Tag: Appointments

Sydney, Australia – Digital media consultancy MightyHive and digital production company MediaMonks sees a new appointment for vice president and head of growth for ANZ as its mother company S4 Capital unveils Tom Braybrook to lead both roles.

Braybrook has previously worked with tech giant Google as head of agencies and partners in New Zealand, as well as with computer software company Adobe, where he served various roles such as APAC strategy and solutions lead and regional product manager for Adobe Analytics Cloud.

Speaking about his appointment he said, “As enterprises march forward with their digital transformation efforts, it’s no secret that the role of today’s marketer continues to broaden – whether it is making smarter use of data, rearchitecting the customer experience or finding new ways to tell brand stories in a digital world. 

He added, “In the midst of this evolution, MightyHive and MediaMonks represent an exciting new breed of marketing services partner who are not only enabling businesses to understand and adopt these technologies but are also supporting their transformation efforts in a much more agile and flexible way.”

Meanwhile, Kenny Griffiths, managing director for Asia Pacific at MightyHive, commented, “Tom’s extensive 15 years’ experience in digital marketing aligns perfectly to not only where we’re at as a business, but where we’re going. His experience from the Agency world, Adobe & most recently Google is unique as it hones in on our holy trinity – data, digital media and content- approach and will be critical in evolving how we go to market across the two countries.”

Australia – Havas Media Group, the media division of global marketing and communications group Havas, has promoted Nick Kavanagh, former head of integrated communications strategy, to the newly created role of head of integrated strategy and planning.

Kavanagh is a veteran communications strategist with experience working in both media and advertising agencies. Prior to joining Havas, he previously worked as the head of communications strategy for marketing services company McCann London, helping to develop both the agency product and overseeing strategy on clients including state agency Destination NSW and department store company TK Maxx.

Commenting on his appointment, Kavanagh said that the expansion of his role from head of strategy, coupled with the agency’s recent hires, will ensure Havas Media’s goal to continue delivering meaningful media experiences – experiences that are both “innovative and data-driven” – that deliver tangible commercial returns.

“As a leadership team, we are committed to building an agency designed wholly around generating growth for our clients. This obviously requires agility and deep understanding of their specific needs and challenges, but also a more integrated approach to how we deploy our collective agency expertise to meet them,” added Kavanagh.

Meanwhile, Virginia Hyland, the CEO of Havas Media Group, commented, “We are thrilled to be promoting from within again, and Nick is very deserving of this exciting new role. As head of integrated strategy and planning, Nick will continue to develop Havas Media’s strategic output to deliver joined-up thinking across the consumer pathway touchpoints. He will oversee the delivery of that strategic vision in a way that unites all facets of our integrated agency offering; from CRO, shopper marketing, performance digital, brand work, and smart content delivery.”

Havas Media Group has also announced the recent appointments of Alex Wollacott, the new performance director, and Dan Johns, the new managing partner.

Australia – Media company Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) in Australia has appointed Blair Woodcock, former assistant content director for Triple M Brisbane and group content director for Triple M Southern Queensland, to be its new head of regional content, effective 10 May.

Woodcock brings with him over 20 years of experience in the radio industry. He first joined SCA in 2008 as a breakfast announcer in Gladstone, and thereafter, became the content director for regional Queensland. Most recently, Woodcock was the assistant content director for Triple M Brisbane since 2020, as well as the group content director for Triple M Southern Queensland. In his new role, he will be leading SCA’s regional content initiatives, including its 79 regional Hit and Triple M stations around the country.

Commenting on his appointment, Woodcock said, “It’s truly exciting to get to work with a great bunch of people who love making content that connects to their local markets each and every day. Also, having worked in those markets, and alongside them in the past, it is a great honour to be leading our regional content teams. I can’t wait to dive right into this role.”

Meanwhile, Dave Cameron, the chief content officer of Southern Cross Austereo, said, “Blair has been a superstar at SCA since joining the organisation in 2008. He lives and breathes regional content and the passion he has for our regional business is unparalleled. I am confident that this appointment will help bring our mantra of Proudly National, Fiercely Local to life right across our regional footprint.”

SCA deems to be one of the leading media companies in the country. Under the Triple M and Hit network brands, SCA owns 99 stations across FM, AM, and DAB+ radio.

Singapore – Twitter has recently announced the promotion of Yu Sasamoto, former country general manager for Japan and South Korea, to now assume as vice president for the unified region of Twitter Japan, South Korea, and Asia Pacific (JAPAC).

Yu’s appointment comes after the elevation of Maya Hari, former vice president and managing director of Twitter APAC, who now takes the helm as vice president of global strategy and operations.

Prior to joining Twitter, Sasamoto has held senior executive roles for various companies, including cable channel MTV Japan, technology company Microsoft Greater Asia Pacific, and restaurant search engine and review site ASKU. In his new role, Sasamoto will be responsible for Twitter’s advertising business across the JAPAC region, including Australia, Greater China, Japan, India, and New Zealand, as well as the whole Southeast Asia, and South Korea. 

Sasamoto will move to Twitter’s Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore for the expanded regional role, and will continue to serve as the general manager of Twitter Japan, as well as the head of Twitter Client Solutions in Japan until the platform finds his successor.

Meanwhile, Hari brings with her over 15 years of experience in the digital media, mobile, and e-commerce industries across the US and APAC. She has previously worked for brands such as Samsung, Google, and Microsoft, as well as Cisco. In her new role, Hari will be responsible for leading a global team focused on customers and revenue product strategy, operations, innovation, and automation to enable commercial and content partnerships efforts around the world. 

Hari will continue to be based in Singapore and her global appointment aligns with the company’s overall belief that having more leaders and employees living and working in places that are representative of all perspectives and cultures will help Twitter be a better service and company.

Commenting on his promotion, Sasamoto said that he is thrilled and honored to be tasked with leading the powerhouse that is the new unified JAPAC region for Twitter, and working closely with world-class talents across the region. 

“Not only does Asia boast a rich, diverse culture and society, it also breathes innovation and vibrancy – and being at Twitter means we get to be on the pulse of everything that’s happening. I’m looking forward to bringing more people, communities, brands, and partners to Twitter as we build on the incredible business momentum from Maya’s leadership across the region,” said Sasamoto.

Meanwhile, Hari shared that they are delighted that Sasamoto will be stepping into the expanded role, as it is a testament to everything he has achieved at Twitter to date, leading Japan to become among the largest revenue markets globally. 

“In my new role, I am excited to work with him and our other international leaders to grow our businesses around the world and find new opportunities for Twitter to serve the global public conversation,” said Hari.

Mumbai, India – Global financial superapp Revolut has appointed Paroma Chatterjee, former chief business officer of online financing company Lendingkart, to be its new CEO for the India team, as it expands its market presence in the country this year.

Chatterjee is a renowned leader in the fintech and consumer tech industry. She has held senior executive roles for various companies including travel agency Via.com, e-commerce company Flipkart, and telecommunications enterprise Airtel Money. In her new role, Chatterjee will be responsible for building and leading Revolut’s subsidiary in India. She will also be defining and implementing the fintech’s business strategy, as well as hiring a team and managing license applications and any potential acquisitions in the market.

According to Revolut, the fintech is making a multi-million-pound investment in India over the next five years and has committed to the creation of around 300 new jobs in the country to serve its global business operations. Furthermore, it has also recruited heads of operations and legal for the country and is leveraging India’s strong talent pool to recruit across multiple functions such as human resources, finance, growth, marketing, recruitment, and compliance, as well as risk, and technology.

Commenting on her appointment, Chatterjee said, “It is an honor and a privilege to be asked to lead the business for such a world-class company, in a country that presents one of the largest opportunities globally for Revolut. I look forward to building an exceptionally talented team and working with them, as we continue to develop superlative financial solutions for millions of consumers in India.”

Meanwhile, Nik Storonsky, the CEO and founder of Revolut, commented that Paroma is an excellent fit for the role and her appointment is a major achievement in Revolut’s continued mission to become the world’s first truly global financial super app. 

“We’re looking forward to transforming the way people in India access and manage their money as we bring our products and services to more people around the world. India is a core market in our expansion strategy with a huge supply of talent, and we’re excited to tap into that talent pool to help Revolut go from strength to strength,” said Storonsky.

Australia – Basketball Australia (BA) has recently appointed Jo Juler, former head of marketing of Tennis Australia, to be its new executive general manager for marketing, communications, and digital.

Juler brings with her more than 20 years of experience in the marketing industry. She also has a wealth of executive-level experience at high-profile international and domestic sporting bodies, including Tennis Australia, Melbourne and Olympic Parks, and Melbourne Football Club. In her new role, Juler will be leading the governing body’s marketing, communications, and digital team, working with internal and external stakeholders to drive BA’s growth agenda as identified in the organization’s new four-year strategic plan.

According to Carolyn Campbell, the interim CEO of Basketball Australia, they are delighted to welcome Juler to the organization, as her appointment is truly important for Basketball Australia.

Campbell believes that Juler will bring an enormous amount of industry experience to Basketball Australia, where she has a strong record of delivering outstanding results and joins the organization at an exciting time for the sport.

“As a sport and as an organization, we have a huge amount of untapped potential which is reflected in our new strategic plan, and we are thrilled to have Jo on board to support the implementation and delivery of this strategy,” said Campbell.

Mumbai, India – Independent media agency Madison Media in India has promoted Vishal Chinchankar, former chief digital officer, as its new chief executive officer for its digital agency Madison Digital and Madison Media Ultra. 

Chinchankar brings with him over 22 years of experience in domestic and international markets, specializing in marketing services and business development which involves both start-up and growth organizations. He has been instrumental in shaping Madison Media’s digital agency Madison Digital since his appointment in 2017. Under his leadership, the digital agency has grown 10 times in terms of billing in the last 3 years, to become a 150-employee strong outfit with capabilities in branding, performance, and creative solutions.

In his new role, Chinchankar will be responsible for driving a few integrated mandates under Madison Media Ultra, the unit that handles consumer goods company Marico, and home appliance brand Atomberg, among others. He will also continue to be a part of the agency’s Exco and strengthen the agency’s value proposition under his leadership.t IDMA Digital Awards 2019, in addition to winning over 100 awards since January 2019. 

Commenting on his promotion, Chinchankar said, “I am absolutely excited about this opportunity. Clearly, the work done at Madison Digital has been exceptional and completely on the back of an extremely talented team. We’re determined to work towards making Madison Digital bigger and better than it already is while keeping clients and the Madison values at the core of our work.”

Meanwhile, Vikram Sakhuja, the partner and group CEO of Madison Media and OOH, commented that Chinchankar has been an exceptional leader with a clear vision and relentless passion, and he has put Madison Digital right on top over the past three years. 

“In addition to strong domain expertise, he has also been highly successful in building the business. As a natural evolution it is only fitting that in addition to leading the Agency’s overall Digital agenda, he also runs the whole Media business of Madison Ultra. I wish Vishal all the best, in building a world-class practice for Madison,” added Sakhuja.

Australia – Global Out-of-Home media company JCDecaux in Australia has announced the promotion of Oliver Newton, former general manager of sales, to chief sales officer. 

Newton brings with him 15 years of experience in the sales industry. He has previously worked as the business development manager for JCDecaux UK in 2016, and thereafter, worked as the general manager of sales for JCDEcaux Australia in 2010. In his new role, Newton will be leading the JCDecaux agency and direct sales teams across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, as well as Adelaide, and Perth. He will also be driving deeper engagement with media agencies and advertising partners in an increasingly progressive Out-of-Home marketplace. 

Furthermore, Newton will be responsible for recognizing the breadth of customers that partner with JCDecaux. He will grow advertiser and direct advertiser relationships, as well as taking overall responsibility for the JCDecaux Nurture, a program that aims to provide support for Australian start-ups.

Commenting on his promotion, Newton said, “I am incredibly honored to take on the role of chief sales officer, ensuring that we deliver exceptional client service and have customer success at the heart of everything we do. We have a fantastic sales team across Australia at JCDecaux and I look forward to leading them to greater success.”

Meanwhile, Max Eburne, the chief commercial officer of JCDecaux, said, “Olly is a passionate and dedicated sales leader with a rare talent for identifying exactly what advertisers and agencies want. He has a proven capability in building strong, progressive, and service-oriented sales teams that will continue JCDecaux’s success in realizing the amazing opportunities that lie ahead of us.”

The company said that the promotion is part of a suite of initiatives to ensure that customer success is at the heart of JCDecaux, strengthening areas of the business to deliver ‘unrivaled’ customer experience and drive positive business outcomes for brands.

Sydney, Australia – Publicis Media’s ROI agency Zenith in Australia has promoted Jonny Cordony, former general manager, to the new role of managing director at Zenith Sydney. 

The appointment will see Cordony leading the brand’s vision for the Sydney office, developing high-performing teams, and driving strategic partnerships and growth outcomes for clients.

Prior to his new role, Cordony has previously worked as the national communications planning director for Zenith, and thereafter, became the Sydney general manager of the agency for almost three years. Before joining Zenith, Cordony has held group business director roles at various agencies, including media agency Bohemia Group and dentsu in Hong Kong.

Commenting on his promotion, Cordony said, “I am truly humbled by the opportunity to continue my progression in such a dynamic industry and business. From starting out as an account coordinator all those years ago to taking on such a hugely fulfilling, challenging and exciting role, I’d like to thank our amazing talent, clients, and strategic partners for all their support and trust. I am proud of our continued momentum at Zenith and I look forward to continually challenging ourselves as a business in 2021.”

Meanwhile, Nickie Scriven, the CEO of Zenith Australia, shared, “I am so thrilled to announce Jonny’s promotion to the newly-created role of Managing Director, Sydney. The expansion of his remit is a testament to his strong leadership of our Sydney office, people, clients, and new business pitches. Jonny is a key member of Zenith’s Executive Leadership Team in Australia and I look forward to his ongoing contributions to the agency in this next stage of his career.”

Australia – DDB Group’s interactive agency Tribal Australia has recently appointed Colin Jowell, former director of innovation agency KPMG UDKU in Australia, to be its first-ever chief strategy officer, to strengthen the agency’s strategic capabilities and credentials. 

Jowell brings with him over 20 years of experience in the industry. He has previously worked in management consulting firm KPMG in 2018 following its acquisition of UDKU, an innovation agency he co-founded in 2013. UDKU is one of the early pioneers of brand-led customer experience design, notably launching Airtasker in its first major campaign, 

Jowell has also led the strategy department at media company M&C Saatchi for several years in South Africa, Malaysia, and Australia. He has also worked with blue-chip clients, such as health insurance agency Medibank, financial services companies AMP and Commonwealth Bank, and The Star and David Jones on CX innovation projects

Commenting on his appointment, Jowell said, “I’ve been a long-time admirer of the DDB group – their work, their talented people, and most importantly, their culture. Tribal has been behind some of the best recent examples of brands that not only deliver their promise through customer experience but deliver exceptional commercial results for their clients. To join an agency as they are expanding their already impressive track record of growth, creativity and impact are incredibly exciting.” 

Meanwhile, David Rennie, the managing director of Tribal Australia, also shared, “Tribal has gone through enormous change over the last couple of years. We’re focused on creativity, and we have some stellar work to show for it. Now, as we get closer to our partners and solve further upstream, we are adding serious credentials to our strategic offering. Colin brings a wealth of brand and experience knowledge, and will be the key to unlocking Total Experience in Australia and the Asia Pacific.”

The agency has also announced that it has turned its attention to rolling out a new global delivery model this year, known as Total Experience, which is made up of five expert practices that can stand apart or snap together, including customer experience, spark innovation, and technical engineering, as well as create, and business consultancy.