Singapore – Interpublic group agency Golin has announced the appointment of Rafidah Rashid to the newly created role of group managing director across its Singapore operations.
In her new role, Rashid will be working across Golin’s agency brands, providing centralised leadership and strategic direction.
Prior to her appointment, Rashid has a proven track record of success at Interpublic Group brands, as she commenced her public relations career in the corporate and financial sector before instigating her path at DeVries Global Singapore, which she has led since 2017.
Most recently, Rashid was also appointed co-lead of the agencies’ Asia Pacific Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council.
Speaking on her appointment, Rashid said, “As a leader, my mission is to champion industry-first innovations for brands, while empowering our people to reach their full potential. I am excited to lead our talented teams to fulfilling career growth, fostering client success and even greater industry excellence.”
Meanwhile, Darren Burns, president at Golin Asia Pacific, commented, “I’m so happy to appoint Fidah to this role,” said Burns. “Her unmatched energy for innovation, ability to build a vibrant culture, and her unique blend of experience, make her perfect for this role. Under her leadership, we are evolving a new era that builds off our sustained success in Singapore.”
Tag: Appointment
Singapore – Business communications agency Mahlab has welcomed Ning Ho as its newly appointed account director for the Singapore team.
Ho brings with her more than a decade of experience in marketing and advertising. She has worked with a range of clients, from industry leaders to startups, including Okta, Confluent, Red Hat, and Motorola Solutions.
In her new role, Ho will be leading content marketing, demand generation, and account-based marketing programmes for accounts such as Salesforce, Figma, FedEx, LinkedIn, and Slack across APAC.
She will join Mahlab’s ASEAN business director, Gus Wick, marking another milestone in Mahlab’s growing expansion across the ASEAN region.
Speaking on the appointment, Wick shared, “We are thrilled to welcome Ning to our team at this pivotal moment in our expansion. Her extensive experience will be invaluable in enhancing our ability to deliver exceptional curiosity with tangible results for our clients across the region.”
Also talking about her new role, Ho said, “I am really pleased to embark on a new chapter of my career journey by joining Mahlab. I am eager to contribute my expertise to the team at Mahlab and help drive success for our clients in the ever-evolving landscape of marketing and communications, especially amidst the advancements of AI technology.”
“The opportunity to work with a new range of clients and tackle fresh challenges excites me beyond measure,” she added.
Established earlier this year, Mahlab’s Singapore office is actively expanding its team to better serve the growing demand for strategic communications and marketing services in the Asia Pacific.
Hong Kong – DDB Group Hong Kong has acquired the creative and social media accounts for Tiger Brokers’ Tiger Trade trading platform. The agency will be in charge of all 2024 communications, including strategy and creative for branding, production, promotion, and social media.
Building brand awareness and client acquisition in an established market of savvy investors is the brand’s main goal. DDB will have to help with increasing appeal, reaching a wider audience, and establishing brand presence.
Tiger Trade’s low-commission real-time trading software provides investors with technology, knowledge, and inventiveness. The smartphone app is young and only getting started in the Hong Kong market, it already has over 2.2 million account holders worldwide.
Speaking about the appointment, Lowe Low, Senior brand marketing manager at Tiger Brokers (HK) Global Limited, said, “DDB’s unparallelled creativity and strategic brilliance truly distinguished them in the pitch process and it is with immense excitement that we move forward with them. At Tiger Brokers, we believe in pushing boundaries and redefining possibilities, and with DDB by our side, I am confident that we will create ground-breaking campaigns that not only captivate our audience, but also redefine the landscape of our industry.”
Meanwhile, Koman Ko, managing partner at DDB Group Hong Kong, stated, “We immediately respected Tiger Brokers’ visionary approach and ambition, as well as their collaborative style of working. We can’t wait to get started and help bring Tiger Trade’s superior investment experiences to more Hong Kong people, helping them reach their full potential as investors.”
Australia – UM Australia has been selected as Canteen’s media agency of record, with effect immediately. UM’s Canteen responsibilities include performance, above-the-line media strategy, planning, and purchasing. The goal in this mandate is to grow supporter numbers in order to reach more young people impacted by cancer.
The mandate, made effective following Canteen’s recent brand revamp, began with promoting National Bandanna Day and increasing brand recognition. This year is the fundraising event’s 30th anniversary. Over the previous 30 years, it has raised millions of dollars to support young people in finding the friendship, support, and connections they need to overcome the challenges presented by cancer.
The Canteen will mark the 30th anniversary of National Bandanna Day on Thursday, October 24, 2024.
Speaking about the appointment, Andrew Clift, managing partner, (House of Performance), UM, said, “To help them find new donors in today’s challenging market Canteen was looking for an agency who can combine performance marketing strategies with a focus on storytelling and community engagement. Paramount to the overall success of the media strategy was finding new ways to engage regular givers as Canteen continues to play a pivotal role in the lives of young people affected by cancer.”
He added, “A tall ask, but very attainable by taking a holistic approach and leveraging the full portfolio across all paid, earned, and owned media channels. To improve the donor experience we will use UM’s House of Performance framework, which can measure and optimise campaigns from above-the-line (ATL) initiatives through to digital acquisitions.”
Meanwhile, Janelle Cook, executive director of marketing and fundraising, Canteen, “Canteen is committed to helping young people through a world turned upside down by cancer and UM’s appointment further amplifies our commitment. UM will help bring our mission to life through innovative media strategies and engaging campaigns building Canteen’s efforts to increase fundraising so we can continue our vital work. From early in our discussions, UM’s team demonstrated a passionate commitment to our cause. Coupled with their outstanding strategic insight, media buying and planning nous, this will make for a brilliant partnership. I can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.”
Lastly, Clift remarked, “UM looks forward to creating innovative work to engage with young people, their families and the wider public and drive positive change.”
Australia – The Monkeys, part of Accenture Song, has bolstered its creative department with the appointment of former Goodby Silverstein & Partners creative team members Lennie Galloway and Thomas Gledhill as its new associate creative directors.
Galloway and Gledhill just finished a four-year stint at Goodby Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco, where they created award-winning work for Cheetos, Autodesk, and Liberty Mutual.
Working together for almost a decade, Galloway and Gledhill began their careers at FCB New Zealand. From their early days as interns, the duo quickly garnered recognition, winning awards and soon amassing accolades at every major award show.
Tara Ford, chief creative officer at The Monkeys, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Lennie and Thomas, fresh from the States, and to have them join the team. Great people. Great talents. We cannot wait to see the brilliant things they will do.”
Meanwhile, in his appointment, Galloway shared, “We’ve had our eye on The Monkeys for years, so we’re feeling pretty lucky to now work here. There’s something about their creativity, and the work in the southern hemisphere in general, that always impresses on a global stage, and we’re excited to be a part of it again. We’re also excited for people to understand our accents again.”
Gledhill added, “It was a hard decision to leave the US, but the opportunity to join The Monkeys made it an absolute no-brainer. They’ve launched some of the most ambitious, well-crafted work in the world, and we can’t wait to be a part of the team. There’s something in the water down here, besides sharks.”
Singapore – GumGum, the contextual-first global digital advertising platform, has appointed Niall Hogan as general manager for JAPAC (Japan, Australia, and Asia Pacific), effective immediately.
In this new position, Hogan will lead GumGum’s media advertising business in Singapore, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and growing JAPAC markets through sales, customer success, and operational delivery. As the team leader of more than one hundred employees, Hogan’s main objective will be to increase income while maintaining GumGum’s standing as a provider of innovative, and contextual advertising solutions.
Hogan was tasked with positioning GumGum as a reliable partner for agencies and advertisers in the face of growing privacy concerns and governmental laws, all while focusing on managing the constantly changing digital landscape. His objectives include making GumGum the premier media choice in JAPAC and showcasing The Mindset PlatformTM as the company’s offering for contextual, creative, and attention media buys.
Hogan will work closely with regional leaders in Japan, Australia, and Southeast Asia to strengthen GumGum’s position as a contextual media partner for advertisers and agencies.
Having founded and grown four different media and digital businesses on two continents, Hogan brings his expertise to GumGum. He was essential to the creation and growth of essential Ad Science (IAS) in the UK and then in Southeast Asia, having been the company’s first non-US hire. Hogan most recently held the position of first APAC employee at Ogury, helping to develop the business as one of the area’s providers of privacy-first solutions.
Commenting about his appointment, Hogan expressed, “I’m thrilled to join GumGum and lead its JAPAC operations during such a transformative period in the digital advertising landscape. As the industry continues to evolve rapidly, I aim to position GumGum as the ultimate choice for advertisers and agencies navigating this dynamic terrain. By harnessing the power of GumGum’s innovative Mindset Platform, we are committed to delivering unparalleled results and insights. Together with our talented team, we aim to shape the future of contextual-first advertising, where relevance and engagement co-exist with privacy and consumer trust.”
Meanwhile, Sorrel Osborne, head of media, APAC, at GumGum, said, “We are excited to welcome Niall to the GumGum family. With his wealth of experience and proven track record in spearheading successful ventures across diverse markets, we are confident that Niall will play a pivotal role in driving our expansion efforts in the rapidly evolving Asia-Pacific region. His strategic vision and leadership will undoubtedly strengthen our position as the leading contextual and attention measurement platform, delivering exceptional value to both our clients and partners.”
Australia – Following its global expansion, unified retail platform Zitcha has announced the appointment of Josh Forsyth as its new sales lead for APAC.
In addition to growing Zitcha’s Australian and New Zealand business, Forsyth will help lead its push across Asia to empower retailers to monetise their onsite, offsite and in-store media assets.
These assets include websites, social media, above the line advertising, display, search, email and in-premise, allowing brands in APAC to target audiences using first-party data and personalisation to drive incremental revenues for both retailers and brands.
Forsyth joins Zitcha after more than eight years working in senior sales, partnerships and operations roles for major adtech businesses including Yahoo, The Trade Desk and Vistar Media, where he helped educate and implement clients on new and emerging programmatic channels.
Speaking on his appointment, Forsyth said, “Zitcha is a market leading retail media platform that continues to innovate to meet the needs of retailers and brands that understand the value in building and operating effective retail media networks. Having watched its success from afar for a while now, I’m delighted to join the team as we capitalise on existing Australia and New Zealand opportunities and turn our sights to the phenomenal opportunities that exist across Asia.”
Meanwhile, Nick Hinsley, chief revenue officer at Zitcha, commented, “Retail media in Australasia and Asia represents a significant, but so far relatively untapped opportunity for retailers, wanting to more efficiently and effectively leverage their own media assets for brand advertising partners. The appointment of Josh is the exciting next development in Zitcha’s continued success locally and our move into Southeast Asia and beyond.”
“While we are a technology business at heart, it is the expertise of people, such as Josh, who put customers first and become trusted advisors for retailers in this new and fast growing retail media space. This depth of talent and capability within Zitcha enables retailers and brands to navigate what is the third and biggest wave in digital advertising after search and social, and we’re delighted Josh is on the team,” he added.
Hong Kong – VML has appointed Alfred Wong as chief creative officer of VML Hong Kong. He has started his post and will report to Maggie Wong, CEO of VML Hong Kong.
Formerly employed by Apple’s custom agency Media Arts Lab Shanghai (MAL), Wong is a creative leader. He had a key role in producing influential work that changed Chinese culture while serving as executive creative director of MAL.
At Leo Burnett Hong Kong, Wong became executive creative director. For three years in a row, his office was named among the top three Hong Kong agencies. After moving to Shanghai, he worked as Chief Creative Officer at ADK, reshaping the firm with integrated thinking and its creative standards before joining MAL Shanghai to work at Apple.
With over 200 awards, including two consecutive Gold Cannes Lions, Wong held the #2 spot in Asia for creative directors. The international advertising festivals, including Cannes Lions, D&AD, One Show, Clio, Tribeca X, ADC, London International Awards, Andy Awards, Adweeks, Spikes Asia, AdFest, LongXi, Hong Kong Kam Fan, and EFFIE, have honoured this creative leader in the digital, film, and print categories.
Speaking about his appointment, Wong said, “The fusion of technology and creativity truly excites me. It empowers us to push the boundaries of what’s possible, creating work that is fresh and out-of-the-box. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join forces with Maggie and the team, working together to create something remarkable.”
Meanwhile, Maggie Wong stated, “Alfred joins us at such an exciting time for VML, where we are forging a new path as a growth partner – one that is equal parts creative agency, consultancy, and technology powerhouse. Alfred’s passion for creativity and his ability to push boundaries make him an exceptional addition to our team. Under his leadership, we will continue to nurture an environment that celebrates creativity, empowers talent and produces awe-inspiring work.”
Singapore – Initiative, the Fame and Flow agency within IPG Mediabrands, has announced the appointment of three new senior client-facing roles, with Hatty Wetzki as the regional client business director, Lucy Jacobsen as the group client director, and Sheena Deutscher as senior communications design director.
In her new role as regional client business director, Wetzki will help in rolling out a global strategy for Nike, building fame and flow across its key markets around APAC. She brings exceptional brand knowledge and expertise to the region for the agency, having joined Initiative after nearly 11 years as marketing director at Nike EMEA.
Also joining Initiative is Jacobsen, who was previously the APAC lead for the Google Cloud portfolio at EssenceMediacom. As the new group client director, she will utilise her deep knowledge of B2B performance media to lead the Amazon AWS business for Initiative APAC, staying at the very forefront of digital, product, and technology innovation.
Rounding up the new hires is Deutscher, who is set to join the LEGO client team. She joins Initiative from her previous role as a client-side placement at Chanel through the luxury brand’s agency, PHD. In her new role as senior communications design director, she will apply her global cross-category experience to deliver strategic global priorities and planning excellence to the LEGO brand around APAC.
The three new Initiative client leadership appointments will be based in their Asia-Pacific RHQ office in Singapore and are effective immediately.
Commenting on the new hires, James Smyllie, president of Initiative APAC, said, “We could not be more delighted to welcome Hatty, Lucy, and Sheena to the Initiative APAC regional team, where they will partner with flagship clients such as Amazon, Nike, and LEGO. These recent appointments are testament to the strength and quality of the client partnerships we build at Initiative and the resonance of the Fame and Flow proposition that continues to attract and retain market-leading brands and exceptional talent.”
Paris, France – Publicis Groupe has named Nannette LaFond-Dufour as chief impact officer. She will directly report to Arthur Sadoun, the head of Publicis Groupe’s management board.
In this newly created global role, LaFond-Dufour will be in charge of all of the group’s ESG commitments, including Publicis’ ambitious SBTi-approved climate targets and concrete action plans for diversity, equality, and inclusion. She will also be in charge of major initiatives, including Working with Cancer and the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society.
Lafond-Dufour will oversee a dedicated team tasked with connecting the group’s ESG professionals around the world. They will work together to develop and implement a coherent impact strategy with clear and specific performance metrics. Their goal is to improve and grow existing Publicis programs while also integrating new ones, which will benefit both teams and clients.
As a new member of the management committee, LaFond-Dufour will answer directly to Arthur Sadoun, the head of Publicis Groupe’s management board. She will work closely with Agathe Bousquet, who is the president of Publicis France and the management board’s guarantor of ESG obligations.
LaFond-Dufour most recently held the positions of chief sustainability officer and chief client officer at McCann Worldgroup.
Speaking about the appointment, Sadoun said, “With the Directory+ we are delighted to welcome Nannette to the Group.Through our transformation, we have outperformed the industry on all key business and financial metrics over the past four years. But we know that for our growth to be truly sustainable, at all levels, it must also be responsible. That’s why we’ve also worked to lead the way with our best-in-class ESG initiatives. With Nannette at our side and her proven expertise in implementing concrete changes at the heart of some of the world’s largest companies, we are convinced that we can go further and faster in our ESG agenda, for the good of our employees , our customers, and our planet.”
Meanwhile, LaFond-Dufour expressed, “I am very admiring of the transformation carried out by Publicis, demonstrating both its ability to anticipate the future but also to prepare for it by making social and environmental commitments. At a time when evolution is more necessary than ever, I am delighted to join a visionary, courageous and agile team.”