Tag: Appointment

London, United Kingdom – Global media and digital marketing communications company dentsu International has announced its new chief operating officer, Nnenna Ilomechina, effective by May 2022. She will be reporting directly to Wendy Clark, global CEO at dentsu International.

Bringing over 20 years of market-leading digital and transformation experience, Ilomechina will focus on the effective execution of the business strategy and transformation programme critical to delivering integrated clients solutions across media, CXM and creative, and the long-term success of the business.

She had moved from Accenture Strategy where she has been managing director and partner, as well as head of communications for media and high tech (CMT) strategy practice for UK & Ireland, since 2016. Her career has also seen strategic leadership roles at Alix Partners and Sapient, which is now Publicis Sapient.

Speaking about her appointment, Ilomechina shared that the company is dynamic and modern organization, and have been truly impressed by the resilience, authenticity and openness of the leaders she has met.

“Wendy has set an ambitious agenda to become the most integrated agency network. I am energized by the opportunity to work together with the exceptional talent within dentsu, across media, CXM and creative to create an environment and operational infrastructure that will enable dentsu to seamlessly offer a truly integrated client experience, making our teams successful and delivering long-term value for dentsu,” she stated.

Meanwhile, Clark shared that she is delighted to welcome Nnenna to their executive team in May, thanking former CCO Neil Gissler for his outstanding contributions to both dentsu and Merkle and wishing him the very best in his retirement.

“Nnenna’s proven capability and rich experience leading transformative outcomes across digital, technology, media, and business services make her the perfect addition to our global executive team. She’s an exceptional leader with the rare combination of business savvy, operational know-how, cultural sensitivity and a deep understanding of people and their motivations. This fusion of capability is critical for dentsu as we move into the final phases of our own transformation,” she explained.

Bangkok, Thailand – Brand experience agency VMLY&R in Thailand has appointed Anuwat Nitipanont as its newest chief creative officer, effective 1 January this year. He will be reporting directly to Yupin Muntzing, chief executive officer at VMLY&R Thailand, and joins a regional team of creative leaders headed up by Valerie Madon, chief creative officer for Asia at VMLY&R.

He was most recently the chief creative officer at BBDO Bangkok, where he had a reputation for creating innovative brand experiences. He is renowned for notable works that aim to find new, simple solutions for brands, people, and society. In addition to his wide range of experience, he also served as jury at the likes of Cannes Lions, One Show, Clio, LIA and Spikes Asia, Adfest, and Ad Stars.

Speaking about his appointment, Nitipanont said, “Through what I’ve learnt across multiple disciplines, I truly believe that creativity together with technology and data, inspire and augment the power of business solutions. VMLY&R is great fit with my beliefs, being an agency that creates connected brands by harnessing creativity, technology, and culture.”

Meanwhile, Muntzing stated, “At VMLY&R Thailand, we have always prided ourselves on our creative strength. With Anuwat as Chief Creative Officer, our amazing creative team now has a leader to inspire them further, driving effective and innovative works. He perfectly complements our exciting agency model combining brand experience, customer experience and commerce.

In addition, Madon commented, “Anuwat’s winning track-record speaks for itself, but his industry contribution is even more telling. Judging at awards, mentoring young talent, and his commitment to programmes like Cannes Young Lions are all about celebrating and nurturing the future of creativity – values we hold very dear here at VMLY&R.”

Singapore – Direct-to-consumer streaming platform HBO Max has named Jason Monteiro as its newest general manager for Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Through the new role, Monteiro will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer business, leading content experience, brand, marketing, subscriber management, digital partnerships and data analytics.

He will be temporarily reporting to Johannes Larcher, head of HBO Max International, until a new managing director for the broader INSEAK region (India, Southeast Asia and Korea) is appointed.

With extensive OTT leadership experience across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, Monteiro will also oversee the existing HBO GO streaming service and the eventual launch of HBO Max in the region, building and leading a team of cross-functional executives to maximize the streamer’s success.

Prior to joining HBO Max, he was the director of AVOD at Shahid, a leading Arabic content streaming platform. Prior to Shahid, he was the general manager of Indonesia and Malaysia for iflix, and he also ran marketing as the company’s chief marketing officer. He has also held leadership roles at a number of telecommunications companies across Southeast Asia and the Middle East, as well as in Australia and New Zealand.

Speaking about his appointment, he said, “I could not be more excited to be joining this amazing organization and in particular to lead the charge for HBO Max. It’s going to be such a thrill to work with the people across WarnerMedia to bring the likes of ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Harry Potter,’ DC, Warner Bros., HBO favorites, new Max Originals and many more, to the viewers in Southeast Asia.”

Meanwhile, Larcher commented, “Jason arrives at HBO Max with a proven track record of building and growing subscription services across Asia and other important global markets. He’s a passionate leader known for building and inspiring high-performing teams, and I’m eager to see his leadership in action as he steps into his new role today.”

Bangalore, India – HiveMinds Innovative Market Solutions, the full-service digital marketing and consultancy firm by Madison World, has appointed Saurabh Tyagi, former vice president of Madison World’s media agency Madison Media, to be its new chief client officer.

Tyagi is a seasoned media professional who has over 18 years of experience across India and SEA. He has worked with brands such as Unilever, Nestle, and Titan, as well as Vodafone, among others. Tyagi also played diverse roles in Publicis and Group M, which includes media planning across offline and online, content strategy, and client servicing.

In his new role, Tyagi will be leading HiveMinds’ enterprise clients, helping to power the company’s growth in the coming years.

Commenting on his appointment, Tyagi said “I have always admired HiveMinds for their work across startups and MNCs alike. I am happy to be joining this high-energy team and look forward to delivering value to our clients.”

Meanwhile, Jyothirmayee JT, HiveMinds’ founder and CEO, believes that with Tyagi’s experience, they can now further partner with clients in thinking beyond digital marketing and work towards comprehensive marketing and growth strategy. 

“Saurabh has joined us at a time when digital transformation is at its peak in India and we’re expanding all-around – in teams, in new geographies, and in clients across industries,” said JT.

Sam Balsara, Madison World’s chairman, said, “With Saurabh’s movement, we can confidently assure our clients of delivering a holistic digital media strategy.”

Just recently, HiveMinds has announced its expansion in Delhi-NCR with a new office in Gurugram, which will be spearheaded by Mohit Grower, the head of the new north branch.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Lion & Lion, the digital marketing agency headquartered in Malaysia, has announced that it has appointed young talent from dentsu, Frederik Rasmussen, as its new client director for Malaysia. Rasmussen is a previous senior consultant at dentsu and will be responsible to augment the business development department of Lion & Lion for the new role. 

Rasmussen holds extensive experience both at the client and agency side of business engagement. Aside from his consultant role at dentsu, he’s held positions as a brand, digital, and sales leader at European emergency services Falck and as a digital account manager for Vizeum prior to joining Lion & Lion. 

At dentsu, Rasmussen’s responsibilities included leading some of the agency’s top-tier accounts like BMW and Burger King. 

For the new role at Lion & Lion, Rasmussen will be responsible for managing the agency’s biggest clients and will be leading business engagements both locally and regionally. He reports to Fredrik Gumpel, CEO of Lion & Lion. 

Rasmussen expressed his delight in joining the agency, “I am excited to take on my role here at Lion & Lion. I took a big leap of faith when I decided to leave Denmark, but in order to pursue my dreams, it felt intriguing to relocate to Malaysia and join Lion & Lion.” 

The young talent also shared, “My goal is to become an active part of two areas in particular – give our clients the best service, and grow Lion & Lion to the next level. I am certain both of these goals require support and backup from my talented colleagues, thus my first plan is to listen and understand the business I’m now settling in.” 

Meanwhile, Gumpel disclosed his thoughts on the agency’s move to sign the young dentsu talent.

“Frederik Rasmussen has joined our team during a momentous phase in our agency’s growth, one in which we are expanding our capabilities, while also building a larger network of regional clients. His digital and strategic experience for big international brands from both a client and the agency side across a broad spectrum of industries will play a crucial role in taking our product to the next level,” Gumpel said. 

Gumpel adds, “As a digital-first agency, his familiarity with new marketing platforms and trends will also enhance our core strengths of marrying data and technology with creativity to deliver impactful solutions,”

Last October, the agency in Malaysia also announced the appointment of Wai Sim Liew as the new business director for the market. The series of appointments, including Rasmussen’s, are part of the company’s development efforts for the region. 

In addition, the agency, which has a presence in Asia, specifically in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Jakarta, has also recently undergone a new brand identity and position, with a tagline ‘Made to Impact’. The agency said it aims to highlight the results it provides for clients. 

Gurugram, India – Global communications agency BCW has elevated Deepshikha Dharmaraj to the role of chief executive officer at BCW India Group, effective immediately. She will still retain her role of chief executive officer at Genesis BCW.

Through her new role, she will be managing the overall business interests of BCW in India and implementing its growth strategy encompassing people, clients and partners. She is supported by Prema Sagar, chairperson at BCW India Group, as well as the leadership teams at Genesis BCW and Six Degrees BCW, including Vandana Sandhir, who now leads Six Degrees BCW.

Speaking about her appointment, Dharmaraj said, “Under BCW India Group, we have faced the challenges of the past two years with our combined assets and come out stronger for it. BCW India Group has ambitious plans for 2022 and I am excited to work closely with both the Genesis BCW and Six Degrees BCW leadership teams to take the business to new heights.”

BCW India Group was formed when Genesis BCW and Six Degrees BCW were integrated under one business group in the market in January 2020.

Meanwhile, Matt Stafford, president at BCW Asia-Pacific, commented, “Under Deepshikha’s impressive leadership in 2021, Genesis BCW has achieved one of its best years of revenue growth in its nearly three decades of operation. Six Degrees has also recorded double digit growth this year under Rishi and Vandana. The time is right for Deepshikha to take on a wider role overseeing both of our fantastic teams in India.”

Donna Imperato, global CEO at BCW and CEO at BCW Group, said, “India is a critical market for BCW and I’m confident in Deepshikha’s ability to lead the formidable talent under BCW India Group. I am excited to see how, together with the integrated India team, Deepshikha will continue to innovate our Earned-Plus offer to deliver even greater value to our clients.”

Bangkok, Thailand – Global media and digital marketing communications company dentsu in Asia-Pacific has announced that Sanjay Bhasin, current CEO of dentsu in Vietnam and Myanmar, has now added the role of CEO for dentsu Thailand to his leadership position. He commences his new role on 1 January 2022.

Said appointment is central to dentsu Asia-Pacific’s strategy to strengthen the market clusters and bring Thailand into its next phase of growth.

Bhasin returns to Thailand, having spent nine years running Y&R Southeast Asia out of Thailand before joining dentsu in 2018. He will be splitting his time equally between Thailand and Vietnam. 

This appointment follows after the retirement of Khun Amornsak Sakpuaram, CEO at dentsu Thailand and executive chairman at dentsu MB Thailand. Having been with the dentsu network for 37 years, Khun Amornsak will assume an advisory role from 1 January 2022 until the end of Q1 2022.

Speaking about his appointment, Bhasin said, “I am excited to be returning to Thailand to lead the dentsu business. Khun Amornsak leaves the organization in an excellent position to build growth from, and I am looking forward to working with him over the coming months. Thailand is a fast-paced and dynamic market. We have a first-class team with a clear vision and market acumen to ensure we deliver the best and most integrated experiences for consumers on our client’s behalf. I can’t wait to get started.”

Meanwhile, Sakpuaram commented, “I have enjoyed every moment of my 37 years at dentsu Thailand. I never expected to still be here when I walked through the doors in 1984, but it is testament to the nature of this incredible business that I have stayed so long. We have achieved a huge amount together as a network.”

He added, “We have never stopped innovating or delivering distinctiveness to enhance capabilities in the business ecosystem, enabling the growth of our client’s brands. Given his extensive experience in the market, Sanjay is the natural choice to lead the Thailand business and I wish Sanjay, and all my colleagues at dentsu international Thailand and further afield, the very best for the future.” 

Wendy Clark, global CEO, dentsu international said, “Sanjay Bhasin is a familiar and trusted industry veteran and the right leader for our next phase of growth. Under Sanjay’s leadership, our Vietnam business has built a formidable reputation as the most successful integrated agency in the market. We are confident in the continued success of dentsu Thailand under Sanjay’s leadership. Khun Amornsak has been the driving force behind dentsu Thailand’s growth. We thank him for his years of dedication and service and wish him a long and happy retirement.”

Manila, Philippines – Samsung Electronics in the Philippines has appointed Minsu Chu as its newest president for the Philippines, where he will be heading Samsung’s local subsidiary Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation.

As the new head of the local business, Chu aims for a stronger synergy between its different business units, including mobile, visual display, and digital appliances to reflect the company’s ongoing commitment to creating new and meaningful experiences for customers.

He was recently the president of Samsung Electronics in New Zealand. Prior to it, he also served as the business director of SEPCO’s mobile business from 2014 to 2018.

Speaking about his appointment, he said that he is very pleased to return to the Philippines which he has long considered as his second home, adding that the nation has immense potential with its dynamic economy and a large and young population.

“Even with the unprecedented global crisis, the country has remained resilient and has already shown signs of strong recovery, putting economic growth back on track,” Chu stated.

He added, “We need to strengthen our capabilities and operations to be more responsive to the changing consumer sentiments and habits in order to cement our leadership in the local consumer electronics industry.”

The company had recently announced a newly merged device experience (DX) division, which comprises the visual display business, digital appliances business, health and medical equipment business, as well as mobile experience (MX) business, and networks business.

Mumbai, India – Brand and customer experience agency VMLY&R in India has appointed Rajshekar Patil as its new executive creative director. He will report to Mukund Olety, chief creative officer at VMLY&R India. 

At VMLY&R, Rajshekar will oversee the creative capabilities of the agency, assist in campaign conceptualization, and support the agency’s creative vision. As part of the leadership team, he will also champion a culture of creativity, inclusiveness, and innovation.

He was previously with Publicis Mumbai as an ECD as well, where he headed the accounts of Skoda Motors, Citi, Zee5 and Times Group. Furthermore, he has worked on TVC campaigns for Skoda Superb, Rapid and launched the Karoq alongside campaigns for Citi and Zee Cafe.

In total, Patil brings in 18 years of work experience with him as an award-winning integrated advertising professional working at the intersection of creativity and technology.

Speaking about his appointment, he said, “VMLY&R brings together a blend of creativity, technology, data and culture to create truly unique solutions for clients. Creativity here seeps into every facet of the agency and I look forward to working closely with Anil [Nair] and Mukund [Olety] to create some fantastic work.”

Meanwhile, Olety commented, “I am delighted that Rajshekar is joining us. He is a passionate, razor-sharp, creative thinker with a portfolio that speaks to his desire for genuine impact through his work. I welcome him wholeheartedly to the VMLY&R family and look forward to growing our creative reputation across the country.”

Singapore – Google Cloud, the cloud computing services suite of tech giant Google, has announced the appointment of ex-Microsoft general manager of public sector for Asia-Pacific Sherie Ng as the new country director for Google Cloud in Malaysia and Singapore. Through her role, she will be responsible for leading revenue and go-to-market strategy and operations for Google Cloud Platform and Google Workspace.

In addition, Ng will be also working with teams across Google to help customers in all industries reimagine their business through data-powered innovation.

During her previous role at Microsoft, she spearheaded business engagements and partnerships with public sector institutions – government agencies, state-owned enterprises, healthcare and education institutions.

With 25 years worth of career in her technology leadership, Ng has also served as managing director for Southeast Asia at NICE Systems and held management roles with Invensys Operations Management, Singtel, Comverse Technologies, CSG Systems and Lucent Technologies.

Speaking regarding her appointment, Ng told MARKETECH APAC, “I’m excited to join Google Cloud ahead of the new year, and continue my passion of empowering enterprises to reimagine their businesses. I look forward to working closely with our customers and partners in Singapore and Malaysia, as we strategically navigate the next digital decade and build lasting change across companies, communities, countries.”

Ng will be reporting to Ruma Balasubramanian, managing director for Southeast Asia at Google Cloud. Balasubramanian told MARKETECH APAC that Ng’s appointment coincides with Google Cloud’s continuous growth in SEA, where they have seen companies of all sizes pursuing an unprecedented level of digitization to solve their most complex challenges.

“Sherie’s rich experience and passion for serving local communities will undoubtedly help us continue to build on our strong foundation in Singapore and Malaysia, and take our industry leadership to the next level,” she stated.