experience software, has appointed Eric Stine as its new chief operating officer. In this capacity, he will be in charge of all customer-facing processes, enabling customers to create captivating digital experiences while unlocking commercial value. Stine will be based in New York City. 

In his new role as chief operating officer, Stine will oversee Sitecore’s pre-sales, sales, customer success, alliances, operations, professional services, support, and ecosystem organisations. 

The most recent position held by Stine was CEO of Elemica. He held the positions of chief revenue officer at Qualtrics and chief commercial officer at Skillsoft before that. Additionally, he has had leadership positions at SAP, Ciber, and Blackboard, among other companies. 

Speaking about the appointment, Dave O’Flanagan, CEO of Sitecore, said, “Eric joins Sitecore at one of the most exciting points in the company’s growth, as we advance an innovative and integrated suite of AI capabilities tailored for marketing teams. We view a tremendous opportunity for our composable DXP to fundamentally transform the way marketing teams create content and digital experiences. As we deliver on our strategy of leveraging AI to innovate across digital content and experiences, Eric will align our customer-facing teams to bring maximum value to our customers and partners globally.” 

Meanwhile, Stine stated, “Sitecore has a multibillion-dollar opportunity as marketing intersects with digital transformation and next-gen AI. Marketing teams at many of the most prominent global brands trust Sitecore to transform the way they work. I look forward to taking our work with customers and partners to new heights, accelerating the next phase of the company’s growth.”

Singapore – WATATAWA, a WE Communications company, has just recently announced the appointment of Stephen Robertson as managing director, effective immediately.

In his new role, Robertson will now oversee WATATAWA’s day-to-day operations and management of the business, while strengthening the agency’s footprint in Singapore and across Asia-Pacific.

He will be reporting to Nitin Mantri, regional executive managing director at WE Communications APAC.

Robertson succeeds Simon Pangrazio, who has decided to step down after 14 years and has been supporting the leadership transition. He will be leaving the firm on July 5. 

“Stephen is a leading strategist, client counsellor, and trusted voice in the industry,” said Mantri. “This succession has been long planned, and under Stephen’s leadership the agency will only continue to evolve, with WATATAWA’s clients in the very best hands.

”Speaking on his own appointment, Robertson said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to lead WATATAWA and maintain the high bar that Simon has set. It has been a privilege to work closely together over the decade and to develop a business and consulting model that is as relevant to our clients as ever and encourages and engages our people.”

Meanwhile, Kass Sells, CEO, international at WE Communications, commented, “This transition is a passing-of-the-torch moment to the next -generation of leadership and an example of how WE invests in and develops our leaders from within. A long-time business partner to Simon, Stephen is a seasoned communications professional who knows the market, our people and our clients, with a strong vision for the future of WATATAWA.”

Manila, Philippines – Commercial banking company UnionBank has announced the appointment of Ana Aboitiz Delgado as its new president and CEO, effective on January 1, 2025.

Prior to assuming this role, Delgado is widely credited for leading UnionBank’s digital retail banking innovations such as the digital bank branch model and UnionBank Online.

She will be taking on leadership of UnionBank of the Philippines from Edwin Bautista, current president and CEO, whose 27-year career saw UnionBank go from becoming the front running digitised bank in the country to setting it on a path to become a retail bank leader.

Delgado joined UnionBank as a management trainee in November 2003. Over the course of her career, she led the business development of SME Banking and Retail Consumer Finance, which included credit cards and loans.

She was likewise tasked to lead the design of the customer experience across the Bank’s physical and digital touchpoints that will differentiate UnionBank from other traditional banks.

Delgado also expanded her role to head the bank’s Institutional Banking business on top of heading customer experience and digital channels and serving as a director of the UnionBank board and as chairman of the CitySavings Bank board.

Talking about the appointment, Erramon Aboitiz, chairman of the UnionBank Board of Directors, said, “We are looking forward to taking UnionBank to greater heights with Ana at the helm. Her experience and expertise will allow her to lead the Bank’s continued digital transformation which was started by Edwin and has put UnionBank on an accelerated road towards its aspiration to be a great retail bank.”

Singapore – Equativ, a global independent ad platform, has announced changes in its senior leadership team, with the appointment of Rueben Vijaratnam as its new managing director for SEA. 

Vijaratnam will join the Singapore office to develop a demand-focused strategy and guide Equativ to even greater success. With his strategic vision and leadership, the SEA team is expected to reach new heights, ensuring continued success and growth for the company in the region.

With significant experience in regional sales, Vijaratnam brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will be instrumental in driving growth and innovation.

His background includes six years at Yahoo, where he honed his skills in digital sales and marketing. He then spent two years at Oath, playing a key role in developing and executing strategic initiatives that significantly boosted demand and revenue. Most recently, Rueben spent 5 years at Quantcast, leading demand generation efforts and contributing to substantial market expansion and success.

Throughout his career, Vijaratnam has consistently demonstrated a remarkable ability to understand and respond to market needs, driving demand and fostering strong client relationships. His expertise in ‘demand leadership’ will be invaluable for Equativ as it aims to continuously innovate and expand its offerings.

Vijaratnam’s appointment marks a significant milestone for the APAC Business Unit, underscoring the company’s dedication to continuous improvement and growth. 

In his appointment, Vijaratnam commented, “I am excited to be joining Equativ at a very interesting point in our journey. The recent merger with Sharethrough springboards Equativ to a new level in the company’s global ambitions, and curation is becoming an ever more important solution to the challenges facing brands who are navigating the digital world today. We look forward to growing the Singapore office, expanding our footprint in Southeast Asia with existing and new partners, and truly delivering the promise of adtech in this region.”

Céline Gauthier-Darnis, EVP for MENA & APAC at Equativ, added, “I am confident that with Rueben as a leading figure, we will solidify our supply position as a key player in the region and accelerate and scale our ambitions with Demand by achieving success and exceeding expectations.”

Singapore – Global communications agency Burson, formed from the merger of WPP’s BCW and Hill & Knowlton, has announced a series of strategic appointments to its Asia-Pacific leadership team, aimed at enhancing its presence and capabilities in the region.

In Singapore, Cindy Lim is appointed as the new chief executive officer. Prior to her appointment, Lim was BCW’s CEO and market leader in Singapore. Joining her is Rikki Jones, who will take on a dual role as CEO for Burson Group Singapore and president for GCI Health Asia-Pacific. 

Burson also named Claire Li as the new CEO for Greater China. Li was formerly with Starbucks China as its vice president for communications before joining Hill & Knowlton in 2023 as its CEO for Greater China. Meanwhile, Tsuyoshi Takemura will take on the role of CEO for Burson Japan. 

Marianne Admardatine, from Hill & Knowlton, will now serve as the CEO of Burson Indonesia. Also from Hill & Knowlton, Justin Then is named the new CEO of Burson Malaysia. 

In Thailand, Burson has named Wachiraporn Pornpitayalert as its new market leader. She previously served as the managing director for Hill & Knowlton Thailand. 

On the other hand, Deepshikha Dharmaraj from BCW will also serve as the new CEO of Burson Group India. And Tom Horn, who served as the corporate practice director for Australia and New Zealand at BCW Global, will take on the new role of market leader for Burson ANZ. 

HS Chung will also continue to lead Burson Korea as CEO, in addition to her role as North APAC CEO.

Commenting on the appointments, Chung said, “In today’s fast-evolving environment, clients need the best talent and capabilities to solve their most complex challenges. With our extensive footprint and reach across APAC, clients will gain access to a diverse team of specialists with decades of experience building and protecting reputations for multinational businesses in Asia and Asian enterprises overseas.”

Adrian Warr, South APAC CEO at Burson, also shared, “Innovation and creativity are at the heart of our commitment to delivering unparalleled value for our clients in APAC. Our world-class talent will lead through exceptional creative thinking and bring innovation into action to build reputation capital as a competitive advantage for our clients, today and into the future.” 

These appointments come in the wake of this year’s merger, where WPP combined its communications agencies, Hill+Knowlton and BCW, to form Burson. This union leverages the unparalleled talent, extensive global networks, advanced technology investments, creative capabilities, and public affairs and advisory expertise of both organisations to drive reputation enhancement and value creation.

India – Dentsu has announced a significant global expansion of its pioneering innovation hub, Dentsu Lab. Alongside this announcement, Dentsu has promoted Sven Huberts to the dual role of president of global innovation and experience and president of Dentsu Lab, while Naoki Tanaka will lead Dentsu Lab Tokyo as chief creative officer. 

Dentsu’s first global labs will be opening in London, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, with further international labs planned for 2025. The new international network will work towards a shared mission to innovate human experiences that move people’s hearts, impact business, and improve society. 

Each lab will be overseen by dedicated local leadership, to be announced in the coming months, supported by a team of specialists focused on bringing a wide range of services to market. These services will include creative R&D that integrates contexts and technologies such as events, sports, gaming, installations, retail, new products, proposition design, new realities (AR, VR, MR), data visualisation, AI, mobile, IoT, and rapid prototyping.

The labs will be fully integrated with each other and dentsu’s offices to expand on the network’s innovation offer.

Together with this expansion, Dentsu has also appointed Huberts and Tanaka to lead the global rollout of the pioneering Dentsu Lab in Tokyo. 

In his new dual role as president of global innovation and experience and president of Dentsu Lab, Huberts is responsible not only for spearheading the global expansion of Dentsu Lab but also for scaling the mission across the network to deliver client growth via Dentsu’s combined experience and innovation capabilities.

Meanwhile, as the new chief creative officer of Dentsu Lab Tokyo, Tanaka will leverage his academic background in science and technology and years of professional experience to continuously push the boundaries of creative technology for clients.

This global initiative builds on the success of Dentsu Lab Tokyo, founded in 2014 by global chief creative officer Yasuharu Sasaki. Over the past decade, the Lab has delivered renowned projects like “All Players Welcome,” which empowers creativity for individuals with disabilities, enhanced international event ceremonies, and used algorithms and data visualisation to improve sports experiences. 

Jean Lin, global president of global practices at dentsu, said, “The launch of Dentsu Lab continues a proud 120-year tradition of innovation sitting at the core of dentsu’s offering. We know from Dentsu Lab Tokyo how powerful the outcome for society and business can be when you bring the best creative technologists together to imagine and invent. To be making this possible on a global stage is an exciting moment for dentsu, clients, and society.”

Commenting on his appointment, Huberts shared, “We are at an inflexion point of human creativity and technical sophistication where the opportunity for genuine innovation has never been so compelling. I couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Naoki and our Lab leaders to empower our growing global team of creators, partners, and institutions with the most powerful technology and tools in the world to create experiences that truly touch hearts, impact business, and, most importantly, move society forward.”

Tanaka further added, “Since launching ten years ago, Dentsu Lab Tokyo has revolutionised the intersection of technology and creativity, solving societal challenges and creating visionary expressions that touch hearts and minds. Our talented international team of dreamers and innovators, equipped with cutting-edge technology, is poised to take this impact worldwide and accelerate our clients’ growth while making a profound impact on society. We take the outlier’s perspective to open up new possibilities and find new answers through play. The future isn’t just on the horizon; with Dentsu Lab’s global vision, it is here and now, ready to transform the world.”

Mumbai, India – Cheil X, an independent full-service agency under the Cheil SWA Group, has appointed Anurag Tandon as its chief growth officer.

In his new role, Tandon will be leading the newly opened Mumbai office in addition to the growth charter and expand Cheil X’s business operations in the city.

Tandon enters this role with over 20 years of experience as a seasoned business leader on units such as DDB Mudra West, and WT, Mumbai where he was responsible for managing the P&L, key client relationships and top line growth.

His other stints include Ogilvy and Leo Burnett, as well as extensive brand management experience having worked across multiple categories with large global brands like UL, Volkswagen, McDonald’s and J&J to name a few.

Speaking on his appointment, Tandon said, “Cheil’s ambition to grow its new business and build a creative reputation promises to be a journey filled with challenges and opportunities in equal measure. I’m excited to be part of building a new business ground up and I know I have the support to help realise this ambition.”

“I believe we have the vision, the expertise and the plan to quickly carve out a meaningful share of the market and establish ourselves as a key player. I am looking forward to this journey of collaborating with like-minded individuals, leveraging our collective creativity and drive to rapidly propel the Cheil X brand forward,” he added.
 
Meanwhile, Sanjeev Jasani, COO at Cheil SWA, commented, “We are thrilled to welcome Anurag as he takes over the reins of our Mumbai office. Anurag is a well-known name in the industry with a reputation for delivering benchmark worthy work for clients across a wide range of industries. He is a valuable asset to the organisation and we look forward to working with him.”

Singapore – VaynerMedia has welcomed Jon Kee as its new head of client partnership for the Asia Pacific region, aiming to strengthen and enhance the agency’s client relationships. 

In his new role, Kee will be pivotal in strengthening and building key partnerships for VaynerMedia, further driving the agency’s integrated offerings and ‘social-at-the-centre’ approach across the region. 

With over two decades of experience in the digital, advertising, media, and entertainment industries, Kee is a seasoned business leader renowned for forging strategic C-level partnerships and spearheading successful sales, business development, and marketing initiatives.

His professional journey took him through dynamic companies such as Disney, Meta, and Yahoo, spanning growth markets across Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam. 

Tim Lindley, managing director of VaynerMedia Asia Pacific, said, “Jon is a rare find—a seasoned marketer and business leader with a futuristic vision and remarkable humility. He will be a crucial bridge between us and our client partners. These relationships are frequently tested; driving change requires bravery and commitment from our clients and empathy and hard work from our team.” 

He continued, “I am particularly excited about his non-traditional background, as it means that he hasn’t been shaped by conventional advertising agency norms. This allows him to approach the future unencumbered by outdated preconceptions. I have no doubt that Jon’s unique perspective will propel VaynerMedia to new heights across the region.”

Jon assumes his role with immediate effect and reports to Lindley. He will succeed Shrey Khetarpal, who recently took on a new role as head of consulting for Asia Pacific at VaynerMedia. 

“I also want to take a moment to thank Shrey, who has built a brilliant foundation for Jon to build upon. Shrey moves to lead our consulting division and will be a key partner to Jon as we embark on the next stage of our journey,” Lindley added. 

Talking about his appointment, Kee shared, “My two-decade career has always been aligned around digital; it made perfect sense to join a culture that is trailblazing and rewriting marketing with social at its core. The agency’s authentic, people-centric focus and Gary’s visionary leadership in driving accountable business results are truly game-changing. The exciting growth in APAC under the leadership of Tim has been particularly exciting, and I am thrilled to join VaynerMedia Asia Pacific and continue being part of that evolution.”

Australia – Creative innovation company R/GA has elevated Ben Miles to the newly established role of chief design officer for APAC, where he will spearhead design innovation across the region.

In his new role, Miles will enhance R/GA’s craftsmanship, strategic thinking, and output to achieve world-class, innovative design across APAC. He will focus on expanding the region’s design disciplines in branding, experience, and communications practices, working closely with multidisciplinary leaders in each market to realise this vision.

Miles previously served as the VP and executive creative director of brand design for APAC. Renowned as a global design leader, he is recognised for driving transformative brand work and fostering a positive company culture while championing impactful ideas rooted in a deep understanding of human behaviour.

At R/GA, Miles has built a diverse and innovative team that includes some of APAC’s top brand, visual, verbal, and strategic designers. They collectively advocated the idea that brands should actively shape culture rather than just exist within it.

Miles’ leadership has been recognised with prestigious awards, and his impact extends to shaping and enhancing brands across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia, including notable names like Telstra, Westpac, Powerhouse Museum and City of Sydney, Google, Nike, UOB, SingLife, IGA, Toll, SKY NZ, Foxtel, Cotton On Group, Huffer, Fed Square, Bailey Nelson, ZIG (part of CDG), Timberland, and The Prince Akatoki, as well as numerous startups. 

Speaking on his promotion, Miles said, “I joined R/GA because they intersect design and technology, and through our creative innovation model, design isn’t just visual—it’s a mindset. Design elevates businesses, equipping them with the tools to solve today’s most pressing issues and anticipate tomorrow’s challenges. It navigates complexity by strengthening connections across sectors and empowering organisations to reimagine brands in innovative ways. I’m honoured by the trust R/GA has put in me to elevate our capabilities across the region.” 

Meanwhile, Tiffany Rolfe, global chair and global chief creative officer, said, “R/GA was founded on the principles of design and technology, and so this newly created role is especially significant. Ben has proven to be a skilled practitioner and inspiring leader, always designing to create impact for our clients and the world. I look forward to having his infectious passion across even more of our work and teams in APAC.” 

Michael Titshall, CEO of APAC at R/GA, added, “Ben makes the industry, R/GA, and all of us better with his passion, creativity, and innovation. In this unique role, he’ll inject his brand and design expertise, giving R/GA’s clients across the region access to unique creative solutions.”