Tag: Appointments

Australia – Havas Media, the media arm of the global marketing and communications group Havas, has appointed Daniel Tozer, former technology lead of activation intelligence firm Matterkind, to be its new trading director.

During his stint at Matterkind, Tozer spent five years in roles spanning campaign execution, management, technology and partnerships, product and performance, and audience, as well as programmatic and technical operations. He also used to be the digital account manager of marketing agency Hat Media in Australia.

In his new role, Tozer will be overseeing Havas Media’s programmatic and social team, bringing his broad expertise at the intersection of performance, programmatic, trading, and technology to drive growth in the evolving digital and data space.

Commenting on his appointment, Tozer said, “I look forward to working alongside the digital team as we look to drive the development and delivery of innovative, business-building programmatic and social marketing campaigns and solutions.”

Kevin Fernandes, Havas Media’s head of product for Australia, said that Tozer’s vast experience and expertise in all things related to digital media and the adtech industry makes him a very valuable addition to Havas Media. 

“Daniel will help further shape our digital and data credentials, which continue to grow from strength to strength,” said Fernandes.

In October this year, Havas Media has announced its extended partnership with energy provider Momentum Energy in Australia. The remit includes handling the brand’s conversion rate optimization (CRO), media, and data solutions, as well as analytics.

Manila, Philippines – Havas Ortega, the media and communications group of the global Havas group in the Philippines, has appointed Mel Panabi, former vice president of marketing communications at energy tech business WeGen Distributed Energy Philippines, to be the new business director of its global public relations, social and experiential agency micro-network.

Panabi has more than 25 years of experience in public relations, corporate communication, stakeholder relations, and crisis management, as well as political communications, and marketing. He has worked on accounts and brands across industries like fintech, real estate, telecommunications, and entertainment, as well as renewables. 

In his new role, Panabi will now be responsible for developing new products and services that will further strengthen Red Havas’ position in the country’s public relations and brands landscape. 

Panabi believes that PR is building a relationship across different touchpoints in the customer journey. He shared that it is not just a campaign but a conversation with brands that consumers can trust.

“I am particularly looking forward to the new direction we’re going to take – highlighting sustainability as a centerpiece communication strategy as we partner with brands. I am also excited by our plans for 2022, as we align our efforts here in the Philippines with the standards and industry-leading initiatives of the global Red Havas brand,” said Panabi.

Jos Ortega, Havas Ortega’s chairman and CEO, noted that meaningful messages aligned to authentic values are what stakeholders look for, and that the new appointment is great support in achieving this.

“Mel Panabi brings with him a wealth of experience that will help Red Havas navigate through the new role of PR and corporate communication—one that is informed by thoughtful corporate responsibility and governance,” said Ortega.

Today, Red Havas in Australia has also announced the appointment of Lawrence Muskitta to be the head of the agency’s new public affairs offering in the market. The new division spans government relations, stakeholder engagement, patient and consumer advocacy, and public behavior change campaigns, as well as policy monitoring and intelligence gathering, crisis management, and strategic partnerships.

India – Digital agency RepIndia has appointed Guru Mishra, former director of buying at creative firm Isobar, to be its new vice president of media.

Mishra brings with him over 12 years of experience from his previous multiple strategic roles. Aside from his previous work at Isobar, Mishra has also worked as the digital planning executive of media company Lintas Media Group. 

In his new role, Mishra will be bolstering RepIndia’s media planning and buying pipeline by delivering innovative solutions to clients across digital.

Commenting on his new role, Mishra said, “I am truly honored to be a part of an extremely talented team and have full confidence in our capability to provide best-in-class creative, media, and tech solutions in line with the evolving digital landscape.”

Archit Chenoy, RepIndia’s CEO, commented that Mishra’s experience leading digital strategic business units has displayed a profound understanding of the most effective ways to execute and buy by using data and technology. 

“With Guru on board, I look forward to tackling new challenges and navigating digital and linear media while scaling this thinking across central teams,” said Chenoy.

In September this year, RepIndia has announced its renewed partnership with global beauty and personal care brand Sephora in India, to be the brand’s social media agency.

Australia – UM Australia, the media arm of media marketing network Mediabrands, has appointed Mat Rawnsley, former head of strategy of independent advertising agency The Hallway, to assume the newly created role of national head of planning.

Rawnsley brings with him deep experience across communications planning and strategy. Aside from his previous role in The Hallway, Rawnsley also worked as the strategy group head of media firm OMD. He also used to be the head of media and communications planning of advertising company The Monkeys.

Commenting on his appointment, Rawnsley said that the new role represents a fantastic opportunity to invigorate the lost craft of comms planning.

“And to be able to do it in a media agency that I am convinced is consistently the smartest in Australia, and with a remarkable client list, is an irresistible combination,” added Rawnsley.

Rawnsley will start his new role on 10 January 2022, and will report directly to UM’s national chief strategy officer, Raj Gupta. 

Gupta commented, “Our commitment to the craft of planning has led to the creation of the new national head of planning role and we are really excited to have someone of Mat’s experience and expertise to fill the role.”

Sydney, Australia – Virtue, the creative agency by media company VICE, has appointed Victoria Fernandez, former account director of advertising firm BBH Singapore, to be its new business director for APAC.

In her previous role at BBH APAC, Fernandez has led brands to create award-winning work for big companies like Nike, Google, Netflix, and Disney, as well as Unilever, and Uber, among others. Aside from this, she has also worked as account executive at Ogilvy & Mather.

As the new business director of Virtue, Fernandez will be leading key APAC clients and driving new business. She will also be bringing her mentoring experience, where she led BBH’s internship program during her stint, to help develop Virtue’s young talent and ahead of the launch of a new young creators initiative next year.

Commenting on her new role, Fernandez said, “To join an agency which is able to operate from within VICE to see the cultural forces shaping society even before they become trends, is very exciting, to say the least,” said Fernandez.

Just recently, Virtue has also announced the appointment of Lesley John, former head of client services of creative technology company MediaMonks, to be its new managing director for APAC, where she will be establishing the company’s focus on the region as a key growth market.

John commented on Fernandez’s appointment, “Victoria has significant experience working with global brands that recognize the importance of playing a visible and valued role inside the culture. I’m delighted she is bringing her expertise to Virtue as we continue to grow the agency across the region.”

This November, Virtue has entered MARKETECH APAC’s Top 5 Stories for John’s appointment. 

During the interview, John shared her advice to brands when creating content for APAC audiences.

“Don’t be afraid to tap into emerging themes or subcultures if they’re relevant to the theme [or] story you want to deliver. Be authentic, reward your audience intellectually. I guess there’s always a temptation about going to the lowest common denominator, [and] that results to be very bland, inauthentic, doesn’t feel like it’s coming from a real point of view,” John said.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Global advertising agency company Publicis Groupe in Malaysia has announced two new senior appointments namely Emir Shafri as chief creative officer and Andrew Michau as chief strategy officer. Both internal promotions will take effect immediately.

Shafri will drive the company’s creative ambition, while Michau enhances the company’s integrated, and data-led approach to connected solutions. Providing their expertise to clients in the region, both appointees will report to Neil Hudspeth, CEO at Publicis Groupe Malaysia and global client leader for APAC.

Shafri first joined the agency in 2019 as an executive creative director and has since been instrumental in elevating creative products and helping some big brands win in this platform world. As the new chief creative officer, he will develop and head creative communications, bringing together brand-building ideas with a modern approach. Prior to returning to Malaysia, he was previously Y&R Singapore’s head of digital.

Speaking about his promotion, he said, “It’s been a refreshing experience working alongside and learning from some of the most talented thinkers, storytellers, artists, digital tinkerers, customer experience builders as well as data and human insights detectives over the past few years. I’m excited to write our next chapter with this amazing team by bringing together their diverse skills to help businesses solve their most pressing problems with creativity.”

Regarding his appointment, Hudspeth said, “Emir’s passion, humankind, and commitment have enriched our most important asset – our people. He is driven by his love for understanding human behaviour, asking “what if” and crafting experiences with the alchemy of technology, creativity and humanity. I am confident that as my creative partner, we will continue to grow and succeed, not only business-wise, but also in terms of expanding our capabilities in CX and innovation to support our clients’ growth acceleration and creative ambitions.”

Meanwhile, Michau’s new role means he will drive diverse thinking and functional insights across teams, thereby promoting a culture that delivers extraordinary work. As the company evolves to better integrate a broader strategy and insights team, Andrew will continue to drive and lead strategy for clients, while maintaining close relationships with them.

Speaking on his new role, he said, “I am extremely proud to be asked to lead such a talented team of strategists, analysts and transformation specialists. I look forward to accelerating our strategic growth agenda with our clients and continuing to help our teams across our enviable portfolio to deliver world classwork.”

On Michau’s new role, Hudspeth said, “Andrew’s passion for crafting well-thought-through narratives with increasingly data-fuelled intelligence is highly valued and appropriate, and I am confident that working closely with the rest of the incredible talent we have in our Strategy & Insights team, our agency proposition will go from strength to strength.”

Singapore – Integrated communications agency PRecious Communications has announced a number of key regional appointments aimed at strengthening its presence in the Southeast Asia region. The new appointments are namely Daniel Tan as associate director of PRecious Sparks, John Paul Palileo as creative director, and Georg Ackermann as content lead. 

In his role, Tan counsels a range of startup, VC and accelerator accounts around corporate communications, financial communications and integrated communications initiatives, while lending strategic support to other practices. A former journalist who has written for numerous regional publications, Tan specializes in media relations and strategic communications across APAC.

Meanwhile, Palileo is a strategic brand builder and visual storyteller with a solid background in outcome-driven design across markets. He has more than a decade of experience across various advertising and marketing agencies in Southeast Asia, and has led teams in designing creative solutions and shaping brand personas through visual content.

Ackermann, meanwhile, has worked nearly two decades with leading media organisations in Europe and Asia. Most recently, he has been a managing editor at KrASIA, covering the startup and tech ecosystem in Southeast Asia.

Prayaank Gupta, vice president for growth and innovation at PRecious Communications said, “With more brands trying to get their marketing, communications and content mix right across Southeast Asia, we’re seeing a greater need to tailor our approach and offerings and offer counsel beyond our core offerings. Our investment in hiring and developing talent enables us to not only better seize opportunities, but also provides us with more ways to delight our clients by deepening our collaborative efforts.”

PRecious Communications actively plans and executes client communications programs across Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Sydney, Australia – Customer experience agency The Works has appointed Tim Brothers, former associate creative director at digital marketing firm Digi Agency, to be its new senior creative.

Brothers brings with him over 15 years of experience across Australia and the Middle East. Aside from his previous role in Digi Agency, Brothers also worked as the senior creative at creative company Innocean Worldwide and as creative director at full-service advertising agency TBWA\Raad.

In his new role, Brothers will be leading the agency’s creative output, focusing on social and digital creative for an array of The Works key clients including Goodman Fielder, Aware Super, and Masterpet, as well as H&R Block, and Subaru.

Commenting on his appointment, Brothers said, “It’s a particularly exciting time for The Works, with their new growth, and their vision of creating game-changing media-agnostic campaigns. I look forward to producing the kind of work that really moves the needle for their clients.” 

Meanwhile, Iggy Rodriguez, The Works’ creative partner, commented that Brothers blurs the lines of what creative talent can do, which he feels is perfect for the current industry landscape. 

“I’m really looking forward to Tim helping drive innovative ways to help our clients grow their brands,” said Rodriguez.

In November this year, The Works has also announced the appointment of ex-CEO of independent CX agency MercerBell, Julie Dormand, as its newest managing partner on a contract basis, where she will be responsible for managing the agency’s operations, people, and key clients, as well as driving next year’s business plan initiatives.

Sydney, Australia – Programmatic digital advertising company PubMatic has promoted Peter Barry, former regional director for ANZ and head of audience for APAC, to be its new global vice president of addressability.

Prior to joining PubMatic in 2016, Barry has previously worked as the commercial director at independent premium digital advertising sales house AD2ONE Australia and Ireland, and the advertising manager at publication firm Reach plc.

Barry has also been involved with the trade association for online advertising IAB in Australia, becoming a member in 2016, chairing the Executive Tech Council, and becoming one of the founding members of the IAB Mentorship program.

In his new role, Barry will be relocating from Sydney to New York, providing overall leadership across multiple cross-functional teams and leading efforts with publishers in monetizing their inventory and driving better outcomes for advertisers and data partners. 

Moreover, Barry will continue to be responsible for rolling out the company’s Addressability Suite across APAC, and working with leading data and identity partners in the region.

PubMatic’s Addressability Suite includes Audience Encore, which enables data companies, publishers, and advertisers to buy and sell first-party data and utilize it to create targeted advertising offerings including campaigns with higher match rates. In addition to Audience Encore, the Addressability Suite also includes PubMatic’s identity management layer for publishers, Identity Hub.

Barry shared that addressability is a key opportunity for the industry in the coming years, and PubMatic fosters collaboration and innovation between technology, publisher, and buyer stakeholders to ensure that every entity benefits.

“PubMatic’s Addressability Suite helps future-proof our industry, keeps publishers creating diverse content, and drives advertiser ROI, while respecting user experience and choice, so I’m excited to be taking on this role,” said Barry.

Andrew Baron, PubMatic’s senior vice president for marketplace and addressability, commented, “We are thrilled to welcome Peter to the Addressability team. We’ve been building an innovative Addressability business which we plan to further accelerate under his leadership.”

PubMatic said a replacement for Barry’s previous role will be named in the new year.

In September this year, PubMatic has also announced the appointment of Vijay Anand Kunduri, former managing director of video advertising platform Unruly for Asia, to assume the role of regional vice president of OTT business for APAC, where he will be accelerating the growth of the company’s OTT and video business across the region.

Shanghai, China – Global communications firm Edelman in China has augmented its capabilities in the health and wellness space by bringing onboard two senior specialists to lead the firm’s offerings for clients operating in the healthcare, sports and lifestyle sectors. They are Laura Zhou as vice president of healthcare, and Chris Leung as senior vice president of lifestyle and sports marketing. 

Zhou brings in over 17 years of experience at China’s communications and advertising agencies, more recently with McCann WorldGroup. She has prior experience as well working with Saatchi & Saatchi, WPP Health and VMLY&R, and has been developing integrated communications solutions for healthcare companies since 2008.

“Edelman understands the factors that influence a brand’s level of trust among consumers, and [advises] clients on how to build and protect it. In the healthcare sector, trust is paramount. I’m excited to be joining this firm at such a pivotal time for the health and wellness sector, and working with our clients on growing this space in China,” she stated.

Meanwhile, Leung joins Edelman from Entourage Sports & Entertainment, where he served as Asia commercial director, and brings extensive experience from the advertising industry, having worked at BBDO, Ogilvy and Saatchi & Saatchi. In addition, during his stint as a marketing consultant to The Peninsula Group, he strengthened the hotelier’s association with motorsports – namely the Formula1 – as well as its commitment to sustainability.

“There has never been a more relevant time for brands and companies to enhance their focus on sports and wellness marketing. With Edelman’s strength in integrated solutions, I’m looking forward to partnering with the talented teams on driving this agenda for the firm’s impressive client roster,” Leung stated regarding his appointment.

Commenting on the new hires, Pully Chau, president of Greater China, commented, “We are anticipating big growth in these areas in a post-pandemic world, as people place greater importance on their health and their overall wellbeing. With these hires, we are in a strong position to lead clients in this space, with an unparalleled, industry-leading integrated offering.”