Tag: Appointments

Singapore – Southeast Asia’s superapp, Grab, has announced five industry leaders who will join the team to further its advertising capabilities and strengthen the technology, product, marketing, partnership and operational capabilities of its GrabAds offerings. The executives will play a key role in growing and developing GrabAds, which connects advertisers large and small with millions of consumers across the region.

The appointees include Jennie Johnson as the new head of marketing for GrabAds, Kaia Lai as the new head of product for search and personalisation technology, and Christina Lin as the new product marketing lead for ads and personalisation technology, as well as Kareen Mendoza as the new regional financial services partnership lead at GrabAds, and Yi Ling Wong as the new head of sales operations at GrabAds.

As the new head of marketing for GrabAds, Johnson, who brings 15 years of experience in marketing and communications, will be leading brand building and demand generation to accelerate growth, while Lai, the new head of product for search and personalisation technology of Grab, will be leading company-wide efforts to build a unified search strategy and platform for Grab, deepening the superapp’s personalisation capabilities to delight end users.

Meanwhile, Lin will be responsible for driving the adoption of GrabAds’ full-funnel advertising solutions as product marketing lead for ads and personalisation technology, and will be working closely with product development to build solutions to help businesses of all sizes to harness the Grab ecosystem. 

Mendoza, the new regional financial services partnership lead, will also be driving efforts to support financial services advertisers in harnessing the power of GrabAds to create meaningful engagements with high-value audiences. And lastly, Wong, the new head of sales operations at Grab, will be responsible for driving sales operational efficiencies for the team and advertisers.

In May, Grab has announced its commitment to increasing the percentage of women in leadership roles as part of its annual Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) report. This is to ensure that the company has diverse voices in management positions and considers a variety of views in crafting and implementing policies and decisions.

“We continue to build technology that connects advertisers with the millions of consumers who use Grab to commute, eat and shop every day. I’m thrilled to welcome these leaders, who will be instrumental in furthering the GrabAds mission: helping merchants and advertisers build their brand while driving real-world sales impact using Southeast Asia’s leading superapp,” said Ken Mandel, Grab’s regional managing director and head of GrabAds and Brand Insights.

Sydney, Australia – Insights and research consultancy TRA has announced the appointment of a new head of innovation and two new directors to join its burgeoning Sydney team. 

The three new appointments include Nikki Davey as head of innovation at TRA Sydney. In her new role, Davey will lead TRA’s innovation capability, partnerships, and thought leadership while driving growth for clients. Davey was formerly the director of innovation at Kantar. 

Ngaia Calder has also been appointed as the new business director for TRA in Sydney. Prior to joining TRA Sydney, Calder was a customer insights specialist at Kmart. Meanwhile, Tara Collins is joining as the new account director at TRA Sydney. Collins previously worked as an associate director at The Behavioural Architects, and Senior Consultant at TRA New Zealand.

As senior client service roles, Calder and Collins share a remit to build relationships with clients founded on a shared value of delivering powerful work that influences change for TRA’s partners. 

The appointments shortly come after the recent opening of TRA Sydney’s office and the appointment of its Managing Partner, Terri Hall. The newly created roles will report to Terri Hall.

Hall said she is delighted about the calibre of her new team, brought onboard to support the momentum behind the business.

“Since launching earlier this year and securing two foundation clients, I have prioritised building a skilled team whose collective passion for customer-centric insights will optimise our focus to deliver the best possible client outcomes,” Hall said.

Hall explained, “At TRA we do things differently. We have a deep obsession with people and doing what we can to improve their lives. We consistently stretch our craft skills, challenge ourselves towards innovative and creative solutions to problems, and relentlessly pursue telling stories that drive change. This is what clients need from us and I know that as a team we have an exciting opportunity to make an impact in Sydney.” 

Hall further said, “Our team has fresh perspectives on how insights can bring inspiration, foresight and confidence to decision making. I believe TRA is poised to make a significant impact on Sydney’s insights market; we have the talent, the new home, and the drive to make things happen.”

In her new role, Davey shared, “I’m so looking forward to joining this incredibly talented and well-respected team and being part of an agency that has such a clear, recognised innovation mindset and fresh take on generating insights. 

“On a personal level, I am excited to get started doing what I love most, which is building strong relationships with our client partners to drive business growth at this pivotal moment in TRA’s journey,” Davey added.

The team has moved into new offices at The Commons Surry Hills, in the heart of Sydney’s creative community. Collins and Davey will be based at The Commons alongside Hall, while Calder will work between Noosa and Sydney, under TRA’s Flex policy. 

Singapore – Programmatic media partner MiQ has elevated its current CEO for ANZ, Jason Scott, to the new role of CEO for APAC, adding SEA to his leadership remit. 

In his upgraded role, Scott will be responsible for driving business growth and expansion throughout SEA. His remit includes APAC countries excluding India and China, and he will continue to serve as CEO for Australia and New Zealand.

Scott joined MiQ in 2019, following a successful career in advertising and media. He has been the general manager for Microsoft Advertising Asia, responsible for growing revenue and market share in the Asia region including greater China, India, and Japan. Scott has also held senior executive roles at Allure Media (Fairfax) and ninemsn, using his digital media and sales background to service some of the world’s largest technology clients.

Commenting on his elevation, Scott said that he is thrilled to be adding the fast-growing SEA region to his current remit, as the region’s market is dynamic and fast-paced and he is looking forward to accelerating growth by adding additional regional support. 

“MiQ has grown significantly over the past few years, with regional expansion across Australia, increased channel diversity, growth in our product portfolio and senior staff appointments. My priority now is to ensure MiQ is adequately servicing the Southeast Asian market and securing its position within the global MiQ network,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Richard Dunmall, MiQ’s global president, shared that since Scott joined them in late 2019, his performance leading their ANZ business has been nothing short of exceptional. 

“As momentum continues to build, I’m excited to see how Jason’s leadership can now be applied to our fastest-growing region. Jason is no stranger to this dynamic part of the world, holding multiple leadership positions across the region, throughout his career. I have no doubt he will continue to drive business across APAC,” he said.

Singapore – Strategic communications consultancy RICE has announced its new line of consultants in its Singapore office. These appointments follow the consultancy’s latest announcement of five new partners to its business.

The new hires are led by Hsu Lin who joins as account director. With over a decade of communications and public relations experience, she was previously the associate director at Ninemer Communications for more than 11 years, where she rose through the ranks and consulted for B2B and consumer clients across Asia Pacific.

Other hires include Gillian Pinto as a senior account manager, Magel Ordoñez and Saeful Hakim as account managers, Alexandra Koh and Sarah Sim as senior account executives, as well as Ainul Mardiyah, Nursyazwani Jamil and Deanna Nabilah as account executives.

Mayda Jutahkiti, general manager for Singapore at RICE, said, “Our new consultants are joining RICE during a time of growth. With diverse backgrounds, each of them brings valuable skills and experience. As we scale as a consultancy, we continue to hire and are looking for talent across all levels.”

RICE has recently announced new technology retainer wins with enterprise automation software company UiPath and voice AI start-up AI Rudder.

Hong Kong – Hong Kong-based telecommunications and technology services provider, HKBN Group, has appointed William Ho, former managing director at AI networking company Juniper Networks, to be the new CEO of Enterprise Solutions.

In his new role, Ho will be leading HKBN’s enterprise services arm, expanding and leveraging its system integration capabilities, and further consolidating and developing the blue ocean business growth strategy across Hong Kong and Mainland China.

With nearly 30 years of professional experience in the ICT industry, Ho brings many holistic dimensions having been a customer-side user and a service provider, covering network technology, internet, cloud, and big data, as well as e-commerce, amongst others. He is amongst the few senior executives with a broad range of experiences in technology R&D, sales and marketing, and business development. Aside from his previous role at Juniper Networks, Ho has also held senior executive positions at local and international companies, including Cohesity, ARRIS, Cisco, and Hong Kong Jockey Club, amongst others.

Commenting on his appointment, Ho said, “In a dynamic evolving business landscape, HKBN’s Talent-Obsession culture uniquely empowers our talents to embrace changes and do everything to help our enterprise customers to foster their digital transformation and gain their competitive edge rather than merely save money. I am thrilled to have my skin in the game as a co-owner and to achieve our goals together with our Elite Sports Team.”

Meanwhile, William Yeung and NiQ Lai, HKBN’s co-owners, said that Ho is putting his skin in the game by investing an amount equivalent to 2 years’ salary into their co-ownership scheme. 

“With William leading HKBN Enterprise Solutions, our goal is to bring digital solutions that go beyond connectivity services to our 110K corporate customers, fortifying our customer relationship, driving efficiency and business impact in Hong Kong and across mainland China, especially the Greater Bay Area. We welcome William to our Elite Sports Team,” they added.

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam – Omnicom Media Group (OMG) in Vietnam has announced key appointments to bolster its local core leadership team. They include Trang Tran as head of transformation, Hoang Nguyen as planning director, Uyen Nguyen Diep as strategy director, and San Nguyen as associate planning director.

These appointments are aligned with the agency’s focus on delivering top-notch strategic planning and innovation services to drive accelerated growth for clients’ businesses. In addition, they also follow a slate of new business wins for the agency such as Chanel, Sanofi, Asia Foods, along with the retention of Beiersdorf and Vinamilk.

With more than 14 years of experience, Tran was promoted from his role of business director. Prior to joining OMG, he held various EMEA regional roles at OMD and PHD, working alongside global brands from multiple sectors such as Hewlett Packard, Bethesda, and SC Johnson.

In his new role, Tran will be tasked with simplifying OMG’s operational processes to meet clients’ changing needs, helping them achieve business growth, and driving their digital transformation ambitions.

Meanwhile, Nguyen has previously held media planning roles in Wavemaker, GroupM, and Saatchi & Saatchi, serving a diverse range of clients including Masan, Nestle, Perfetti, and Samsung. His familiarity with the Vietnam market, on top of his knowledge and media planning capabilities, will see him lead an empowering team to serve clients more efficiently.

Diep was previously an associate director at Mindshare, where she has worked alongside Unilever, where she oversees the strategic planning, content, and commerce portfolio for 14 brands across fabric detergent, skin cleaning, and skincare categories. In her new role, she will be responsible for optimising planning strategy powered by the agency’s data platform, OMNI, and driving innovative marketing solutions for clients.

Lastly, San Nguyen has nine years of experience and has seen her working with prominent brands, including L’Oreal, Coca Cola, and Kimberly Clark.

All four new appointees will report directly to Julien Courant, chief operating officer at Omnicom Media Group Vietnam.

Speaking on the new appointments, Courant said, “The pandemic has accelerated the speed of change for the media industry and disrupted the industry on all fronts, especially retaining top talents in Vietnam. Despite the challenges, we remain steadfast in this endemic period, as we believe the key to this success is our commitment to investing in our people and capabilities. With the new core leadership team in place, we are positioned to drive new levels of business growth and help our clients’ transformative journey in this ever-changing digital landscape.”

Meanwhile, Tony Harradine, CEO of Omnicom Media Group APAC, shared, “As one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia, Vietnam is constantly evolving in step with its digital and e-commerce growth. With the combined capabilities of the new core leadership team, we are committed to providing clients with the best-in-market expertise and partnering with them to grow their business in this dynamic business landscape.”

Singapore – Global brand experience agency Jack Morton has appointed Phil Boyle, former vice president of marketing partnerships for Asia at Live Nation, to be its new SVP, managing director for Asia.

In his new role, Boyle will be moving to Singapore and championing innovative brand experience work for clients, including Unilever, Meta, Riot Games, and HSBC, amongst others. He will also continue to promote collaboration across IPG agencies in the market.

Aside from his recent stint at Live Nation, Boyle has also previously held a leadership role at Jack Morton in Shanghai as SVP, client services for Asia, working across multiple industries from automotive to entertainment.

Commenting on his appointment, Boyle said, “Extraordinary work that makes people think, feel, and act excites me. I’m incredibly passionate about it, so I’m looking forward to getting back into the experience game. Returning to Jack Morton feels like I’m coming home. The team and agency culture is exceptional, and I’m thrilled to once again be a part of their epic journey to reimagine what a brand experience can be.”

Meanwhile, Julian Pullan, Jack Morton’s vice chairman and president for international, shared that the marketplace in Asia has faced unprecedented challenges over the last couple of years, so helping brands navigate the landscape and find the best channels to reach their audiences is critical right now. 

“Phil is the right leader to help guide our clients and teams. He understands the nuances of all the local markets – from China to Southeast Asia – and has the breadth of expertise and the strategic vision to drive growth. Not to mention that he’s a team player who embodies our core values of passion, agility, and respect at every turn,” said Pullan.

Auckland, New Zealand – Creative agency Colenso BBDO has announced the appointment of seven new creative hires, led by Hadleigh Sinclair as the new group creative director.

Hadleigh has created award-winning campaigns for iconic brands, including Air New Zealand, Lion Nathan, MARS and FOXTEL. He was previously at dentsu Auckland where he led the creative output of the agency, including ASB’s ‘Borrow The All Blacks’ campaign.

Speaking on his appointment, he said, “In 2010, at the end of my internship at Colenso, I was told there were no jobs going. I was gutted, the place is like nowhere else, so I orchestrated a plan to get back in the building. 12 years, and four holding companies later, I’m pleased to say the plan’s worked out.”

Other appointments include Dustin de Souza, formerly from McCann London and Wunderman Thompson, joins as a senior art director; as well as Léon Bristow, who has recently returned from agency DDB C14torce in Barcelona, will partner with ex-Havas London creative Sophia Cussell.

In addition, Jian-Xin Tay joins as intermediate art director, while Hugo Smith and Stella Wilson join to bolster the design department, working with the head of design Dave Brady.

Simon Vicars, CCO at Colenso BBDO, says, “The best creative people I’ve worked with have had two consistent attributes: talent and energy. This group is brimming with both those things. I’m excited to see what we can do together.”

New Delhi, India – Digital media and digital marketing solutions company Adobe in India has appointed Anindita Das Veluri, former director at Deloitte India, to be its new head of marketing.

In this role, Veluri will be leading Adobe’s marketing strategy across the Indian market, and will be directly reporting to Duncan Egan, Adobe’s vice president of marketing for APAC.

In a career spanning over two decades, Veluri has held various leadership roles across sales and marketing. During her recent stint at Deloitte, she was responsible for building the Adobe alliance and scaling the company’s business in India. Prior to that, as the India business leader for the Adobe practice at IBM, Veluri was instrumental in expanding Adobe’s footprint across client segments. She was also involved in incubating the ‘marketing-as-a-service’ model for IBM Services and setting up the digital marketing services practice for solution selling across industries.

Commenting on her appointment, Veluri said, “In today’s digital economy, businesses understand that building customer experience is mission-critical to their growth, and Adobe is at the forefront of delivering next-generation technology to power them. I am excited to join Adobe’s exceptional team to grow the company’s strong and loyal base of customers as well as partners in India.”

Meanwhile, Egan shared that they are excited to welcome Veluri to drive Adobe’s marketing in India, as her strong track record and unique experience of having worked at the intersection of marketing, technology, business, and creativity make her a great partner for their fast-growing India business.

“Given Adobe’s clear leadership in the exploding Customer Experience Management category, we’ve led the industry by creating best-in-class marketing practices that drive business success. We see Anindita playing a critical role in sharing Adobe’s marketing journey with brands in India, and enabling their digital transformation strategies,” said Egan.

Singapore – Social media and camera company Snap has announced new hires across its verticals in Singapore to bolster in Singapore. They will build on the company’s growth momentum following Snap’s Singapore office opening in 2020 to boost its regional presence and investments. 

The new hires in Singapore are namely Saurabh Dangwal as head of global brands for APAC, where he will be responsible for Snap’s global client partnerships across the region to drive business results using Snap’s AR and commerce solutions; Dan Heffernan as head of global agency for APAC, where he will be in charge of developing strategies to grow Snap’s partnership with agencies through scaled education and commercial initiatives; Igor Lima, head of global brands for tech in APAC, where he will partner with top brands in the tech industry to drive meaningful results and digital innovation; and Kelly Chiu as product marketing manager, where she will drive product excellence for the region.

Other hires in APAC include Kanishk Khanna as director of media partnerships in APAC, where he will collaborate with top content and media organisations to drive meaningful engagement and empower them to meet their business goals. Aiding Snap’s government relations and public policy work in the region will be Amanda Ang as head of public policy for East Asia and leading their recruitment efforts in the region is Monisha Singh as recruitment lead in APAC.

Kathryn Carter, general manager for APAC at Snap, said, “The opportunities for Snap across the APAC region are tremendous. We continue to grow the team at a phenomenal rate, further increasing our capacity to deliver to brands, advertisers and partners. We’re excited to continue building the momentum in each of our APAC markets with such a talented group of individuals.”