Tag: Appointments

Australia – Independent creative agency Paper Moose in Australia has appointed James Sykes, former marketing director of beverage company Nexba, to be its new head of strategy.

Sykes brings with him 15 years of experience working with communications company WPP’s European creative, design, and media agencies. He has also previously worked as the director of management consulting firm GET Strategy Consulting Australia, and the chief marketing officer for beverage company Beam Suntory APAC and Latin America. Sykes’ talent was recognized in his works with bourbon whiskey brand Jim Beam and whiskey brand Canadian club, which deems to be Australia’s staple brands.

In his new role, Sykes will be leveraging his veteran experience in both agency and client-side. He will also be bolstering the agency’s overall strategy.

Sykes shared that his bent was always spotting the ideas that make a difference and driving them home, striking a degree of risk that works for everyone.

“Moose is a decade-long example of how I always imagined agencies should be, but never quite materialized. Moose is all scrum, no silo, with production, tech build, and design under one roof. It shortens the distance between idea and reality, so it feels like coming home to a renovation I never quite finished,” said Sykes.

Meanwhile, Nick Hunter, the CEO and co-founder of Paper Moose, commented that having a strategy expert like James is incredibly exciting. 

“His wealth of experience across business strategy, comms strategy, and new product development is a thrilling complement to our creative offering and I’m very much looking forward to him sharpening all aspects of our strategy even further,” said Hunter.

Just recently, the agency has announced the appointment of its two new creative directors for the creative department, namely Jeremy Willmott and Kate Holdsworth.

Manila, Philippines – Global payment solutions company Mastercard in the Philippines has recently appointed Simon Calasanz, former executive vice president and head of consumer lending at commercial bank Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), to be its new country manager.

Calasanz brings with him nearly 20 years of experience in the banking and finance industry. Aside from his position at RCBC, he also became the president at credit card issuance industry association Credit Card Association of the Philippines, and the senior vice president and head of sales at multinational bank HSBC Group’s Retail Banking and Wealth Management department.

In his new role, Calasanz will be responsible for accelerating the acceptance and usage of digital payments, especially for smaller merchants and businesses, while also expanding on Mastercard’s ongoing digital and financial inclusion initiatives in the country. He will also be boosting the uptake of contactless card payments and strengthening the company’s proposition as a multi-rail payments technology company.

“Calasanz’s ‘digital-first’ business acumen and two-decades long career in the Philippines payments industry will support the company to double down on work with partners in different industries,” said Mastercard Philippines.

Commenting on his appointment, Calasanz said, “In my previous positions, I’ve seen first-hand the important contributions that Mastercard has made to the Philippines economy. I look forward to advancing Mastercard’s commitment to creating a digitized interoperable world and introducing new technologies that will allow the Philippines to leapfrog some of the traditional stages of digital payments and become a leader in cashless payments in the region.”

Meanwhile, Ari Sarker, the co-president of Mastercard APAC, commented that Calasanz is an invaluable addition to Mastercard’s leadership team in the Philippines, as he brings with him unrivalled experience in the country’s finance and banking sector and a wealth of knowledge and strategic insights about the intricacies of the market and consumers.

“Simon will support Mastercard in doubling down on efforts to build an inclusive and digitized economy in the Philippines, while enabling customers and partners to better prepare for economic recovery and growth,” said Sarker.

The appointment of Calasanz comes as Rowell Del Fierro, former country manager, completes a distinguished tenure with Mastercard.

Australia – Australia’s peak body for public relations and communications, Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA), has recently appointed Louise Harland-Cox, former general manager of member services at trade association Australian Meat Industry Council, to be its new chief executive officer.

The appointment came after an extensive six-month recruitment process with an outstanding pool of candidates across the country.

Harland-Cox brings with her more than 20 years of experience in membership organizations both in Australia and in the United Kingdom, across various industries including financial services, charities, and medical education, as well as agriculture. She has previously worked as the general manager of member services at post-farmgate trade association Australian Meat Industry Council, the head of member engagement and marketing at global body for professional accountants ACCA, and the manager of member services at non-profit organization for training physicians Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

In her new role, Harland-Cox will be leveraging her expertise in organizational strategy, service delivery, and the collaborative instincts required to deliver the best outcomes for PRIA’s members. She will also be responsible for bringing together industry professionals to create value creation strategies, driving growth outcomes for both the industry and the organization members. Harland-Cox will also be looking to implement a data-driven approach to communication and engagement.

Commenting on her new role, Harland-Cox said, “I’m thrilled to be leading the organization at such a pivotal time for the industry, and look forward to building upon such a rich heritage to create outstanding value for our members.”

Meanwhile, PRIA’s national president Leigh McClusky said, “I am confident that Louise’s appointment heralds a new era of member growth and member value for the PRIA.”

Sydney, Australia – In response to widening its brand experience offering to potential clients, creative agency Orchard has announced three new senior hires namely Gina Hughes as experience director, Alyson Wales as brand experience director and David Mugford as associate digital creative director.

Hughes has been in the industry for over 20 years, leading clients through human-centered design processes to create remarkable customer experiences. She has previously worked as an experience design director at Ogilvy for six years.

Meanwhile, Wales’ career began in the UK, founded in direct marketing and brand building. Since 1999, Wales has worked with some of Australia’s biggest brands and agencies, her client portfolio including The Economist, Tesco Clubcard, Roche, Telstra, among others. She was recently the strategy lead at Ogilvy, where she handled the account of American Express. 

Lastly, Mugford specializes in user interface design and experience, art direction and concept development, with a particular passion for crafting digital experiences that combine creativity and technology. He joins the team with over 10 years of experience, both locally and internationally, across major brands including Volkswagen, Uber, Target, Telstra, among others.

Speaking about the recent appointments, Tim Condrick, creative director at Orchard, said, “Orchard has always been a digital leader in Australia, always at the forefront, constantly adapting and changing to meet future challenges – bringing someone as talented and experienced as David on board continues that tradition and supercharges our ability and determination to invent better.”

Meanwhile, Mikaela Crimmins, head of experience at Orchard, commented, “Orchard has always been the home of different shaped ideas and this requires people who think about brands as not only promises but experiences too. Gina and Alyson strengthen an already diverse mix of thinkers, and bring to Orchard the right amount of experience and spirit we love.”

Australia – Independent creative agency Paper Moose in Australia has appointed two new creative directors to boost its creative department’s conceptual creative capabilities.

The new creative directors are Jeremy Willmott, former creative director at advertising agency The Hallway, and Kate Holdsworth, former senior copywriter at Paper Moose.

Willmott brings with him 15 years of experience working at some of London’s best digital and integrated agencies. He has previously worked as the creative director at The Hallway for clients such as ANZ, Google, and Dexus.

Meanwhile, Holdsworth joined Paper Moose two years ago and was a key player in helping Paper Moose transform into the full-service creative agency it is today. Her promotion comes after leading winning pitches and campaign work for clients including telco felix mobile, tea and coffee producers Bushells, and alcohol delivery service company Jimmy Brings, as well as environment protection regulator EPA, and the University of Technology Sydney. 

Furthermore, she has also worked at marketing company M&C Saatchi and creative agency Special Group Australia, where her work has been recognized at shows including Cannes and One Show.

In their new roles, both Willmott and Holdsworth will be responsible for building the creative department and pushing for effective, purposeful, and engaging work.

Paper Moose’s CEO and co-founder Nick Hunter shared that it has been an exciting decade for them of constantly evolving and reinventing how they can affect change through purpose-driven advertising. 

“I am thrilled for Jeremy and Kate to be leading the creative output at this critical junction in the company’s evolution, bringing with them a wealth of experience that reflects the creative and production hybrid approach we are finding incredibly effective for our clients and partners,” said Hunter.

Just recently, the creative agency has also announced other new hires in the creative department, namely Lucy Walker, the new creative services director,Katie McIntyre, the new art director, and Pete Saladino, the new copywriter, as well as Jason Fidel, the new junior designer, and the promotion of Georgia Shillington as the new design lead.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Both the Malaysian arm of GroupM’s outcome media specialist Xaxis and its influencer marketing solution INCA are now under the same managing director, Aravind Menon, where he will lead Xaxis‘ and INCA Malaysia’s strategy and operations.

Menon will be responsible as well in spearheading future digital development as well as client transformational initiatives and mentoring new talent. In addition, he will leverage his experience at GroupM to further advance Xaxis’ innovative programmatic solutions, including digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising and proprietary Artificial Intelligence technology.

He has previously held the position of head of supply and product development in GroupM’s Trading Team, where he led the group’s digital investment strategy across key partners and created high value supply and trading strategies for clients. He also became the secretary of the Malaysian Digital Association, a council representing Malaysian corporations including digital publishers, platforms, advertising agencies, creative agencies, and digital service providers, back in 2020.

Reflecting on his appointment, Aravind said, “I am excited to grow Xaxis and INCA’s business in Malaysia. The agencies have been producing some of the most exciting programmatic and influencer marketing solutions for years now and there is clearly phenomenal room for growth in the Malaysian market. I look forward to building and scaling the agencies to even greater heights and delivering exception value for our clients.”

He will be reporting into both Arshan Saha, CEO at Xaxis Asia-Pacific, as well as Chanchal Chakrabarty, CEO at GroupM Malaysia.

Saha commented that Menon has a track record of fostering, collaborating, and championing their integrated approach in transforming digital media into business outcomes, which is a timely opportunity for the companies he will be directing, as the industry has seen unprecedented change since last year.

“His deep expertise combined with our cutting-edge AI in programmatic and creativity will bring incredible value to our operations in Malaysia. I am thrilled to welcome him into his new role in leading Xaxis and INCA for Malaysia,” Saha stated.

Meanwhile, Chakrabarty commented, “Xaxis represents the silver bullet in AI and programmatic, and the Malaysian market is ripe with opportunity to target audiences digitally. I have great confidence that Aravind’s leadership will further elevate our team towards our global goal of making advertising work better for people. His experience in developing and delivering innovative and scalable media partnerships will help us spearhead the advertising revolution and contribute to the overall growth and success of GroupM Malaysia.”

Australia – Outdoor media agency QMS Media in Australia has promoted its current chief marketing officer Sara Lappage, to assume the newly created role of chief operating officer for ’Customer’.

The promotion aims to streamline QMS Media’s processes and communication, ensuring that agencies and advertisers continue to be best served with timely, intelligent solutions.

Lappage brings with her 26 years of experience in the media industry. Prior to joining QMS Media, she has previously worked as the director for marketing consultancy firm Verve Marketing Australia. Lappage has also worked as the group director of marketing for out-of-home advertising agency oOh!media. In her new role, Lappage will be overseeing QMS Media’s sales, strategy, and marketing functions, enabling complete alignment across the business as QMS further expands its digital offering and footprint.

Commenting on her promotion, Lappage said that she is excited to take on this broader customer focused role to help guide the team through the next evolution as a digital and data-led media business.

“As we prepare for further expansion with the launch of our revitalized and digitally focused City of Sydney asset, my goal is to ensure that our sales, marketing, and strategy offering to our clients remain squarely in focus. QMS is fortunate to have such a strong executive leadership team, and together with them and our incredibly talented teams across the country, I am excited to help drive our business forward and into the exciting future ahead of us,” said Lappage.

Meanwhile, QMS Media’s Chief Executive Officer John O’Neill, shared that QMS is truly passionate about being the best media partner for agencies and advertisers, so it makes sense to have the new role dedicated to ensuring they have the right framework, processes, communication, and delivery for the customers.

“With over 26 years of experience in media, Sara has proven that she has both the experience and knowledge of how to grow, nurture and deliver successful businesses. Sara’s passion and dedication for QMS, its people, and her understanding of what advertisers need, will ensure QMS continues to deliver solutions that drive results,” said O’Neill.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Malaysia’s independent self-regulatory body The Content Forum has elected Astro Radio’s CEO Kenny Ong to be its new chairman, which was announced during its annual general meeting.

The appointment will see Ong assuming the position for a two-year term, succeeding outgoing chairman Y.Bhg. Dato’ Khairul Anwar Salleh, the CEO of Media Prima Television Networks.

Ong is the current CEO of radio company network Astro Radio and is also the CEO of performing arts company Rocketfuel Entertainment. Prior to joining Astro, he was the managing director of Universal Music Malaysia, where he was instrumental in increasing investments and accelerating the development of local content and artists. He has also previously worked as the country head of Unilever Network Malaysia and Singapore, where he created a safe, credible, and new e-commerce network both locally and regionally.

The Content Forum is made up of various organizations representing the communications and multimedia industry. It governs content by self-regulation in line with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Content Code – a set of rules that are applied to all content in the networked medium such as radio, television, audio text, and internet content from the country, as well as electronic boards, and public transport, among others.

In his new role, Ong will be bringing over 25 years of knowledge and experience across different industries to lead the council that sets the agenda on building a strong and agile self-regulatory framework for the communications and multimedia content industry. Together with members of the council, he is charged with executing strategies to achieve the vision of the Content Forum, which includes facilitating self-regulation and establishing best practices necessary for the growth of the content industry and the protection of its consumers.

Commenting on his appointment, Ong said that he is truly humbled and thankful for the responsibility entrusted to him, and looks forward to raising the bar on the good work that has been done by the Content Forum. 

“The challenge for us now is to self-regulate and continuously update the Content Code that caters to a world of multiple complexities resulting from a new era of User Generated Content such as piracy, fake news, online scams, cyberbullying, hateful messages, e-commerce complaints, invasion of privacy and misleading information on products, services, and platforms. At the same time, it is equally important to identify and help manage the emergence of new industries and players such as OTTs, live-streaming platforms, e-sports, and the proliferation of social media influencers and KOLs,” said Ong.

Australia – Havas Media Group in Australia , the media division of global marketing and communications group Havas, has promoted Francis Coady, former general manager of Havas Sports and Entertainment, to the newly created role of chief marketing officer.

Coady is an entertainment veteran with 20 years of experience working across various industries such as music, film, partnership, and content, as well as media, and marcoms. He has previously established the Havas Sports and Entertainment division, building it into a multimillion dollar-billing operation. Coady has won large-scale clients and produced award-winning campaign work for brands such as Gillette, LG, and Virgin, as well as Red Bull, and Destination NSW, among others.

Prior to joining Havas five years ago, Coady has previously worked as a director at management consultancy firm The Coady Group, where he managed artists including Thirsty Merc and Hi-5. He has also created and spent 13 years producing the Bondi Short Film Festival.

In his new role, Coady will be responsible for all internal and external marketing and communications, and existing client and new business relations. He will also be overseeing creative content media campaigns.

Commenting on his appointment, Coady said, “Our job as marketing professionals is to entertain, engage, and educate. The last five years working at Havas Media have given me the opportunity to bring this philosophy to life, with the support of incredible leadership, a smart, empathetic team, which has fostered a culture that is always focused on doing work with meaning.” 

Meanwhile, Havas Media Group CEO Virginia Hyland shared that Coady has made an outstanding contribution to their business after building the specialist sports and entertainment division from scratch.

“The creation of the CMO position not only recognizes Francis’ exceptional track record over the past five years, but it will also enable us to leverage his broad cross-industry expertise to grow the agency and the strength of our amazing client partnerships,” said Hyland.

A formal announcement on Coady’s internal replacement will be communicated shortly.

Mumbai, India – Wondrlab, the platform-first marketing technology start-up in India, has appointed Jateen Kore, former head of digital marketing at banking firm IDFC First Bank, to be its new digital head. 

Kore brings with him over 20 years of experience in managing digital businesses across several industries including banking, financial services, and insurance, as well as telecom. He has been an entrepreneur of a B2B start-up and has previously held business roles at telco Vodafone, online marketplace Apnaloan.com, and life insurance providers ICICI Prudential Life and Tata AIG Life. 

In his new role, Kore will be setting up the digital practice and bringing forth the company’s platform-first approach to help brands win on digital. He will be based in Mumbai, India, and will report directly to Rakesh Hinduja, the co-founder and managing partner for content platform at Wondrlab.

Commenting on his appointment, Kore said that the opportunity to work with a dynamic start-up like Wondrlab is a great chance to augment his experience and contribute to the success of brands across categories.

“I completely believe in its platform-first strategy and I can contribute significantly to furthering their approach thanks to my digital-first experience. I look forward to an exciting and fruitful inning here,” added Kore.

Meanwhile, Hinduja shared that Wondrlab’s vision is to strengthen the digital ecosystem for brands, and they focus on building expertise that creates real value for them to support today’s dynamic marketing demand. 

“Jateen’s experience straddles the entire digital funnel and his key focus area is to apply a platform-first approach for our brands to win across social, performance marketing, influencer marketing, e-commerce, and martech best practices. His diverse skill-set and deep understanding of top digital-first brands like Vodafone and IDFC First Bank will help us deliver tangible creative solutions to our client partners,” said Hinduja.