Tag: Appointment

Jakarta, Indonesia – Global integrated communications firm, Edelman appointed Nia Pratiwi as managing director for its operations in Indonesia, poised to partner with the firm’s clients to navigate and enhance their organisational and brand reputations in today’s increasingly complex environment, signifying a strategic step towards growth and expansion. 

Pratiwi is a seasoned industry specialist with over 20 years of experience in corporate communications, public affairs, and government relations. Having held leadership positions at renowned firms such as Burson Cohn & Wolfe, Burson Marsteller, Fleishmann Hillard, and Pfizer, she will now steer Edelman Indonesia’s next stage of strategic business growth in the rapidly growing, vibrant socio-economic climate of Indonesia.

Commenting on the appointment Warren Fernandez, CEO, Edelman APAC, said, “Indonesia’s economic growth story continues to draw interest around the world and remains core to Edelman’s growth for the region. We are excited about the many inspiring Asian hero business stories coming out of Indonesia.”

Speaking on her own appointment Pratiwi commented, “I am truly excited to be a part of Edelman Indonesia,” she stated. “With the group’s industry-leading position, Edelman is well-positioned to provide clients with exceptional results and continue to stay ahead of the industry.”

In her remarks she commended Edelman’s consecutive wins of the Campaign ‘PR Agency of the Year’ award for three years, underscoring the team’s dedication to excellence.“I’m amazed at how the firm continues to retain its Campaign ‘PR Agency of the Year’ title now three years in a row, a true testament to the team’s determination and resolve to be the best-in-class.

Edelman is credited for over two decades of industry leading research on public trust in societal institutions with the Edelman Trust Barometer Pratiwi’s appointment is effective immediately, signalling Edelman’s commitment to strengthening its presence and capabilities in Indonesia’s vibrant market.

Hong Kong – International travel and lifestyle brand TUMI has appointed Aris Maroulis as the new vice president for Asia-Pacific and Middle East, with immediate effect.

Based in Hong Kong, Maroulis will be responsible for building the brand, overseeing operations, and managing overall business in the region.

Maroulis has 25 years of experience in Asia, Europe and the US with the last 15 years focused on Asia. Before joining TUMI, he held the title of director – china business operation, asset management for Hang Lung Properties for four years, overseeing a portfolio of luxury shopping malls in mainland China.

Prior to that, Maroulis was the managing director for Montblanc China, based in Shanghai, where he had overall responsibility for the China market.

Talking about his appointment, Maroulis said, “I have followed TUMI closely for many years, both as a customer and as a luxury brand and business strategist. I have been continuously impressed by the brand’s innovation, meticulous design, unparalleled performance, and customer-first approach. I am delighted to join this dynamic team and lead the brand’s growth in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.”

Meanwhile, Subrata Dutta,  president, Asia-Pacific and Middle East, Samsonite, commented, “We are delighted to welcome Aris to TUMI at this exciting time for the brand in the region. He has extensive luxury retail experience on both the brand and commercial real estate sides. Aris is a proven leader who will focus on identifying new opportunities for TUMI and continue to provide world-class customer experience through every brand touchpoint.”

New York, USA – Ogilvy One announces new multiple global leadership and launches next-generation services targeted at cultivating more partnerships through purposeful design. Ogilvy uses a strategy to develop partnerships that deliver business, brand, and customer value, guided by creativity, powered by data, and augmented by AI.

Ogilvy One has named Kent Wertime as its global CEO. Roberto Fara continues to serve as Ogilvy Spain’s chief creative officer in addition to taking on a larger role as Ogilvy One’s global creative experience lead. Other notable hires include Mauro Caggiano (LATAM), Jason Davey (AUNZ), Ravi Pal (CTO), Ab Gaur (APAC & CEO of Verticurl; global chief data & tech officer, Ogilvy), Rajesh Midha (NoAm), and Clare Lawson (EMEA & chief client officer). 

Wertime has been with Ogilvy for almost 25 years. He led Ogilvy One in Asia before moving on to take on various leadership positions. He will continue to serve in his current role as Ogilvy APAC’s co-CEO. 

Devika Bulchandani, global CEO of Ogilvy, said, “When David Ogilvy first started talking about direct marketing decades ago, he recognized that some of the most effective marketing isn’t just directed at your target audience, it speaks to them on a personal one-to-one basis. Now we take that to a new level with a fresh leadership team for Ogilvy One and a commitment to designing relationships based on ideas that create enduring value exchanges between consumers and our clients’ brands.” 

Speaking about his appointment, Wertime said, “Over the last decade, companies invested heavy in technology, but that alone is not the solution. In today’s hyper-commoditized world, brands need to design relationships that create differentiation and relevancy with their consumers. That’s where the exponential power of creativity plays a vital role.” 

He added, “Today’s consumers, choose their points of interaction with brands, from discovery to purchase, and dictate more of the relationship. With a deep understanding of brands and full dimensional view of consumers coupled with award-winning creativity and a strong data and technology backbone, Ogilvy One is uniquely positioned to design valuable relationships for brands that are impactful, relevant, and enduring.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – PR agency Mutant has announced the appointment of Renny Rengganis and Charmaine Goh as directors in Indonesia and Malaysia, respectively, growing the agency’s leadership team and capabilities across the region.

These appointments come with Mutant’s growth of its regional headcount from 31 to 50 in the past year, driving the need for fresh senior veterans to lead its growing team.

Rengganis joins Mutant Indonesia with 17 years of experience, having previously led successful communication campaigns for brands such as X (formerly Twitter), Smartfren Telecom, Frisian Flag, and Unilever Citra Body Lotion.

Goh on the other hand, brings over a decade of experience to Mutant Malaysia, having worked with global brands, such as Diageo, Michelin Guide, Sony Pictures, Nestlé, Heineken, Philips, and adidas.

Renngganis, who has previously held roles at Edelman Indonesia, Zeno Indonesia, Burson Cohn and Wolfe Indonesia, will report to Indonesia country manager, Tanya Tresnasari, whilst Goh, who was previously senior account director at ROOTS PR, will report to Malaysia country manager, Archana Menon.

Talking about her appointment, Rengganis said, “Mutant has swiftly established a solid reputation for itself and I’m excited to join forces with the talented team to craft extraordinary results for the clients.”

Goh also added, “I look forward to leading our talented team in delivering innovative and impactful solutions for clients as we continue to navigate the dynamic media landscape in Malaysia.”

Meanwhile, Joseph Barratt, CEO of Mutant, commented, “These senior hires reflect our commitment to the Malaysia and Indonesia markets, which have shown significant growth in the past year, even with economic odds stacked against them. In this demanding environment, the bar for communications is higher than ever – and delivering world-class work takes world-class people and that’s exactly who Charmaine and Renny are.”

Singapore – The Minister for Communications and Information has named Russell Tham, Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd’s head of emerging technologies, as chairman of the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) Board. His appointment will start on March 15. Tham succeeds Chan Yeng Kit, who is stepping down as Chairman of the IMDA Board after nine years. 

Tham provides plenty of expertise to IMDA, having served on the board since October 1, 2020. In addition, he has served as chairperson of IMDA’s Technology Sub-Committee since April 1, 2023. Tham has used his experience to advise IMDA on developing digital technologies, facilitate their integration into business operations, and assess potential policy implications. 

Chan, who also held the office of Permanent Secretary (Health), was the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) from January 2005 to November 2007 and permanent secretary (Information, Communications, and the Arts) from January 2008 to November 2012. In November 2015, he became chairman of the IDA Board. 

Chan led the arrangement for the merger of IDA and the Media Development Authority (MDA) to become IMDA in 2016, and has since served as IMDA’s chairman of the board. 

Singapore – The Breast Cancer Foundation (BCF) announced today that it has appointed SPRG Singapore as the Agency of Record for its PR and social media work in Singapore after a competitive pitch.

Through the partnership, SPRG will be developing myriad communications strategies and handling media relations and outreach to build brand awareness and credibility for the Breast Cancer Foundation in Singapore.

Furthermore, the agency will also be responsible for developing and implementing innovative social media strategies, creating compelling content, and managing BCF’s social media channels to drive engagement and awareness. Through its communication efforts, SPRG Singapore hopes to cement top-of-mind awareness for BCF.

Talking about the partnership, Natalie Lau, head of advocacy & communications, Breast Cancer Foundation, said, “As we evolve with the times, we must remain committed to our vision of being the first port-of-call for our survivors. In that same spirit, we have decided to embark on a brand rejuvenation journey with SPRG Singapore to continue advocating for the early detection of breast cancer.”

“The team not only showed that they understood our mission and challenges – they were also able to present creative, yet realistic ideas on how to take our brand story forward with both marketing ideas and strategic PR. We look forward to a long partnership with them,” she added.

Meanwhile, Edwin Yeo, general manager, SPRG Singapore, commented, “We are proud to be part of this exciting and meaningful journey with BCF. They have always been creative in their breast cancer awareness efforts, and we’re pleased that they liked our ideas. We look forward to working together with the team at BCF and changing the way breast cancer is talked about in Singapore.”

Australia – Digital marketing and automation platform Constant Contact has appointed Gerard Smith as its new APAC head of partnerships, shortly after the recent appointment of Sam Whitmore as its new APAC head of commercial.

In their new roles, both Smith and Whitmore will be supporting the company’s commitments to rapid growth and the support of small businesses across the APAC region.

These appointments also follow Constant Contact’s recent designation of their new vice president for APAC.

Smith joins from WP Engine where he held the role of APAC head of agency partnerships. In that role, Smith was responsible for fostering greater growth among digital marketing, web development, e-commerce, and media agencies across the region, and engaging and growing the company’s reseller community.

Based out of Constant Contact’s regional headquarters in Brisbane, Smith will focus on providing support to the hundreds of resellers currently driving new business across Australia and New Zealand.

Whitmore on the other hand, held numerous executive roles at Salesforce in the United Kingdom, largely focused on SMB customers, most recently as the regional vice president for the travel, transport and hospitality industries.

Speaking on his appointment, Smith said, “I’m excited to join Constant Contact and look forward to unlocking new growth opportunities and fostering stronger collaboration with our partners across the APAC region.”

Talking about her appointment as well, Whitmore also mentioned, “I’m thrilled to have joined Constant Contact in APAC at this exciting phase and to be driving strategies that will support our customers and their own growth journeys.”

Meanwhile, Renee Chaplin, vice president Asia Pacific, Constant Contact, commented, “Our agency partners continue to be important drivers of expansion and we intend to double down on our commitment to them in-region to help their businesses be more successful in 2024. Bringing Gerard Smith on board as our APAC Head of Partnerships further demonstrates how important this region is to Constant Contact.”

“To add, Sam Whitmore is a commercial powerhouse and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to bring her on board to lead our customer success, customer support and inside sales functions for Constant Contact in APAC,” added Chaplin.

Amsterdam, Netherlands – Creatives for Climate, a non-profit global network dedicated to climate action, has appointed Antonia Estall, a youth change agent, as the Asia-Pacific chapter lead. Estall’s appointment is tasked with taking action across the region, encouraging professionals to oppose greenwashing and build a climate action movement among their peers. 

Estall’s main focus will be on New Zealand, where nine out of ten New Zealanders prioritise checking a product’s green claims before making a purchase, according to research by Consumer NZ. Furthermore, according to UK research conducted by CIM in October 2020, 40% of marketers admit they do not possess the credentials required to communicate sustainability in an effective manner. 

Estall worked at ECG Consulting Firm before taking on her present positions, where she honed her research, creativity, and social media marketing talents. Additionally, she is part of Designers Collection NZ, expanding her knowledge in these domains. Estall is a motivated climate activist who emphasises an intersectional approach to climate justice. 

Joanna Kelly, chief executive at the Centre for Sustainable Finance, said, “The stories we tell about the net-zero transition are fundamental to the pace of progress toward our 2030 targets. The climate transition has huge implications for New Zealand, where access to markets, customers, and capital is at stake. The launch of the global Creatives for Climate non-profit in Aotearoa offers creative industries much-needed tools for advising clients on how to communicate with credibility. It’s a great way for NZ creatives to get in the game on sustainability.” 

Meanwhile, Gemma Rasmussen, head of research and advocacy at Consumer NZ, stated, “The reality of the New Zealand market is it’s very easy for a company to make a false or misleading sustainability claim about a product or service and go unchecked because greenwashing is essentially unmonitored. Shoppers can find it hard to differentiate between what is legitimately sustainable versus what is greenwashing, so the creative industry plays a crucial role in holding the line when it comes to genuine sustainable communication. Any efforts to empower more truthful advertising and marketing are very welcome.” 

Furthermore, Matt Haliday, senior lecturer in advertising and brand creativity AUT, expressed, “It’s exciting to see Creatives for Climate in Aotearoa. Having an organisation calling out greenwashing in the industry and helping creatives draw a line in the sand is important. We can all see which way the wind is blowing. Creatives for Climate are trying to help us prepare for the storm.” 

Singapore – We Are Social, a global socially-driven creative agency, has announced two senior advancements for its Singapore team. Nai Yen Wang has been appointed managing director, with Kelson Ong taking on the job of general manager. 

Chris Chong, who left to seek other opportunities, was replaced in senior positions at We Are Social’s Singapore office by Wang and Ong. Wang reports directly to We Are Social’s group chief operating officer, Chris Adamson, while Ong reports to Wang.

Wang’s new role will involve her leading and developing We Are Social Singapore’s innovation credentials, operational strategy, and vision. She will also be in charge of fostering an inclusive, innovative, and forward-thinking culture and accelerating growth. 

In 2022, Wang joined We Are Social serving as the head of account management. Her last job at DDB was regional business director, APAC, before joining We Are Social. As the leader of regional network clients, she oversaw companies like J&J and Unilever and was instrumental in helping them create new operating models that promoted expansion.

We Are Social Singapore’s business growth and team management will be under Ong’s supervision in his new role. He will be responsible for making sure clients receive creative and useful solutions. 

Ong, formerly the business director, joined We Are Social in 2021 after leaving Netflix. Throughout his career at We Are Social, Ong has been a key component of the leadership team, working to enhance offerings such as gaming, influence, and.XYZ, as well as recruit new clients. 

Speaking about her appointment, Wang commented, “Since joining We Are Social Singapore, I have been impressed with how deeply embedded innovation is in our culture. We’re globally focused and deliver innovation focused and social-first work for our clients that evolves the way marketing is done. 

She added, “I’m thrilled to be given the opportunity to lead and work alongside this talented team. Together we will continue to build a culture that focuses on our people, deliver game-changing work and offerings inspired by data and enabled by technology to unlock new areas of growth in Singapore, Southeast Asia and beyond.” 

Meanwhile, Ong said, “Innovation is in We Are Social’s DNA. As the world of marketing continues to evolve and rapid advancement in technology is made, we have already built a robust service offering that supports the needs of clients both today and tomorrow. I’m excited to be given the opportunity to work with Nai Yen and our leadership team to further amplify these capabilities to drive growth and unlock new opportunities for both the agency and clients.”

Nathan McDonald, co-founder and group CEO of We Are Social, expressed, “Chris has done an incredible job in leading and growing We Are Social Singapore since she joined us in 2016. She’s been particularly committed to innovation, and bolstering our future strategy arm, .XYZ. Nai Yen and Kelson’s promotions are both well-deserved, and I’m confident that the team will continue to thrive with their leadership, guidance and support.” 

Furthermore, Chris Chong, remarked, “Nai Yen and Kelson are both talented and effective leaders who have been instrumental in building We Are Social Singapore into the successful business it is today. They’ve helped build an enviable client base and establish a first reputation for innovation. I’m pleased to be leaving the team in safe hands.” 

Singapore – Global security intelligence company LogRhythm has announced the appointment of Joanne Wong as the new interim chief marketing officer to lead the charge on the company’s brand and marketing strategy. 

In her new role, Wong will lead LogRhythm’s global brand and marketing strategy, with a key focus on collaborating with sales to grow pipelines, elevate brand visibility, and empower customer satisfaction. 

Wong is among the pioneers who were with the company when it started its operations in Asia Pacific with a regional headquarters in Singapore. She brings with her a wealth of experience, having spent over nine years working on successful marketing initiatives at LogRhythm. 

Prior to her role, she served as the vice president of international markets for the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) and Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) regions. She is also a lawyer by training and has built most of her career in the technology sector, with over 25 years of experience in the industry. 

Furthermore, beyond her role, Wong actively promotes gender equality and diversity in tech. As a founding member of LogRhythm’s Global Diversity Council, she spearheaded efforts for workplace inclusivity. Her work earned her nominations for the Women in Security ASEAN Region Awards and the Channel Asia Women in ICT Awards in 2023.

Wong’s appointment not only bolsters LogRhythm’s leadership but also highlights the company’s dedication to cultivating an inclusive workplace where people from diverse backgrounds are offered equal opportunities. Her promotion reinforces the company’s commitment to employee advancement through strategic internal promotions.

As LogRhythm celebrates International Women’s Day, it reaffirms its pledge to nurture a culture that cherishes and leverages the distinct viewpoints and contributions of every employee. 

Wong will join the executive leadership team and report directly to Christopher O’Malley, president and CEO of LogRhythm.

Commenting on the appointment, O’Malley said, “Joanne’s strategic mindset and proven ability to deliver growth at scale will be critical assets to a revitalised LogRhythm. As we continue to innovate, Joanne will play an integral role in leading the future of LogRhythm’s brand and connecting us with our customers in meaningful ways that drive accelerated growth for our security solutions.”

Also speaking on her appointment, Wong shared, “I am both thrilled and proud to step up as the Chief Marketing Officer. LogRhythm is a company with both a strong legacy and great potential in the SIEM market, as well as a great culture where every professional can thrive. It is an honour to lead the charge in shaping our brand’s story globally, and I look forward to working with our talented teams across the world in our pursuit of making security easy for our customers.”