Tag: CEO

Hong Kong – Canon Hong Kong Company Limited has announced the immediate appointment of Gary Lee as its new chief executive officer, ushering in a new chapter of leadership for the company.

Lee brings more than 30 years of expertise in accounting and finance, having joined Canon Hong Kong in 1997. Throughout his tenure, he has held several senior management roles across diverse business units and regions, establishing a strong foundation of leadership and strategic insight.

In his new role, Lee will lead Canon’s business operations across Hong Kong, Macau, and the Greater Bay Area, driving strategic growth and innovation in these key markets.

Lee holds a Business Administration degree from Hong Kong Baptist University (1992) and an Executive MBA from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2012). Renowned for his forward-thinking approach, he advocates for leveraging advanced technologies to drive operational efficiency and digital transformation.

In 2011, Lee was promoted to senior director of managing finance, IT, supply chain, and legal across Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Mongolia. From 2017 to 2024, he served as vice president and CFO of Canon India, overseeing finance, legal, corporate communication, government relations, and procurement. With his global perspective and strategic insight, Lee is poised to drive Canon’s growth and competitiveness in a fast-evolving industry.

“Canon Hong Kong has had a deep bonding with Hong Kong people for over 50 years. Leveraging the city’s unique geographical advantage as a gateway to Macau and the Greater Bay Area, we have achieved remarkable growth in both local and cross-border business with the immense support of our customers and business partners,” Lee shared. 

He added, “I look forward to striving for new heights with the talented team. We will continue to drive digital transformation for our customers through innovative imaging technologies and intelligent business solutions. At the same time, we remain committed to our corporate philosophy of “Kyosei” to create greater value for society and move towards a sustainable future with other stakeholders.”

Hong Kong – Global communications agency Burson has announced the appointment of Simeon Mellalieu as its new CEO for Hong Kong, effective October 2, 2024. 

Mellalieu brings 25 years of experience advising multinational companies on national, regional, and global communication strategies designed to build brands and safeguard reputations.

Throughout his career, Mellalieu has managed an extensive portfolio of clients across diverse sectors, including fast fashion, semiconductors, automotive, gaming, travel and leisure, enterprise and consumer technology, food and beverage, and banking and payments. He is also a dedicated supporter of academic and trade organisations throughout Hong Kong and the broader APAC region. 

Notably, Mellalieu served as a board member and Chairman of PR Hong Kong (formerly the Council of PR Firms of Hong Kong) from 2010 to 2013. Before joining Burson, he was a partner for client development at Ketchum Asia-Pacific and managing director of Ketchum Hong Kong.

HS Chung, CEO for North APAC at Burson, said, “We are delighted to welcome Simeon to our APAC leadership team. Hong Kong remains a critical regional hub for Asian companies seeking to build their reputation on the global stage. Simeon’s extensive experience will help us further bolster our ‘Asia Going Global’ offer in Hong Kong, helping clients navigate pivotal market changes and seize opportunities, both in the region and abroad.”

Mellalieu began his communications career in the UK and has spent over two decades in Hong Kong. Before joining Ketchum, he worked at Bulletin International in London and Warman & Bannister in Cambridge.

Speaking about his appointment, Mellalieu shared, “This is an incredibly exciting and important moment in time to be joining Burson. We have a large and extremely talented team in Hong Kong supported by a powerful global network. I’m looking forward to working alongside my new colleagues locally and internationally to build our leading position in the industry based on innovative solutions, cut-through creativity, and incisive technology.”

Shanghai, China – McCann Worldgroup China has announced the appointment of Carter Chow as its new CEO for Greater China. 

A highly regarded leader with over 20 years of experience, Chow is rejoining McCann Worldgroup for his second stint. He previously served as the managing director of McCann Worldgroup’s Shanghai office before advancing to the role of chief marketing officer for McCann Worldgroup Greater China.

Chow returns to McCann Worldgroup after an eight-year absence, during which he held several prominent positions: China CEO of J. Walter Thompson, China CEO and Greater China CEO for Wunderman Thompson, and most recently, president of VML.

The McCann Worldgroup network in Greater China includes McCann, MRM, and CRAFT. Chow’s appointment as CEO for Greater China marks a pivotal moment of growth for the network, underscoring its dedication to fostering creativity and innovation within the Chinese market.

Ghassan Harfouche, president of McCann Worldgroup APMENA, commented, “I am delighted that Carter is returning to us to take up the reins of our Greater China operations. Carter brings a unique blend of leadership, strategic vision, and a deep understanding of the Chinese market, along with a proven track record of success. This makes him the ideal candidate to lead our operations in one of the most dynamic and important regions globally.”

Also speaking on his appointment, Carter said, “I’m so pleased to be re-joining such an iconic advertising and marketing brand that’s been so close to my heart. The Chinese market presents immense opportunities, and I am committed to leveraging the strengths of the McCann Worldgroup network and to fostering innovation to enhance our capabilities and offer best-in-class services to our clients.” 

Singapore – Bloomingdale Public Relations Pte. Ltd., a full-service communications consulting agency and PR firm in Asia, has announced the appointment of Vikram Kharvi as its new chief executive officer (CEO). 

With over 27 years of strategic communications and marketing expertise, Kharvi is set to lead Bloomingdale PR into a new era of growth and innovation. He will leverage his extensive expertise to drive strategic initiatives, focusing on growth, operational excellence, talent development, and expansion into untapped geographies. 

Kharvi has held senior roles at prominent firms including Adfactors PR, Tata Housing, Sampark PR, ANSSI Wellness, and Indian Express. His extensive experience in public relations, corporate communications, and both traditional and digital marketing underscores his ability to lead Bloomingdale PR with confidence and visionary leadership.

With Kharvi’s appointment as CEO, Diana Fernandes, Bloomingdale PR’s founder, will assume the role of Group CEO, based in Singapore.

Commenting on the appointment, Fernandes shared, “We are pleased to welcome Vikram to our leadership team. His extensive experience and innovative approach to communications will be pivotal in driving Bloomingdale PR to new heights. Vikram’s leadership will enhance our capabilities and unlock new opportunities for expansion and creativity. With Vikram at the helm, we are poised to elevate our operations and further solidify our position as a key player in the industry.”

Also speaking on his new role, Kharvi said, “I am honoured to join Bloomingdale PR. Having known Diana for over a decade, I have always been inspired by her tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit. This role is more than a professional milestone; it’s an opportunity to work with a dynamic team that shares my passion for excellence. Together, we will elevate Bloomingdale PR to new heights, transforming it into a powerhouse of strategic communication and brand excellence. I am excited to embark on this journey and drive impactful change across industries and borders.”

Bloomingdale PR operates offices in Singapore, India, and Dubai. In Southeast Asia, the firm manages PR campaigns for notable clients including Crunchyroll and Bel Group (known for brands like The Laughing Cow, Kiri, and Babybel), as well as global brands such as Kaspersky and Brother Industries. 

Recently, Bloomingdale PR has also collaborated successfully with organisations like the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS) and the Art of Living Foundation on impactful PR campaigns in Singapore.

Singapore – BCW and Hill & Knowlton, which will merge as of July 1 to form Burson, has announced that Adrian Warr has been named its new CEO of South Asia-Pacific, covering the agency’s business in India, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. He will join Burson as of September 16. 

Warr has spent more than two decades at top global agencies counseling clients across industries, disciplines and geographies; managing eight-figure P&Ls with meticulous operational oversight; and building diverse, award-winning teams.

He has also served as a close adviser to the leaders of some of the world’s most high-profile institutions, helping them deploy multi-channel communications to address complex commercial threats and opportunities. 

Before joining BCW, Warr spent the last 10 years with Edelman in variety of roles in the Asia-Pacific region, serving multiple leadership roles. Prior to it, he spent 12 years in London, as a partner with Portland, an associate board director with Freuds Communications, and in a variety of roles in his seven years with Hill & Knowlton. 

Speaking on his new role, he said, “Burson is the talk of the town and rightly so, it’s changing the face of the industry, who wouldn’t want a piece of that action?From the complexities of going global to geopolitical upheaval to the challenges of innovating at scale, clients increasingly need the unbridled creative thinking that this agency brings to every brief. The team in South APAC is brimming with world-class talent and I’m honored to be the Burson person leading them.” 

Meanwhile, Corey duBrowa, global CEO at BCW, commented, “The myriad challenges and opportunities facing clients today could not be more foundational. Adrian has considerable experience pairing creativity with innovation to help clients navigate ambiguity and overcome obstacles, all while building their reputations amid extreme geopolitical, social and commercial complexity. This expertise, coupled with his rigorous advocacy for teams and talent, make him exceptionally well-suited to lead our South APAC business.” 

Singapore – Cloud-based SaaS company Freshworks Inc. has announced key position changes, with Dennis Woodside appointed as the new CEO and president to succeed Girish Mathrubootham, the company’s founder and current CEO. 

Woodside brings great leadership experience to his new role. He joined Freshworks as president in September 2022 and since then has accelerated the company’s investments in enterprise-grade products and driven increased focus on the growth of mid-market and enterprise customers.

Prior to joining Freshworks, Woodside also served as the chief operating officer of Dropbox, helping grow revenue from $250m to $1.3b and ultimately raising over $1b in a successful IPO in 2018. He also held various sales and strategy leadership roles at Google from 2003 to 2014, including serving as CEO of Motorola Mobility after Google acquired the company in 2012. 

Additionally, before his long tenure at Google, Woodside was a consultant at McKinsey & Co. He currently serves on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula in California and previously served on the board of the American Red Cross from 2016 to 2022 and on the board of ServiceNow from 2018 to 2022.

Effective immediately, Woodside’s appointment comes as current CEO and founder Mathrubootham moves to the new role of executive chairman. 

Since founding Freshworks in 2010, Mathrubootham has transformed Freshworks from a fledgling startup in Chennai into a leading SaaS company headquartered in San Mateo, with products that make it easy for every business to delight their employees and customers. He steered Freshworks through an IPO on Nasdaq in September 2021, making Freshworks the first India-born SaaS firm to trade on a US exchange. 

Under Mathrubootham’s leadership, the business has grown to serve more than 67,000 customers globally, powered by approximately 4,900 talented employees operating globally in 13 locations.

Now, in his new role as executive chairman, Mathrubootham will remain highly engaged with Freshworks’ product vision, customers, and employees. He will work across the company to bring long-term vision to life and consult with Woodside on strategic decisions. 

The transition frees him up to spend more time with Freshworks’ product teams in India and with customers globally and to stay engaged with other external stakeholders.

Mathrubootham will remain the chairman of Freshworks’ board of directors, and Woodside will also remain a member of the same board. 

Speaking on the transition, Mathrubootham said, “When I first proposed this next step to the Freshworks Board, we were starting to chart the next phase of our company’s journey. We brought Dennis on board to partner with me on crafting an ambitious growth plan, and my hope was that he could eventually lead the team of talented employees around the world to execute it, which would allow me to spend more time on the long-term product vision, innovation, and AI strategy.” 

He added, “Dennis has a deep understanding of Freshworks’ business, customers, and our employees, and a strong track record of building and scaling large global teams—he is the right leader to become our next CEO. I’m thrilled to announce this transition.”

Meanwhile, on his appointment, Woodside shared, “As I step into the role of CEO, I am deeply honoured to build upon Girish’s remarkable legacy. What he has created is truly special. Our mission and strategy remain the same. We stand before extraordinary opportunities and have the right foundation to make them possible—a winning combination of our strong focus on delighting customers and our product portfolio and innovation. I’m committed and excited to continue our journey of growth.”

San Francisco, USA – Global digital experience software company Sitecore has announced the appointment of Dave O’Flanagan as its new chief executive officer, along with a series of key leadership and board changes to drive innovation and growth. 

In his new role, O’Flanagan will continue to advance Sitecore’s DXP leadership by driving ongoing innovation and transforming customer value with AI.

O’Flanagan previously served as the company’s interim CEO after three years as chief product officer (CPO). He led the transition to Composable and the introduction of Sitecore’s SaaS DXP solutions.

Before joining Sitecore, O’Flanagan was the founder and CEO of Boxever, which was acquired by Sitecore in 2021.

Together with O’Flanagan’s appointment, the company has also announced additional leadership changes. 

After five years of leading Sitecore’s suite of content and management products, Roger Connolly has been promoted to chief product officer to drive all content lifecycle and AI innovation. 

Danny Robinson has been appointed as the new chief technology officer (CTO), having previously led the team behind Sitecore’s AI-enhanced personalisation solutions. 

Meanwhile, Rohinee Mohindroo has been appointed as the new chief digital and information officer (CDIO). Mohindroo has been the driving force behind recent advancements in security and data privacy across the product portfolio.

Alongside these leadership moves, Sitecore has also made four new board appointments to help deliver on its vision. The new board members will work alongside Darren Roos, chair of the Sitecore board. 

Among the appointees are Christian Shin Høegh Andersen, partner at private equity firm EQT Partners, and Maggie Buggie, who brings 20 years’ experience leveraging technology to transform businesses, with a focus on AI and digital customer experience. 

Also on the board are Michael Ouissi, who has spent more than 20 years specialising in enterprise go-to-market strategy, and Saleah Hassen Laher, who has more than 30 years’ experience in enterprise software delivery and customer success.

Effective immediately, the leadership and board changes are aimed at accelerating the strategy of the new CEO and driving further growth for Sitecore. 

At the recent Sitecore User Group Conference, O’Flanagan revealed a suite of generative AI capabilities as part of the company’s ‘marketer-first’ AI strategy. These capabilities are expected to dramatically transform the way marketers work to create content and deliver standout, personalised experiences.

Sitecore’s new AI features, including AI-driven recommendations for website search, advanced A/B testing, and image recognition, enhance its existing AI offerings. The AI Copilot tool is crafted to streamline marketers’ tasks throughout the content creation process, boosting efficiency and impact across various channels.

Speaking on the announcement, Roos said, “I’ve known Dave since he joined Sitecore through the acquisition of Boxever, where he was the founder and CEO. The opportunity in front of Sitecore is great, and Dave’s customer-first mindset, focus on innovation and execution, as well as his energy around the positive impact Sitecore’s solutions can have on customers and partners, will help propel Sitecore’s growth.”

Also commenting on his promotion, O’Flanagan shared, “This is an incredibly exciting moment in Sitecore’s journey as we continue to redefine the potential of the DXP. We’re bringing together the best in content, personalisation, and AI to power standout experiences for visionary brands in every industry. It’s an honour to take on this role, and I can’t wait to get started alongside our brilliant customers, team, partners, and the wider Sitecore community.”

Hong Kong – International health and beauty retailer AS Watson Group has announced the promotion of Malina Ngai to group chief executive officer, helping the business in its growth journey globally. 

Ngai currently serves as the group chief operating officer for AS Watson and the chief executive officer for AS Watson Asia and Europe. 

As the new group CEO, Ngai will be responsible for setting goals, guiding the team in creating plans to prioritise customers, and ensuring the ongoing expansion of AS Watson’s global portfolio.

She brings with her an expansive track record, having joined AS Watson’s parent company, CK Hutchison, formerly known as Hutchison Whampoa, in 2000. Ngai was first stationed at Hutchison Port Holdings and soon moved to the Hutchison Whampoa Corporate Affairs Department. 

After a year at the parent company, Ngai transferred to AS Watson in 2001, where she took on various leadership roles. She became the group COO in 2013 and CEO of AS Watson Asia and Europe in 2019. 

Prior to joining CK Hutchison, Ngai also worked for a sports marketing consultancy and the Hong Kong SAR Government’s statutory body for sports development. She holds a doctoral degree and a master’s degree in business administration, a master’s degree in finance, and a bachelor’s degree in sports administration. 

It is also worth noting that she used to be a competitive athlete and even won a bronze medal for Hong Kong at the 1994 Asian Games. 

Ngai’s appointment to her new role will be effective May 1, 2024. Meanwhile, Dominic Lai, group co-managing director at CK Hutchison and group managing director at AS Watson, will assume the position of chairman for AS Watson. 

Speaking on her promotion, Lai said, “After a very fulfilling 17 years of leading the AS Watson Group, I think it is the appropriate time to pass on the baton. Malina has been crucial in successfully driving AS Watson’s digital transformation, implementing the O+O (offline plus online) business model, and fostering positive cultural change in the past decade.” 

He added, “Malina has worked at CK Hutchison and AS Watson for 24 years. Her career path started in corporate communications and later expanded to international management positions in international buying, technology development, sales operations, marketing, big data, and sustainability. She demonstrated strong adaptability, strategic agility, and the ability to drive tremendous momentum across the entire organisation. Her significant achievements have continued to propel our organisation forward. Malina is perfectly prepared for this role.” 

“As the Group CEO of AS Watson, Malina will be fully in charge of defining our vision and leading the team to formulate strategies to meet our strategic objectives of putting customers first and continuing the growth journey of our global portfolio. All senior leaders who currently report to me will report to Malina. I will assume the position of Chairman of AS Watson,” Lai concluded. 

Jakarta, Indonesia – Global marketing and advertising agency dentsu has appointed Elvira Jakub as CEO of dentsu Indonesia, taking over the baton from Prakash Kamdar, who has led the network’s Indonesia business since February 2022.

In her new role, Jakub will be delivering growth to dentsu in the Indonesian market, and will be supporting the growth of Indonesia’s digital economy and in uplifting the communities within it. 

Jakub enters her role as a  marketing transformation veteran with over 23 years of experience in the Indonesia market. She joins dentsu from Google where she was head of industry, helping traditional businesses in auto and tech/telco thrive during and post-pandemic through innovative transformation.

Speaking on her appointment, Jakub said, “Indonesia’s market is rapidly evolving, and our clients need adaptable, integrated solutions to meet their business goals. I am thrilled to join dentsu Indonesia at this pivotal moment. Our team has been pioneering an integrated approach to creative, media, and CXM, empowering our clients to become innovation powerhouses in the ever-evolving marketing landscape.”

“I am grateful to be taking on the helm of dentsu Indonesia from what Prakash has built with the entire team here and I look forward to charting new grounds with the foundations that have been laid,” she added.

Sydney, Australia – Multinational advertising and public relations company Publicis Groupe has announced the appointment of Clare Pickens as CEO of Leo Burnett Australia.

Being picked out in a global search for Leo Burnett Australia’s next CEO, Pickens will then be taking the helm of the agency in April.

Prior to her appointment, Pickens worked in various roles at Wieden+Kennedy based in Amsterdam and London. She led brand strategy and creative quality, delivering on business objectives for brands including Uber, Nike, Mondelez, Instagram, Heineken, P&G, Netflix, Diageo, Levi’s and Booking.com.

She was also previously Global Managing Director of creative agency Red & Co. and was most recently Managing Director of HERC Amsterdam.

Speaking on her appointment, Pickens said, “I am deeply excited by the opportunity to join the Leo Burnett team in Australia. Being part of such an established group with a legacy of effective and quality creative work is a great privilege. I’m looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and helping usher in a new phase of progressive partnership and business solutions with our wide client base.”

Meanwhile, Michael Rebelo, CEO of Publicis Groupe ANZ, commented, “Clare is a leader who has worked across multiple markets and client categories, with a progressive view on creativity and what it takes to deliver innovative and effective work. Her commercial acumen has been honed leading creative agencies focused on building business through creativity. We are excited to bring such a unique international leader to Australia to lead Leo Burnett.”