Tag: Appointments

Singapore – MediaCom, the media agency by media investment company GroupM, has appointed Ashish Williams, former CEO at MediaCom South Africa, to be its new managing director for Singapore.

In his new role, Williams will be leading the Singapore business and will be building on the recent momentum, accelerating the agency’s capabilities with a focus on people, client solutions, and product development. 

Williams has a 14-year long track record at MediaCom across markets from China to South Africa and over 22 years of experience in the industry. Under his leadership in South Africa, the agency climbed to first place in the market via a methodical focus ensuring talent and technology strategies paved the way to create consumer connections by driving relevant and revolutionised digital products.

Commenting on his appointment, Williams said, “Taking over the leadership of MediaCom Singapore, which is also the home of our regional hub in one of the world’s most dynamic and fast-growing regions, is incredibly exciting. I can’t wait to lead our high-performance teams and work with our clients to deliver sustainable growth and help our people thrive.”

Meanwhile, Rupert McPetrie, CEO at MediaCom APAC, shared that Williams is a great leader, who has delivered terrific results over many years across many markets, with a track record of taking care of people and client businesses with a very clear vision. 

“I couldn’t be more pleased that this leadership appointment has come from within our global organisation. Our People First, Better Results ethos means we put people at the centre of our client relationships, and that we provide long-term growth opportunities within the network globally,” said McPetrie.

Australia – Purpose-driven integrated communications agency Think HQ has appointed Michael Knox, former executive creative director at News Corp Australia, to step into the newly created role of executive creative director, as part of the agency’s strategic evolution to significantly expand its creative capabilities.

In his new role, Knox will be working across all disciplines and teams at Think HQ to push and elevate the work, creating famous campaigns on any channel, and leading and mentoring people. He will also be working closely with clients.

During his over 25 years in the industry, Knox has worked across some of the world’s most widely recognised brands and campaigns including TAC’s Ungiven Gifts, MS Australia This Bike has MS, and Hong Kong Tourism Board Reframing Hong Kong. He is also the co-host of the popular podcast, The Imposterous, where he and Graham Drew explore the idea that the world’s most respected creative professionals suffer pangs of inadequacy that can either stifle their potential brilliance or protect them from mediocrity.

Aside from his previous role at Roller, Knox was also the CCO of Grey Australia for six years before moving to Grey Group Hong Kong for three years where as CCO he was responsible for improving the creative product and strategic reputation of Grey Group Greater China. He has also held senior creative roles at Ogilvy Melbourne and was ECD for six years.

Commenting on his appointment, Knox said, “Think HQ is an incredible business. It is uniquely positioned to create the type of work that’s needed to be effective today. Its purpose first beliefs, inclusive approach to creativity and desire to only make work that has a positive impact in culture is something I’m strongly aligned with and looking forward to being part of.”

Meanwhile, Jen Sharpe, Think HQ’s founder and managing director, commented that they are thrilled to have Knox join the Think HQ team, not only because he is one of the best in the business, but because his appointment moves us a step closer to achieving one of the boldest and most exciting goals I have for our agency.

“Our creative offering is already exceptional, and with Michael on board, we are confident that we can take that to the absolute next level and evolve the agency into very exciting territory,” said Sharpe.

Andy Lima, Think HQ’s group head of creative, production, and digital, said, “Michael brings world-class experience, aligned values, and shares our commitment to producing creative work with a conscience. I’m very much looking forward to working together as we redefine the role of creativity in delivering positive change, both with our clients and across the Think HQ group, collaborating with all our business units.”

Shanghai, China – Brand experience agency Uniplan in China has announced key leadership appointments, led by Sonny Shen, currently managing director of Uniplan Shanghai, adding responsibility as managing director of Uniplan China. In addition, Gordon Wang, currently managing director of Uniplan Beijing, has been appointed as chief growth officer of Uniplan China.

Shen will work with leaders across Beijing and Shanghai offices to lead the transformation and growth of the agency’s China business. Meanwhile, Wang will continue to manage the Beijing office’s client business and lead the agency’s new business development in China. 

Both will report to Christian Zimmermann, chairman and group CEO at Uniplan directly.

Wang said, “I am delighted to take on this new role in this phase of our China transformation. As the China market changes rapidly, the new team enables us to meet the changing requirements of our clients for cross-channel brand experiences along the entire customer journey. We’ll leverage the joint efforts from Beijing and Shanghai offices to achieve sustained growth.”

Meanwhile, Shen said, “We are a well-defined, unified creative network that brings together as many experts, capabilities, and ideas as possible in pursuit of creating exceptional brand experiences. Our clients are increasingly looking for the right strategic partners who can understand the needs of their business to help them deliver sustainable brand growth at scale. I look forward to the new challenge and working with Gordon and Robert to unlock new pathways for success.”

In addition, Robert Paschen has joined Uniplan as executive creative director of Uniplan China to reinforce the creative team and enhance creative effectiveness. He is based in Shanghai and reports to Sonny Shen.

“I’m excited to be joining Uniplan. The post-pandemic landscape in China presents greater opportunities for us to enhance our creative capabilities and create more integrated and inspiring brand experiences, delivered in the most engaging and impactful ways. I’m also looking forward to collaborating with this talented team and creating meaningful work that truly memorable moments for audiences across China,” Paschen said.

Speaking about the appointments, Zimmerman said, “I’m very grateful to have Sonny and Gordon stepping up and take on the new roles, and welcome Robert to join our family. The new structure will form a new One China Team with an even higher integrated service portfolio and a broader consulting offering to further drive innovation. We are confident that under the leadership with Sonny and Gordon, the new team will drive the next chapter of our growth and transformation journey and unlock the tremendous opportunities emerging in the fast-evolving Chinese market.”

Australia – Creative agency Paper Moose has appointed Brad Bennett, former executive strategy director at Razorfish ANZ, to step into the newly created role of head of digital strategy and experience design. 

In his new role, Bennett will be leading the growing digital team and expanding the agency’s strategic offering. He will be working alongside James Sykes, Paper Moose’s head of strategy. 

Bennett has more than 20 years of experience working in digital and strategy in New York and Sydney. He has worked with brands such as Westpac, Google, Qantas and Toyota. Outside of the agency, Bennett is also running Jiamini, a charity that provides educational resources to students in Southern Tanzania.

Commenting on his appointment, Bennett said, “Paper Moose is truly a creative-led agency with a maker ethos. And they walk the walk in terms of social and environmental performance. How rad is that? I’m so excited to be part of this team making some amazing work.” 

Meanwhile, Nick Hunter, CEO and co-founder at Paper Moose, said, “Brad’s background in production, digital, experience strategy and design makes him a thrilling addition to the herd. He’s a key part of the team we’ve been building to continue our double-digit growth and support our client partners with a truly integrated offering.”

In March 2022, Paper Moose has been appointed by Sydney-based ethical wealth management company, Australian Ethical, to be its new creative agency partner.

India – Advertising agency DDB Mudra Group has appointed Manish Darji as its new head of art for West. This appointment reinforces the agency’s commitment to craft at a time when visual storytelling is constantly evolving.

In his new role, Darji will be leading the design mandate for the agency’s west office and will be reporting to Pallavi Chakravarti, DDB Mudra’s creative head for West. He will also be exploring applications of craft in newer categories like digital, data, entertainment, and content. 

With a career spanning two decades, Darji has worked on some of India’s leading brands like Coca-Cola, NDTV, Big Bazaar, Volkswagen, and Marico, as well as Viacom 18, and Mondelez. He has also served as executive creative director and associate creative director at DDB Mudra in the year 2014 and 2010 respectively. Moreover, Darji has worked at BBH, McCann Erickson, Ogilvy, and Rediffusion Y&R, as well as Bates 141.

DDB Mudra said that its Unexpected Works philosophy lays a strong emphasis on creating clutter-breaking work that drives results, and craft plays a crucial role in this advanced approach. 

Speaking on his appointment, Darji said, “Bill Bernbach was the first to put Art and Copy on the same floor, back in the 60s, and that’s been the model for all agencies ever since. With it comes the opportunity to let craft shine as we pursue our promise of Unexpected Works. I am truly excited to be on this ride.”

Meanwhile, Chakravarti noted, “It is impossible to look at a piece Manish has worked on and not be wowed. His passion for craft and grasp of distinctive visual languages are skills sorely needed in this day and age. We’re delighted to have him on board to further the creative vision for DDB Mudra West.”

India – Independent creative company Wieden+Kennedy (W+K) has appointed Ayesha Ghosh, former CEO at Taproot Dentsu, to be its new managing director for India. She, who will be based in Mumbai, will partner with Santosh Padhi, CCO of Wieden+Kennedy India.

In her new role, Ghosh will be joining Padhi in building out an expanded leadership, talent, and client roster for W+K to create transformative work for local and global brands.

Aside from her previous role Taproot Dentsu, Ghosh was part of the leadership team for Contract Advertising for over a decade, helping build and grow the agency’s presence. Prior to Contract Advertising, she has also held permanent positions in a number of industry shops including Grey Worldwide, Trikaya Grey, and PSL McCann Erickson.

The company said that the current W+K Delhi’s managing director, Gau Narayanan, will be leaving India and W+K to return home to the United Kingdom. Narayanan will be staying on in his current role to help with the transition through August. 

Commenting on her new appointment, Ghosh said, “It’s astonishing how W+K consistently produces off-the-charts work, across the world. I hope to absorb some of that genius and with the help of a talented team in India and an ace like Paddy, create some genius of our own. With scattered attention, infinite distractions, only work that is honest and primal, will win for brands. And that’s what we mean to do.”

Meanwhile, Padhi commented that he is glad Ghosh is joining them to be part of this wonderful journey, as she is absolutely blunt and honest when it comes to work, which is extremely important these days for their business. 

“Clients too prefer to have conversations that cut to the chase. Ayesha and I have worked closely together for a good number of years at Taproot, we understand and complement each other. An organization is known by the kind of people that work for it and both of us will be focusing on putting together a crazy, talented bunch of people, across departments. And we believe that magic will follow,” he said.

Neal Arthur, global CEO at Wieden+Kennedy, said, “Ayesha’s first day is a great day for W+K. W+K India has big things ahead. Their collective creative ambition, optimism and connection to both local and global culture will no doubt usher in the next wave of transformation for the brands they work with. We are excited and grateful to have Ayesha with us.”

Singapore – Digital marketing agency Tug has appointed former head of Reprise Digital, Karen Soo, to be its new managing director for its recently opened fifth international office in Singapore.

Tug, which has offices in Sydney, London, Toronto and Berlin, is a specialist in performance media and uses a smart combination of data, media, content and technology to deliver improved return on investment for brands. The decision to launch in Singapore follows expanding remits from existing and demand from prospective clients for a new approach to digital marketing.

In her new role, Soo will be driving new business across SEA, targeting key categories including software, insurance, and finance. She will also be overseeing Tug’s current portfolio of work and building the agency’s team on the ground.

Soo is an award-winning digital business leader, and has helped clients maximise their performance marketing, across media, content, data, and tech. Aside from her previous role at Reprise Digital, Soo has also served five years as the digital director at OMD, as well as digital-focused roles at Starcom, Mindshare, and ZenithOptimedia in Singapore and China.

Commenting on her appointment, Soo said, “Marketers in the region demand measurability and accountability in their performance media spend and Tug works with leading brands around the world delivering on that. Now we will do the same in South-East Asia. I’m looking forward to building the business across the region and growing the team, presenting a real, effective and integrated alternative to what currently exists.”

Meanwhile, Nick Beck, founder and CEO at Tug, noted that they see tremendous opportunity for a performance media specialist in Asia that effectively uses data, media, content, and technology, to deliver better outcomes for marketers. 

He further shared that the industry is still in its relevant infancy here and there continues to be a large number of operators that make big promises but consistently fail to deliver. Having already built a small portfolio of clients, and following their request for the agency to create a permanent presence, they have recognised the time is right for Tug to bring their many years of global experience to Singapore and the wider SEA region.

“I’m delighted that Karen Soo has joined us to realise our ambitious growth plans. She is a highly respected and proven leader who understands the market and how to optimise Tug’s expertise to maximum effect for our partners. We want to be the best global digital agency and establishing a base in Singapore, joining our offices in Sydney, London, Toronto, and Berlin, is a key step in achieving that,” said Beck.

Most recently, Tug has been tapped by entertainment company Merlin Entertainments to manage search engine optimisation for SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and drive customer growth.

Mumbai, India – Madison Digital, the digital unit of Madison World, has welcomed back Shobhit Gaur, most recently the digital head at PHD India, to be its new vice president. He will be reporting to Vishal Chinchankar, CEO of Madison Digital and Madison Media Alpha.

Gaur has more than 14 years of experience in various facets of the digital world including ROI, business development, data science, integrated, online, mobile and performance marketing, and social media, as well as brand planning, and digital strategy and analytics. Aside from his previous stint at PHD India, Gaur has also worked at MEC, Interactive Avenues, Starcom – Mediavest Group and Omnicom.

Commenting on re-joining Madison Digital, Gaur said, “I am excited to be returning to Madison Digital and look forward to contributing to the organisation in my new role and responsibilities. Madison Digital offers me exciting challenges and opportunities as I look forward to unlocking our clients’ growth with data, technology, and talent.” 

Meanwhile, Chinchankar also commented, “We’re glad to have Shobhit back on board. Having worked with various categories, he brings a wealth of experience to Madison. I am confident that we will be able to take our work to the next level with new business and continue to delight existing clients.”

Just recently, Madison PR, the communications arm of Madison World, appointed Abhinav Krishna Srivastava, former COO at SPAG Asia and DYellowElephant, to be its new CEO. He is an expert in internal and external communications covering public relations, public affairs/advocacy, digital, advertising and integrated marketing campaigns.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Digital agency Havas Immerse in Malaysia has announced its key promotion lineup namely Liew San Ling as general manager, Khaleeq Sarfaraz as associate creative director, Jacqueline Chin as business unit director, and Alvin Pak as senior art director. Other appointments include Khoo Cai Lin as senior account manager and Nur Amirah as account manager.

In his new role, Liew will focus on client service, strategic thinking, innovation and effectiveness and commercial growth and profitability of the agency. He also has over 22 years of experience in brand and account management across various client portfolios.

Meanwhile, Sarfaraz has over 11 years of experience working across regional and local clients such as Telekom Malaysia, Celcom Xpax, KFC, Durex, Libresse and MINI, in his elevated role, Sarfaraz responsibilities lie in managing the creative and copy writing team across Havas’ client portfolio.

Aside from her other responsibilities, Chin will also lead the operations of CCube Studio within the premises of Unilever Malaysia’s headquarters – a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Havas Immerse and Unilever in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Pak’s new key responsibilities include providing marketing solutions with campaigns conceptualisation, art direction, and design for clients across the region. 

Speaking about the promotions, Andrew Lee, group managing director for Havas Immerse Malaysia said, “Exceptional talent drives our client-centric, outcome-oriented way of working. These are all well-deserved promotions who have played an important role in growing our agency in Malaysia and will continue to drive the momentum that has made our operations so successful.”

Singapore – Advertising network TBWA\Asia has welcomed back Perry Essig, most recently the executive creative director at dentsu international, to step into the newly created role of chief creative experience officer.

In his new role, Essig will be working closely with the collective’s creative leadership across Asia and Ben Williams, TBWA\Worldwide’s chief creative experience officer, who was appointed to the role in October 2021. He will be joining a team tasked with further deepening the collective’s creative vision to push the boundaries of brand experience, by leveraging the power of creativity. Essig will also be focused on strategically pushing the creative integrity of the agency’s products and guiding clients in exploring new approaches, which add ongoing value and impact.

The appointment marks a return for Essig to the TBWA\ Collective, moving to Singapore from New York, where he worked at dentsu international. Prior to this role, Essig was the global creative lead for Standard Chartered and Singapore Airlines at TBWA\Singapore. He has also helmed global accounts at TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, TBWA\Juniper Park\Toronto, and Publicis.

Commenting on his appointment, Essig said, “With the lines blurring between digital and real-life, brands have evolved in how and where they’re showing up, immersing themselves further into our lives through the experiences they are creating. That’s what makes this role so exciting. I look forward to working with TBWA’s creative force across the region and globe to create needle-moving experiences for our clients.”

Meanwhile, Sean Donovan, president of TBWA\Asia, shared that as brand experience becomes the keystone of marketing strategy, it’s imperative, as creative partners that they provide a cohesive lens with which to affect disruptive growth.

“With Perry joining the team, we will be accelerating our Collective mission to deliver impactful work in an increasingly fragmented landscape,” said Donovan.

In May this year, TBWA\Worldwide appointed Kazoo Sato, former executive creative director at TBWA\Hakuhodo, to be its new chief creative sustainability officer at TBWA\Hakuhodo and TBWA\Asia. He will be the key creator of solutions to sustainable problems through the creation of innovative and unconventional design thinking, creative campaigns, products, experiences, and communications.