Tag: Appointment

Jakarta, Indonesia – Global marketing and advertising agency dentsu has appointed Elvira Jakub as CEO of dentsu Indonesia, taking over the baton from Prakash Kamdar, who has led the network’s Indonesia business since February 2022.

In her new role, Jakub will be delivering growth to dentsu in the Indonesian market, and will be supporting the growth of Indonesia’s digital economy and in uplifting the communities within it. 

Jakub enters her role as a  marketing transformation veteran with over 23 years of experience in the Indonesia market. She joins dentsu from Google where she was head of industry, helping traditional businesses in auto and tech/telco thrive during and post-pandemic through innovative transformation.

Speaking on her appointment, Jakub said, “Indonesia’s market is rapidly evolving, and our clients need adaptable, integrated solutions to meet their business goals. I am thrilled to join dentsu Indonesia at this pivotal moment. Our team has been pioneering an integrated approach to creative, media, and CXM, empowering our clients to become innovation powerhouses in the ever-evolving marketing landscape.”

“I am grateful to be taking on the helm of dentsu Indonesia from what Prakash has built with the entire team here and I look forward to charting new grounds with the foundations that have been laid,” she added.

Singapore – Customer platform HubSpot has announced the appointment of Carol Fong as its new head of sales for the Asia region. 

Fong will lead the sales organisation and operations for HubSpot across the Asia region, collaborating with the marketing and customer success teams to drive business growth for the company. 

Together with her team, she will also work to ensure that HubSpot enables thousands more organisations across Asia to grow better.

Fong brings with her more than two decades of sales and leadership experience across the technology industry in the USA and Asia. She has held a number of regional sales leadership roles. Prior to joining HubSpot, she served as the regional vice president of sales at Anaplan and held the same position when she previously worked at Salesforce. 

Dan Bognar, managing director and VP of sales for JAPAC at HubSpot, said, “The global CRM market is projected to reach SG$194B by 2029, and within this market, HubSpot continues to prove itself to be the customer platform of choice for scaling businesses, with over 15,000 paying customers in the APAC region alone. I am absolutely delighted to have Carol join HubSpot to lead our Asia sales organisation. Carol’s expertise in the CRM industry, her deep understanding of the Asian market, and her experience with both direct and partner sales motions will uniquely enable her to solve for the customer.” 

He added, “Singapore, where Carol is based, and the wider Asia region represent a vital growth opportunity for HubSpot. I look forward to partnering with Carol and having her lead the team to grow and support our customers across the region. Carol’s experience in helping organisations transform their technology to drive growth and enhance customer experience brings enormous value to our existing customers, including the likes of NTUC, Agoda, and Aspire, and to businesses across the region who are currently exploring technology solutions to fuel their growth.” 

Meanwhile, speaking on her new role, Fong shared, “I’m incredibly excited to be joining the HubSpot Asia team here in Singapore. I’ve spent many years in the industry, and HubSpot’s product, values, and hybrid culture, as well as its talented employees and strong leadership, deeply impress me.” 

“Having spent most of my career working in business technology, specifically in the CRM industry, I believe HubSpot is incredibly well placed to help businesses in the region unlock their full potential. I’m particularly excited about HubSpot’s AI investments and how deeply this technology is embedded across the HubSpot platform to help teams harness its benefits. We know education and practical application are a core focus for business leaders to see value from AI, and I look forward to helping Asian businesses unlock this. I feel privileged to join the team and lead the fast-growing Asia region, and I am looking very forward to connecting with our customers, partners, and employees over the coming months,” Fong further added. 

Singapore – Online delivery platform foodpanda has announced the appointment of Jaslin Goh as its new vice president of marketing for APAC. 

Based in Hong Kong, Goh will be taking over from Anna Znamenskaya, and will be reporting to John Fang, CEO of foodpanda. 

In her new role, Goh will be heading the regional marketing function and will be working closely with local marketing directors to drive growth and brand love across Asia.

Taking up this role with over 20 years of experience, Goh was previously the chief marketing officer for mobile payment service PayMe at HSBC, heading the marketing, design and customer experience functions. 

Prior to that, she also held senior marketing positions in HSBC’s Wealth & Personal Banking function, WeLab, and Shangri-La Group.

Speaking on her own appointment, Goh said, “I’m super excited to join the Foodpanda family with its unique blend of Tech x qcommerce x F&B across 11 strong and flavorful markets. Food reflects the soul and unique idiosyncrasies of each market. I’m proud to become part of a business where we bring food and people together, through technology, yet in a grassroot, grounded way and is the glue for the cultural fabric for Asia’s best cities.”

Hong Kong – Kathy Wong has been appointed general manager of We Are Social, a global creative agency, in Hong Kong. She will report directly to Pete Lin, CEO of We Are Social in North Asia. 

Wong’s new position will include overseeing both We Are Social Hong Kong and the creative agency Metta/We Are Social. Wong will lead a team of 20 at We Are Social and work with clients including Keetah, Abbott, GEOX, and Alipay. 

Wong brings a wide range of knowledge and experience to her new role, having worked for more than 18 years. She had worked for several advertising firms in the past, such as Ogilvy, TBWA, and FCB, and RollRollRoll, where she was the business director. 

Wong began her professional career at Metta Communications, which in 2022 amalgamated with We Are Social to establish Metta/We Are Social. She has managed clients like Mercedes Benz, Barclays Capital, Hong Kong Disneyland, and L’Oreal Travel Retail. 

Kathy Wong takes over the role previously held by Donald Wong, who left We Are Social Hong Kong to seek possibilities in the United States. 

Speaking about her appointment, Wong expressed,“I am thrilled to join the We Are Social team in Hong Kong, and to rejoin Metta where I have many great memories. I look forward to drawing on my experience in both agency and client-side roles to continue to help We Are Social’s clients excel creatively and strategically. I am excited to expand the team at We Are Social, drive the digital discipline in Hong Kong forward, and serve the digital marketing demands of both local and international clients.” 

Meanwhile, Lin commented, “We’re delighted that Kathy has chosen to join the team at We Are Social. She’s a first-class communicator with an unrivalled reputation in the Hong Kong advertising world, and there’s no better person to take our growing team to the next level.” 

Philippines – After dedicating two and a half years to the company, John Richard (Chad) Sotelo announced he had been appointed as the inaugural chief marketing officer of Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC). This is concurrent with his role as senior vice president and business unit general manager for RLC Residences.

In a recent exclusive interview with MARKETECH APAC, Sotelo unveiled his strategic vision to unlock added value for the business by embracing customer-centricity. He emphasised the importance of delving deeper into understanding their customers’ needs and preferences.

According to Sotelo, understanding customers on a deeper level is a fundamental aspect of marketing, and he is committed to making sure that every marketer in the RLC becomes an expert on it. 

Among the things he’s looking forward to prioritising in his new role are maintaining constant and meaningful conversations with customers, handling customer data with the utmost respect for privacy, deriving insights into customer behaviour from consented information, and ensuring that data is treated as actionable insights that flow to the right people at the right time rather than staying as mere statistics.

“There are a lot of untapped opportunities for RLC when we look at things from the customers’ perspective: how they experience each business and how we can improve that by having the different business units work closer together. There’s also tremendous value to be unlocked as we take a step back and look at how RLC can work with the other business units in the Gokongwei Group,” Sotelo told MARKETECH APAC. 

Reflections on the leadership journey at RLC 

For Sotelo, the last two and a half years have been an eye-opening experience, having to work on and ultimately learn a new industry that is different from his previous ones. 

Before joining RLC, Sotelo was working in various industries, including consumer electronics, beauty, and FMCG. Having to transition from these industries to real estate and property development, he considers his journey with RLC to be one that is ‘delightful’ and ‘educational’. 

He shared, “A lot of my reflections have been from the point-of-view of an ‘outsider’ to the industry, yet as a ‘veteran’ of using the industry’s product. One thing that really stands out for me is how growth-oriented the industry is, yet the knowledge of the customer is still not as deep as it can be. I’m very excited about how RLC can get even better once it gets to be an expert at knowing its customers, getting insights from this knowledge, and translating those insights into action that brings more value to the customer, hopefully in a unique and differentiated way.” 

Navigating the challenges of real estate marketing in the Philippines 

Sotelo believes that real estate brands are currently facing the challenge of maintaining their relevance to customers, a trend he sees will continue for the next two to three years from now. 

Looking at the current economic climate, inflation remains elevated and is showing no signs of decline yet. High banking interest rates also persist. Furthermore, emerging from a recent pandemic has left many feeling uncertain, impacting confidence levels worldwide. These factors are posing challenges to the real estate industry locally and globally. 

According to him, the real estate sectors continue to face distinct hurdles: commercial properties grapple with the shift towards remote work, while hotels, resorts, and malls benefit from a resurgence in tourism. Although residential real estate shows signs of recovery, it has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.

Nonetheless, Sotelo is determined to face these challenges as he steps into his new role. He underscored the importance of focusing on giving customers options that will serve their current needs, something that RLC will be focusing their attention on with Sotelo now heading their marketing strategies. 

“RLC is a well-diversified real estate company, and we will continue to offer customers a broad portfolio of choices that hopefully should cater to their needs. As of YTD (year to date) September 2023, all of our business units were doing extremely well and growing at a fast pace,” Sotelo stated. 

In his LinkedIn post, Sotelo also shared, “[I am] proud and honoured to be appointed as the first ever Chief Marketing Officer of Robinsons Land Corporation, concurrent to my current role in leading the RLC Residences division. I get to put back on my marketing geek hat! To say I’m excited is an understatement! Thank you, Sir Lance Gokongwei, for the trust! ” 

South Korea – Korean Air has appointed Jongheon Sim (Jong) as its new chief communications officer. Jong, a communicator and aviation industry veteran, will be handling the airline’s communication strategies and public relations. 

After working for the airline for 27 years in a variety of roles, including operations, communications, and external relations, Jong developed his communication skills. He became the airline’s managing director in December 2022 and became the deputy chief communications officer as well. He oversaw the airline’s social media and digital communications team before this assignment. 

He began his career in 1997 as a passenger business representative for Korean Air and went on to advance in airport operations in Incheon, Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York. In 2008, he took over as team head of airport operations in Seattle. In 2017, he moved to New York’s JFK airport, which is a major international hub for Korean Air, as general manager and head of the airport service team. 

Because of his background in international relations, Jong was assigned to work at the airline’s HRDC, where he was in charge of staff training before sending them abroad.

Thailand–Advertising agency Leo Burnett has appointed Prasert Vijitpawan as the new chief creative officer in Thailand. 

In his new role, Vijitpawan will work with major clients, including Nescafé, McDonald’s, First Choice, Samsung, Suntory’s Brands, Lotus’s, Kubota, and Visa. 

Vijitpawan is known as an exceptional creative who has received numerous awards from prestigious award-giving bodies such as Cannes Lions, D&AD, Clio, New York Festivals, The One Show to Spikes Asia, ADFEST, and many more. 

During his first tenure with Publicis Groupe, he spent five years at Saatchi & Saatchi Thailand and left in 2011. Prior to his appointment at Leo Burnett, Vijitpawan spent 13 years at Ogilvy Thailand, where he amassed a number of awards and accolades. 

Speaking on the appointment, Thipayachand Hasdin, CEO at Leo Burnett Thailand, said, “Prasert’s appointment signifies a pivotal moment for Leo Burnett Thailand. Being among Thailand’s foremost creative talents, his presence underscores our dedication to creating impactful and culturally resonant brand narratives rooted in a deep understanding of human behaviour. With Prasert on board, we’re poised to embark on a thrilling new chapter.” 

Ajay Thrivikraman, chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe Southeast Asia, also stated, “Leo Burnett Thailand, with its world-class talent, is renowned globally for its memorably great creative work that makes Thai advertising unique. We believe that Prasert has the calibre and capability to lead this agency into the future.” 

Meanwhile, commenting on his new role, Vijitpawan remarked, “Leo Burnett Thailand is one of the outstanding stars in the Leo Burnett global network, so it is a huge honour to be part of the team again. I have long admired the audacious bravery of Leo Burnett’s work, its visionary clients, and our shared belief that creativity has the power to transform human behaviour.” 

Sydney, Australia – Multinational advertising and public relations company Publicis Groupe has announced the appointment of Clare Pickens as CEO of Leo Burnett Australia.

Being picked out in a global search for Leo Burnett Australia’s next CEO, Pickens will then be taking the helm of the agency in April.

Prior to her appointment, Pickens worked in various roles at Wieden+Kennedy based in Amsterdam and London. She led brand strategy and creative quality, delivering on business objectives for brands including Uber, Nike, Mondelez, Instagram, Heineken, P&G, Netflix, Diageo, Levi’s and Booking.com.

She was also previously Global Managing Director of creative agency Red & Co. and was most recently Managing Director of HERC Amsterdam.

Speaking on her appointment, Pickens said, “I am deeply excited by the opportunity to join the Leo Burnett team in Australia. Being part of such an established group with a legacy of effective and quality creative work is a great privilege. I’m looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and helping usher in a new phase of progressive partnership and business solutions with our wide client base.”

Meanwhile, Michael Rebelo, CEO of Publicis Groupe ANZ, commented, “Clare is a leader who has worked across multiple markets and client categories, with a progressive view on creativity and what it takes to deliver innovative and effective work. Her commercial acumen has been honed leading creative agencies focused on building business through creativity. We are excited to bring such a unique international leader to Australia to lead Leo Burnett.”

Singapore – APRW, a local integrated communications agency based in Singapore, has announced its appointment as the official public relations agency for Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) 2024.

Through this appointment, APRW will be playing a pivotal role in managing media relations, elevating the profile and prestige of the event, and contributing to the global discourse on maritime excellence.

As the official PR agency for SMW, APRW is committed to promoting international relationships and advancing the maritime sector by leveraging its strategic communication skills.

Talking about the appointment, Cho Pei Lin, managing director of APRW, shared, “This marks our agency’s significant voyage into the maritime industry. Anchored in passion and propelled by expertise, the Singapore Maritime Week 2024 is set to make waves like never before.”

“Together, we will chart a course for a week filled with groundbreaking conferences with key industry leaders, strategic partnerships, meaningful networking sessions, and the celebration of the maritime spirit,” she added.

Organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), this year’s SMW will feature conferences for topics in the areas of sustainability, digitalisation, decarbonisation, and talent development in the maritime industry, solidifying Singapore’s standing as a global hub port and leading international maritime centre.

Sydney, Australia – The LEGO Group has announced its renewed marketing leadership in Australia & New Zealand, with the appointment of Justine McKenny as its new senior director, head of marketing.

In her new role, McKenny will be responsible for taking leadership of The LEGO Group’s marketing teams in Australia and New Zealand, and will be aiming to push the brand’s marketing efforts across the region. 

Prior to this role, McKenny joined the LEGO Group in 2009 as a marketing assistant, and over the past 15 years she has progressed through the marketing organisation, launching many successful campaigns and new themes, as well as managing an evolving portfolio to lead the Brand team.

In 2021, she was promoted to brand director for Australia and New Zealand, where she was the lead architect in the redesign of the LEGO portfolio differentiation strategy and market principles.

Speaking on McKenny’s appointment, Troy Taylor, vice president & general manager at LEGO Australia & New Zealand, said, “We are so pleased to promote a home-grown talent in Justine to our Head of Marketing role for Australia & New Zealand. Australia is such an important market for the LEGO Group and we felt that Justine’s passion and vision for the LEGO brand, along with her energy and ideas around people development and leadership stood out through the recruitment process.”

“Justine also has a solid track record of delivering results, and has managed and brought to life pretty much our entire theme portfolio over her journey, making her the ideal candidate to take our marketing efforts to the next level in the years ahead,” he added.

Notably, McKenny’s appointment comes after recent leadership appointments in the Asia Pacific region, with Claus Kristensen as the new senior vice president and Uma Ramanan as the new head of marketing for APAC.