Tag: Appointments

Mumbai, India – Infectious Advertising, India-based integrated creative agency, has appointed Nitin Sharma, former marketing director at UAE Exchange in Dubai, to be its new vice president of business.

The new appointment will see Sharma leading important businesses for the creative agency. He will work closely with Nisha Singhania, the co-founder and director of Infectious Advertising, to consolidate existing businesses and develop organic growth.

Sharma brings with him two decades of work experience in advertising and marketing. He has previously worked with companies such as creative agencies Ambience and O&M, marketing communications company DDB Mudra, and advertising agency Leo Burnett. Sharma has also handled key clients like McDonald’s, Johnnie Walker, HDFC Life, and Philips, as well as Kamasutra, among others.

Commenting on his appointment, Sharma said, “I am delighted to be a part of the Infectious family. Our purpose here is not about creating fancy ads, but exploring the unique calibrations of communication, technology, and data to shape consumer behavior and move businesses.”

Meanwhile, Singhania together with the agency’s other Co-founder Ramanuj Shastry, jointly commented, “Nitin brings with him the experience of working on big brands across markets. We look forward to having him on board as we have a shared vision for the agency. We are sure Nitin will help in taking Infectious to the next level.”

Australia – Creative agency Special Group in Australia has appointed Max McKeon, former creative director of marketing and advertising company Colenso BBDO, to be its new creative director.

Prior to his new position, McKeon has previously worked with world-class brands, such as Toyota, Nestle, and Telstra. He also worked on renowned brands including DB Export, Monteith’s, Extra, and Pedigree, as well as Spark, and Eta, where he led campaigns like ‘I’m Drinking it for you’, ‘Take a Baby Step into Parenting’, and ‘That’s Why’. McKeon was also responsible for the famous ‘It’s a Tide Ad’ Superbowl spot and was awarded with over 100 individual recognitions. 

Commenting on his appointment, McKeon said “I am incredibly excited to be joining such an ambitious and talented group of people at Special Group. Their world-class and award-winning work is truly impressive and I can’t wait to be part of it.”

Meanwhile, Julian Schreiber, the chief creative officer and partner of Special Group Australia, said, “Max is a huge global talent. He’s had a real habit of making work in the past that’s always given us that gnawing envy feeling. Not only that, but he’s also grounded and a good human. So, there’s no doubt he’ll make a huge contribution to not just the work, but our entire agency’s culture.”

Special Group has also recently hired Matt Bladin, its new art director, and Phoebe Sloane, the new creative, to join the Melbourne-based creative team.

Australia – Havas Media Group, the media division of global marketing and communications group Havas, has tapped Dan Johns, former chief operating officer of media and marketing solutions agency IPG Mediabrands, to be its managing partner.

The newly created role will help further drive the digital and data capabilities of the business and will report directly to Virginia Hyland, the CEO of Havas Media Group.

Johns brings with him 27 years of experience as a senior executive in two known media agencies, namely IPG Mediabrands and Ikon. He has also previously founded independent consultancy Ippon, which has provided strategic and operational advice to a variety of blue-chip marketing businesses including advertisers, agencies, and media owners. Johns specializes in digital and data businesses, including audience buying, digital experience, and social marketing agencies. He will be joining Havas Media Group at an exciting time as the network accelerates its investment into data-driven, performance, and e-commerce capabilities.

Commenting on his appointment, Johns said, “The last three years working as an independent consultant to some of Australia’s most successful brands have been both a liberating and eye-opening experience. I am really looking forward to putting into practice all that I have learned to help Havas Media Group fast track its ambitions.”

Meanwhile, Hyland said that Johns is one of the most respected senior media operators within the industry, and believes that he will bring enormous digital, data, and technology capabilities to marketers who continue to focus on driving growth for their brands. 

“We are incredibly excited and proud to have someone of Dan’s caliber join our rapidly growing group as we continue to innovate and evolve. Dan’s wealth of experience will undoubtedly benefit our team and our clients, helping to elevate our thinking and capability in the ever-changing dynamic media landscape,” added Hyland.

Singapore – Mediabrands, the media and marketing solutions division of Interpublic Group (IPG), has announced a new chief marketing and communications officer for APAC, Naomi Michael. Michael comes from her previous title as head of marketing and communications for the agency in the region. 

The newly created role will be based in Mediabrands’ APAC RHQ in Singapore and will report directly to Leigh Terry, the CEO of Mediabrands APAC.

In her new position, Michael will now be responsible for providing strategic consulting and communications planning across the key network business pillars of media responsibility, DE&I, and sustainability and purpose. Michael will also continue to promote the differentiated positioning of the Mediabrands agencies reinforced by a centralized network value structure.

Michael commented, “I look forward to taking a more strategic operations focus, working closely with our executive team on integrated communications strategies that promote awareness and understanding of the Mediabrands network purpose, values, and approach to supporting its people, its clients, and the communities in which it operates.”

In bolstering its APAC senior leadership team, the agency has also announced the elevation of HR Director Zarka Khan-Iltaf to become the new chief talent officer for the APAC region.

“These two leadership positions will continue to work in close partnership with myself to build out our CSR and DEI pillars with clear and measurable regional goals, as we work towards achieving defined sustainable business practices for our people, and our organization,” commented Terry.

Australia – Allied Global Marketing, America-based global full-service integrated marketing agency, has opened a new office in Sydney, Australia, to support its existing operations and expand its business in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.

The Sydney opening emphasizes the importance of APAC to the agency’s global clients, and it will facilitate the development of new business in the market. With Allied Global Marketing now executing campaigns across six continents for many of the world’s major media companies, the new office will also provide the agency’s existing and future global clients with support across all time zones.

Following this endeavor, the agency has also appointed industry veteran Jamie Crick as its new managing director for the APAC team. Crick has previously worked as the head of distribution and analysis at the creative agency Emotive, where he created and delivered innovative and award-winning campaigns for brands such as telecom giant Optus, meal-kit provider HelloFresh, and Amazon’s online audiobook and podcast platform Audible, as well as Google, among others. He will report directly to Adam Cunningham, the chief global strategist of Allied Global Marketing.

Commenting on his appointment, Crick said that he is very excited to help brands in the region take full advantage of Allied’s uniquely focused smarts in achieving measurable business returns.

”The opportunity to partner with clients in verticals I’m so passionate about – and to drive genuine performance across the spectrum of their paid, owned, and earned activity, both strategically, creatively, and via media – is what jumped out to me about Allied,” said Crick.

Meanwhile, Cunningham shared that they are thrilled to welcome Crick to the team as he will be integral in leading the agency’s efforts in the APAC market, saying that Crick will bring strong leadership, a proven track record, and deep relationships, which will prove invaluable as they expand the business in the region. 

“Having him on the ground will provide existing clients with additional local resources and expertise while providing the agency with the opportunity to seek new business and partnerships,” added Cunningham.

Texas, United States – Indeed, the global employment portal, has appointed Jessica Jensen, to be its new chief marketing officer.

The new appointment will see Jensen leading the company’s global marketing programs and marketing functions, which include brand and performance marketing, regional and field marketing, and communications. She will directly report to Chris Hyams, the CEO of Indeed.

Jensen brings with her extensive experience in brand innovation and integrated marketing strategies. Prior to her new position, Jensen was previously part of Booking.com, working as the senior vice president of marketing for KAYAK, and the chief marketing officer of OpenTable. She also worked with Facebook as the head of products, platforms, and insights for business marketing; leading the marketing strategy and communication of the social media platform’s business arms, namely, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

Commenting on her appointment, Jensen said that she is honored to join the company at a time when people need inspiration and hope to find a new opportunity,

“My vision is that Indeed is known more broadly and deeply for the incredible service we provide to job seekers and hiring managers alike, and Indeed is the best place for businesses and employees to connect and thrive,” added Jensen.

Meanwhile, Hyams believes that Jensen will be able to bring a new perspective to Indeed, carrying huge respect for everything the company has built.

“Our mission of helping people get jobs is central to everything we do. Jessica is passionate about this mission and will be a vital part of our leadership team. We are thrilled to have her join us as we continue to grow and help even more people around the world,” said Hyams.

Shanghai, China – UM, the media agency arm of media marketing network Mediabrands, has appointed Lawrence Wan, former managing director, team intel, and head of integrated solutions and growth at Dentsu International China, to be its new chief executive officer (CEO) for China.

The new appointment will see Wan leading the China team to drive digital transformation and growth, and to provide clients with best-in-class offerings across data, strategy and analytics, performance, and planning, as well as to help them navigate the evolving media ecosystem, and future-proof their business. Starting April 2021, Wan will report directly to Chris Chen, the CEO of Mediabrands China, and Kasper Aakerlund, the regional president of UM APAC.

Wan brings with him 20 years of experience in marketing and digital media across the greater China region, working with companies such as dentsu, media investment company GroupM, and media network Omnicom Media Group. He specializes in productizing, operationalizing, and evangelizing, as well as integrating new digital media innovations into global brands’ marketing strategies. He has been exploring digital transformation from the internet boom to ad tech to data-driven AI. 

Commenting on the new appointment, Aakerlund said, “I am very excited to welcome Lawrence to UM China. Lawrence has the qualities that matter to our clients – entrepreneurial spirit, focus on growth, and passion for driving digital transformation. I have no doubt that Lawrence will make great strides for UM China and I look forward to working with him to future-proof our clients’ business.”

Meanwhile, Chen said that as digital transforms the business landscape and the pandemic accelerates that transformation, UM believes the future is now, and embracing change is the only way to drive growth. 

“As a digital transformation pioneer with a growth mindset, I believe Lawrence is a great fit with UM’s Futureproof philosophy and he is the ‘future’ talent we are looking for to lead the UM China business to new heights,” added Chen.

Singapore – The Singapore arm of public relations firm Sandpiper Communications welcomes Rasheed Abu Bakar as its new associate director, bringing a multitude of client experience from technology, energy, and aviation industries.

Through his new role, Rasheed will lead Southeast Asia and international briefs for the firm’s expanding technology, energy and environment, and aviation practices, and is tasked as well in growing these practices.

Prior to the role, he has worked with management consulting APCO Worldwide as its director, where he led international corporate communications and public affairs briefs for clients of the firm’s Singapore and Indonesia offices. In addition, he has also worked with public relations company The Hoffman Agency as account director where he also led growth for the business across both Singapore and Indonesia, which included establishing Hoffman’s office in the latter.

Speaking about his appointment, he said, “I was drawn to Sandpiper’s entrepreneurial spirt and inclusive and empowering culture and I look forward to contributing to our team’s success. The pandemic has created both opportunities and challenges for the sectors where I specialize, and it is exciting to see the communications needs of technology companies maturing as digitalization has accelerated significantly.”

“I take great pride in building innovative and impactful teams and count Sir Alex Ferguson as an inspiration. I hope to help lead our talented team towards our common goals of delivering pioneering work for clients, fostering a great culture, and growing our agency,” Abu Bakar added.

He will be working closely with Sarada Chellam, general manager for Singapore at Sandpiper Communications.

“Rasheed has an impressive track record of delivering strategic and high-impact client work, and driving business growth across the industries where he specialises. He also brings a sense of fun to his work, which is one of Sandpiper’s core values. I look forward to having Rasheed as a colleague and working with him to grow our business together,” Chellam stated.

According to Emma Smith, chief executive at Sandpiper Communications, Rasheed’s appointment is timely, as there has been a trend specifically among technology companies to seek after corporate communications to grow and protect their reputation capital.

“Rasheed brings very relevant experience for the times we face, and I am delighted to welcome Rasheed to our team,” Smith added.

Hong Kong – Ad-Lib.io, a global creative management platform, has announced that it will be expanding its presence to Hong Kong, and has also added two new members to its regional team as the company expands its focus on the Greater China region to enable further global growth.

Randal Foo takes the helm as RVP of Sales in APAC and Rishima Mohindru as the platform’s client partner for Hong Kong and Greater China.

Foo joins Ad-Lib.io from his previous sales positions at enterprise tag management Tealium and customer engagement company Cheetah Digital, where he served as regional sales and head of sales respectively. He brings to the company nearly 15 years of sales and digital marketing experience in the Asia Pacific region. 

Ad-Lib.io-Hong-Kong-Expansion-Appointment-New-Hires
(Left) Randal Foo, RVP of Sales in APAC; (Right) Rishima Mohindru, client partner for Hong Kong and Greater China.

Meanwhile, Mohindru comes from media company Omnicom Media Group, where she served as lead of APAC recently. She brings to the company her experience in helping brands expand their digital footprint while growing their online business through her deep understanding of the industry spanning from execution to strategy.

Both new hires will report to Rupert Privett, head of APAC at Ad-Lib.io.

“APAC advertisers face huge challenges delivering effective creative for their campaigns due to limited resources to produce and adapt relevant creative across multiple formats, channels, audiences, cultures, and markets,” Privett said.

He added, “To have the most impact, APAC advertisers need tools to simplify their production and targeting processes and we are proud to be uniquely positioned to help them achieve their goals.”