Tag: CEO

Singapore – Automotive manufacturer Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has elevated Yoichi Miyazaki, former CEO for Asia at Toyota Motor APAC, to be its new operating officer and global chief competitive officer at TMC. 

Miyazaki, who has been leading the Asia region for Toyota since 2020, will now become responsible for improving the competitiveness of Toyota across all regions, delivering ‘Ever Better Mobility’ solutions for the customers, as well as contributing to society and global sustainability.

Succeeding Miyazaki is Hao Quoc Tien, the chief operating officer and regional operating officer of Toyota Motors APAC, who will be promoted to the role of CEO for Asia region at TMC and president at TMAP. In addition, Tien will be also taking over the role of vice chairman of Toyota Daihatsu Engineering and Manufacturing Co., while concurrently maintaining his responsibilities as CEO of Asia region for Toyota Financial Services and deputy chief officer of Sales Financial Business Group for TMC.

In his new roles, Tien will now be leading the on-going transformation of Toyota in Asia from an automotive to a mobility company, focusing on achieving Asia’s ambitious business plans. This includes the launch of various electrified vehicles, the drive towards carbon neutrality across the entire value chain, and the start of multiple new mobility initiatives through close collaboration with Asia Sales and Manufacturing Companies (ASMCs) and Sales Finance Companies (SFCs) in the region.

Commenting on his appointment, Tien said that Toyota’s long and storied history has allowed them to be market leaders across multiple countries, thereby serving a huge number of customers with technologically advanced vehicles that deliver the highest quality, durability, and reliability, and he is very excited to build upon this foundation, while transforming themselves to a mobility company, bringing thrill and joy to meet changing expectations of customers. 

“We aim to tackle climate change through multiple technological pathways, including the widest and most accessible electrified vehicle lineup and various new mobility solutions. In line with the vision of Akio Toyoda, our Global CEO, this will allow us to create ‘Mobility for All’, and ensure that we support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) transformative promise to ‘Leave No One Behind’,” added Tien.

San Francisco, USA – Creative consultancy agency InGoodTaste has announced the appointment of Ryan Lindholm as the new chief executive officer. Lindholm formerly worked for Nike as the global brand director of advanced concepts. His previous experience also includes working for AKQA, Dentsu, Razorfish, Havas, JWT, and DDB. 

On his appointment, Lindholm said that since the beginning of his first agency role over 20 years ago, he has been developing a point of view on how the creative model can evolve to better serve the ambition of business leaders.

“We’ve jump-started a new kind of creative approach; we look for innovative solutions that give the C suite the courage and support to make dramatic changes in their business. We do that with Grey Space thinking–our method of finding solutions in the spaces between obvious or black-and-white answers,” Lindholm adds.

Mark Riedy, co-founder and COO of InGoodTaste, shared that before meeting Ryan, he’s been happily growing his own agency for 15 years.

Riedy added, “The opportunity to partner with an experienced leader and unique thinker like Ryan was absolutely a once-in-a-career chance and I jumped at it. In the past year we’ve built an outstanding team and have already engaged with incredible clients like 24 Hour Fitness, Spot Insurance, Canyon and Sustainable Ocean Alliance among many others.”

Shanghai, China, — Porsche, the German automobile manufacturer specializing in sports cars, has announced the appointment of Michael Kirsch, current CEO of Porsche Japan, as the new president and CEO of Porsche China, Hongkong and Macao effective on June 1, 2022.

Kirsch holds extensive leadership experience in the automotive manufacturing industry. He has held the position of CEO of Porsche Japan since 2019. Prior to that, he previously held the same position at Porsche Korea for three years. Between 2012 and 2016, he gained a detailed insight into Porsche China in his role as chief operating officer. His other notable employments were holding senior management positions at BMW and at an international hotel chain.

Detlev von Platen, member of the executive board responsible for sales and marketing at Porsche AG, commented, “In his various roles, Michael Kirsch has contributed to successfully develop Porsche in Asia and he is the ideal choice as CEO of Porsche China – one of our most important markets worldwide. Michael has been very successful, especially when dealing with customer satisfaction and service quality. I am confident that he will set further strong impulses with plenty of valuable initiatives for the Chinese market and will continue to increase the impact of our brand there.”

Kirsch takes over following the departure of Jens Puttfarcken, who is moving to Audi AG to take on the role of head of sales for Europe. Puttfarcken held the president and CEO positions for Porsche China, Hongkong and Macao since 2018.

“Jens Puttfarcken has excellently positioned our brand in China and successfully expanded both the customer base and the dealer network. He has been leading a dedicated and strong team in China which keeps Porsche always connected and engaged in this dynamic market. We thank him for his great commitment and wish him all the best for his new responsibilities,” Platen said.

During the tenure of Puttfarcken, China continued to be Porsche’s largest single market since 2015. The market is strategically important to the brand with its size, great dynamics and innovation strength. Under the previous leadership of Puttfarcken, Porsche continuously expanded its business footprint and invested in terms of electrification, innovation and digitalization. In addition, Porsche Digital China was founded in 2019 and spun off at the beginning of 2021. Moreover, the foundation stone was laid for the establishment of a research and development satellite location in Shanghai, which is due to open in 2022.

Indonesia – Creative and communications network dentsu in APAC has appointed Prakash Kamdar to be its new CEO for dentsu Indonesia. This is in addition to his current role as CEO of dentsu Singapore. Kamdar commences the role in February this year.

The appointment follows the step down of former CEO Maya Watono who will be leaving the business at the end of January to take on a role in a newly established holding company for Indonesia’s State-Owned Enterprises. 

During Kamdar’s stint at dentsu, he first held the position of CEO at Isobar Singapore, where he took the business from strength to strength prior to being promoted to CEO of dentsu Singapore in 2019. In the Singapore role, dentsu said he has successfully led the agency through a significant turnaround, having worked with various clients including Standard Chartered, PayPal, Starhub, Intel, and Mastercard, as well as Salesforce, among others.

Wendy Clark, the global CEO of dentsu international, believes that Kamdar is a highly-regarded digital native leader and his authentic management approach has guided the Singapore teams through the pandemic, resulting in the country’s highest-ever client satisfaction ratings with the business on track to return to pre-pandemic growth levels by the close of 2021. 

Commenting on his appointment, Kamdar said, “I have big shoes to fill and this is a challenge for the new year that I can’t wait to get started on.”

Dentsu APAC has also announced the recent promotion of Wisnu Satya Putra to CEO of Creative at dentsu Indonesia, and Arshad Rahman to CEO of CXM at dentsu Indonesia, which are said to be pivotal to dentsu APAC’s strategy to lead the Indonesia team into its next phase of growth.

“Together with industry veterans Wisnu and Arshad, they [will] bolster the leadership team and bring fresh perspectives and a wealth of experience to the business,” said Clark.

Mumbai, India – OMD, the media network of Omnicom Media Group in India, has elevated Anisha Iyer, former chief product officer, to be its new chief executive officer.

Iyer brings with her over 18 years of experience in the advertising business, with a niche in digital and technology. Prior to joining OMD in 2019, she previously worked with global media network Mindshare, advertising agency Madhouse, and media investment firm GroupM, where she delivered cutting-edge solutions and best-in-class strategy for a range of clients spanning FMCG, pharma, auto, travel, telecom, e-commerce, food, and retail businesses.

As the new CEO, Iyer will be responsible for leading the organizational vision and steering strategic goals across the business with a focus on leading future-ready teams. She will also be enhancing client relationships and delivering solutions across the board.

Commenting on her new role, Iyer said, “It’s a pivotal time for our industry and I am excited to navigate the tides in creative collaboration with stakeholders and driving OMD India to new avenues of growth and development.”

Meanwhile, Kartik Sharma, OMD’s group CEO for India, believes that with Iyer’s digital prowess and creative mindset, she will be able to lead the organization to greater heights and accelerate the momentum of growth.

“With her understanding of our clients, industry, and market, she is undoubtedly the inimitable successor for the role. We look forward to welcoming her back to India and working with stakeholders to unlock greater potential and empower our clients to make better decisions, faster,” said Sharma.

China – Integrated communications agency in China, WE Red Bridge, has elevated Nicky Wang, former managing director and head of strategy, to be its new CEO for China. 

Wang joined the agency in 2009 as managing partner where she spearheaded the agency’s integrated capabilities expansion in creative, digital, insights and analytics, and planning. Wang has also led teams within the agency that deliver creative, integrated campaigns that drive business results.

Commenting on her new role, Wang said that operating in this dynamic and competitive market requires constant evolution, and she is absolutely honored to lead the team to relentlessly push the boundary of communications.

“I look forward to building on our momentum as the go-to integrated communications partner for brands in China,” said Wang.

Coinciding with Wang’s promotion, Penny Burgess, WE Red Bridge’s former CEO, will step into the role of executive chairman for China. Burgess will support Wang and the agency team through the transition, handing over day-to-day business operations, and continue as a senior advisor to WE Red Bridge clients.

Burgess said, “I am incredibly proud to hand over the reins to Nicky to take the business into the future. Together, we grew the agency from humble beginnings at my kitchen table to the remarkable team we have today of over 120 across Beijing and Shanghai.”

Meanwhile, Kass Sells, WE Communications’ global COO and president of international, commented, “I look forward to the continued partnership with Nicky and her leadership team as we strive to be the best agency in China.”

The elevation of Wang and Burgess will be effective from 1 January 2022.

Mumbai, India – CleverTap, global user engagement and retention cloud, has expanded its core leadership with the appointment of Sidharth Malik as global CEO. The company said the new leadership comes as it accelerates its international growth and builds new capabilities in customer retention for digital consumer brands.

Malik brings with him a track record of building and leading dynamic organizations in competitive markets. He is a former chief revenue officer at Freshworks, a SaaS provider of customer experience solutions, where he was instrumental in scaling the business from a single product to a multi-product platform with a global footprint. Under his direction, Freshworks unlocked new markets and strengthened its position in the CRM space.

CleverTap said Malik’s appointment marks a new chapter in its own success journey. Under the leadership of CleverTap Co-Founder and Founding CEO Sunil Thomas, the company has penetrated new markets and according to CleverTap, achieved US$45m in annual recurring revenue in less than six years of monetization, with a 235% compounded average growth rate.

“CleverTap has grown phenomenally, and through the more than 10,000 mobile apps leveraging our platform worldwide, we’re empowering mobile brands and businesses to touch the lives of over a billion people every day,” said Thomas.

With Malik’s appointment, Thomas will then assume the role of executive chairman. He will be focusing on scaling innovation and strategic direction for CleverTap, while Malik will help provide leadership for organization-building and day-to-day business execution.

“Sidharth’s passion, insights and leadership skills, coupled with his experience in helping take a world-class SaaS startup from India to the world, make him the right leader at the right time for CleverTap,” commented Thomas.

Vikrant Chowdhary, recently appointed CleverTap’s first-ever Chief Growth Officer, said Malik’s proficient management skills, combined with more than 20 years’ experience across all organizational functions, equip him to drive superior business results in a short timeframe.

“It’s so heartening to have Sidharth come on board as CEO to partner with me as we scale the business for faster growth, while Sunil focuses on innovation and strategic initiatives with a founder’s mindset,” said Chowdhary.

Earlier this month, the company acquired Patch, a technology that enables businesses to brand and embed communication channels, including in-app voice, chat, and push notifications directly into consumer apps. 

In September this year, MARKETECH APAC partnered with CleverTap to hold an APAC-wide roundtable featuring marketing leaders from the grocery, QSR, TV, fitness, and publication industries, among others. The leaders discussed how brands’ consumer acquisition and retention strategies evolved amid the pandemic.

Sydney, Australia – Media agency network OMD in Australia has just announced a new co-CEO leadership structure through the promotion of Laura Nice and Sian Whitnall as new co-CEOs of the agency, effective immediately. 

OMD has long had a people strategy of developing and promoting staff from within, and follows the agency’s continued stability to OMD’s people, clients, and partners, with significant new business wins and key client retention alongside industry award recognition.

Nice and Whitnall will take overall responsibility for OMD assets nationally, leading a workforce of more than 600 people. 

Nice first joined OMD Australia in 2012 as a business director for their Telstra account. In 2014, Nice returned home to the UK where she took up the role of group head at Vizeum, followed by head of consultancy and development for Omnicom Media Group’s Annalect. She returned to Australia in 2019 as OMD Sydney’s joint managing director.

“As an ‘OMD Boomeranger’ I know firsthand the benefits of working for a culture as strong as OMD Australia’s. To be given the opportunity to lead the next chapter with Sian is a proud moment, as we strive to build on OMD’s current success and momentum. Personally, I’m excited to focus on the depth and breadth of our client relationships and identify growth opportunities for our people to further develop their capability and evolve our offering for the future,” Nice stated regarding her appointment.

Meanwhile, Whitnall first joined OMD in 2013 as an interactive director, with her most recent role being OMD Australia’s chief digital officer. Her digital transformation initiative, OMD Navigate, has driven strong business results for OMD and their clients.

“I feel so passionately about OMD so it’s an absolute privilege for Laura and myself to be given the opportunity to lead the agency. I am excited to continue working alongside OMD’s incredible talent, to grow the capability within the brand and to drive growth for our clients in areas that will have the most impact for their businesses,” Whitnall said.

Speaking about the new promotions, Peter Horgan, CEO at Omnicom Media Group ANZ, commented, “They have been fundamental to OMD’s ongoing growth and success over recent years and are embedded across all areas of the business. Together, their complementary skill sets and ability to work as a team, is exactly what OMD needs for the future of our business. OMD has a history of success with leadership partnerships and given the size and scale of OMD Australia, there is no better time to revisit this winning formula.”

Manila, Philippines – Global media and digital marketing agency dentsu International has appointed Ronald Barreiro as the CEO of dentsu Philippines’ creative service line, where he will be overseeing the operations of two creative agency brands, namely dentsu Jayme Syfu and dentsu One Manila.

The appointment follows after dentsu has promoted Merlee Jayme, former chairmom at dentsu Jayme Syfu, to the role of chief creative officer for Asia-Pacific at dentsu.

Barreiro was previously the managing partner and general manager at dentsu Jayme Syfu. His journey in the agency started in 2009, when he first joined DM9 Jayme Syfu as general manager and was instrumental in setting up dentsu Jayme Syfu in 2016, after it was acquired by dentsu.

His career started out as an account executive in Basic/FCB in 1992 under the guidance of advertising veterans, Tony Mercado and Minyong Ordonez. He then moved on to become account management lead in agencies like Publicis-AMA and Publicis Manila, before joining DM9 Jayme Syfu as its general manager.

Commenting on Barreiro’s appointment, Jayme said, “He partners with clients to push business growth, collaborates with strategists to explore deeper insights and newer perspectives, supports creatives with their fresh and brave ideas, and helps everyone survive the difficulties of our work experience today with empathy and care programs. This is a well-deserved promotion and I look forward to continuing working with him closely and driving the next chapter of growth.”

Vital to the succession planning, Alex Syfu will also be separately appointed as chief advisor of dentsu Jayme Syfu, effective January 2022. Alex transitioned to this new role after partnering with Merlee Jayme in 2005 to form the Jayme Syfu group. He remains committed to key clients in the agency in his new role and will continue to support Ronald in steering the agency to new heights.

“His business acumen has helped the agency grow through the years, coupled with his good rapport with clients. He makes people feel that work should be fun but when it comes to numbers, that’s when he means business. With him heading the dentsu creative agencies in the Philippines, I have no doubt that Ronald will be taking the dentsu brand to a higher level of excellence. My respect and admiration for this gentleman,” Syfu added, regarding Barreiro’s appointment.

Barreiro stated, “We will remain to be their partner for innovative solutions and they can count on both dentsu Jayme Syfu and dentsu One Manila to be their allies for idea-led, data-driven and tech-enabled initiatives. To my agency colleagues, I promise to take care of you like family as we go through our trials and triumphs.”

Singapore – Global communications firm Edelman has announced the promotion of Adrian Warr as CEO of Edelman SEA, and John Kerr as the vice chair for technology at Edelman APAC, effective by 1 October.

Warr was previously the CEO of Edelman Hong Kong and Taiwan, while Kerr was previously the CEO of Edelman Singapore.

Kerr’s appointment comes at a time when technology continues to play a larger role in daily life, and yet, trust in the technology sector continues to decline. As one of Edelman’s most senior client leaders and with unrivaled experience in this sector, Kerr will navigate Edelman’s teams of technology sector practitioners and clients in Asia Pacific through the fast-changing consumer landscape. 

Meanwhile, Warr’s appointment entails him to lead Edelman’s operations across Southeast Asia, and will be focusing on driving local expertise and cross-border collaboration across Southeast Asian markets, in order to deliver broader capabilities for Edelman’s clients. He will continue to lead the firm’s regional Employee Experience offering as well.

Stephen Kehoe, Edelman’s President and CEO for Asia Pacific, says, “As we continue to advance our plans towards our desired future, we are making important changes to our APAC leadership team today, in order to accelerate the growth of our people and our work, while creating a simpler structure that’s designed around the needs of our clients. 

He added, “Both John and Adrian are renowned leaders with proven track records for developing talent and driving business growth.”

Edelman’s latest appointment follows a slew of appointments by the firm across the region, ranging from updating the lineup for Edelman China, as well as updating its creative team for its APAC team.