India – Havas India has appointed Manas Lahiri as its new chief growth officer, tasked with driving accelerated growth and fostering innovation across the network’s 25 companies.

In this newly created role, Lahiri will collaborate closely with Havas India’s executive leadership team to drive strategic growth initiatives, strengthen client partnerships, and lead innovative business opportunities across the network’s 25 agencies nationwide.

Lahiri brings over 20 years of experience in advertising, brand marketing, and business leadership, having held senior roles at agencies like VML India, Ogilvy, McCann, and Contract India. He has worked with major brands such as Samsung, Lenovo, Amazon, Coca-Cola, and Reckitt, starting his career in client-side sales and marketing before transitioning to advertising, giving him a comprehensive understanding of both sectors.

With this appointment, Lahiri returns to Havas India after holding multiple roles from 2018 to 2023, including managing director of Havas Creative India (formerly Havas Worldwide India). During his previous tenure, he reshaped the agency, driving key business wins, strengthening client relationships, and developing growth strategies that delivered impactful results.

Most recently, Lahiri served as executive growth partner at VML India, where he played a key role in expanding the agency’s footprint and securing several major accounts.

Speaking about his new role, Lahiri said, “I am thrilled to rejoin Havas India at such an exciting juncture. Havas has always been close to my heart, and the network’s journey of transformation into a consolidated, client-centric ecosystem is truly inspiring. I look forward to contributing to this next phase of growth by driving meaningful partnerships, fostering innovation, and building on the strong foundation created by Rana and the team. I look forward to partnering with all the fabulous leaders in this journey.”

Lahiri will be based in Mumbai and report to Rana Barua, group CEO of Havas India for SEA and North Asia (Japan & South Korea).

Commenting on the appointment, Barua explained, “Manas’ return to Havas India comes at a crucial time as we continue our strong momentum as a proven integrated and future-facing network. With Havas India’s phenomenal transformation over the past few years, we needed a proven leader to scale our growth ambitions further. Manas’ strategic acumen, extensive industry experience, and deep understanding of our network’s values make him the ideal choice to take on this role. He will also be pivotal in advancing our converged strategy, working closely with Sanchita Roy and John Thangaraj—our respective chief strategy officers of the media & creative networks.”

Australia – Clemenger BBDO has appointed Anita Zanesco as its first chief growth officer, along with new managing partners Georgie Winton and Anita Deutsch-Burley.

Clemenger BBDO CEO Dani Bassil expressed her enthusiasm for the talented individuals joining the agency. Bassil commended Zanesco, Winton, and Deutsch-Burley as exceptional forces within the industry, highlighting their talent, intelligence, energy, and fun personalities.

Moreover, Bassil is optimistic about the rapid growth the agency has experienced and predicted that the new appointments would significantly impact clients, agency culture, and overall work quality.

In response to their appointment, Zanesco, Winton, and Deutsch-Burley expressed excitement at joining Clemenger BBDO. They have praised the agency’s strategic and creative prowess, particularly under Bassil’s leadership, and spoke of the passion and drive within the team to create fame and fortune for their clients.

Further, Zanesco will spearhead the agency’s growth strategy, while Winton will be the managing partner based in the Sydney office and Deutsch-Burley in Melbourne.

These significant appointments mark the first senior hires made under Dani Bassil’s leadership as CEO, a position she assumed in January 2023. With these new additions, Clemenger BBDO is primed to maintain its industry leadership in the dynamic field of advertising.

Singapore – To set its growth path, digital agency ADK Connect announces the appointment of Rie Otsuka who will simultaneously work as its chief executive officer for Singapore and emerging countries and chief growth officer for ADK Global.

In her new role, Otsuka will be responsible for unlocking the value of the markets in Australia, India, Singapore, and other emerging markets while maintaining the network’s continued success.

Her appointments are also a part of the agency’s commitment to address the post-pandemic communication landscape and prepare itself as a future-ready communications partner. 

Otsuka brings with her an experience in CRM, digital, and global marketing. Before joining ADK, she led the digital and CRM practices at McCann Worldgroup, particularly the global teams for Mitsubishi Electric, Hitachi, and Panasonic. 

Yasuyuki Katagi, chief executive officer at ADK Global, said that they need a leader who will oversee the transformation and structure the change management processes to make it possible.

“With Rie Otsuka’s pedigree in agency leadership and her rich experiences in digital, her dual appointment makes perfect sense. Singapore remains a prime market for many clients as a regional hub,” he added.

Meanwhile, Otsuka added, “Teamwork is a crucial strength of the ADK network. It may not be a new buzzword, but it is an old adage that is challenging to upkeep. We must focus on fostering and empowering great talent to move forward in our highly competitive marketing industry.”

ADK Connect specialises in digital, creative and performance media. It partners with clients in solving marketing challenges by providing innovative solutions.

India – With its commitment to maintaining growth and maximising business outcomes for clients, marketing communications agency Wunderman Thompson South Asia has promoted Raji Ramaswamy as its chief growth officer and Joy Chauhan as its chief client officer. They will report to Shams Jasani, chief executive officer at Wunderman Thompson South Asia. 

Ramaswamy will retain her CEO role at Contract India, Wunderman Thompson India’s group company and Chauhan will simultaneously work as a managing partner of Wunderman Thompson in Delhi.

In their new role, Ramaswamy and Chauhan will lead strategic growth for the group, focusing on new business and key clients across the region. They will also oversee client retention and business development, nurture teams of talent and drive strategic growth initiatives including the development of new client services and capabilities.

Ramaswamy brings with her over 25 years of experience in marketing and brand management. During her stint in Contract India, she maintained its vision to create the most integrated agency model for the future with a seamless multi-dimensional structure. 

Meanwhile, Chauhan brings with him experience in managing people across multiple business units. In his stint at Wunderman Thompson Delhi, he was responsible for driving the growth of the agency’s brands, people and business.

CEO Jasani said that Ramaswamy and Chauhan’s appointments come at a perfect timing when the agency can drive good impact for clients and business whilst delivering transformational work that builds Wunderman’s capabilities in creative, data, tech, and commerce.

“With India as one of our fastest growing markets and being uniquely poised to provide integrated solutions to our clients, we are on an ambitious growth trajectory with Raji and Joy as enablers to chart the best course for the next growth phase,” Jasani added.

This month, Wunderman Thompson also elevated Gavin Bain as its chief executive officer for Australia.

Singapore – Global advertising company Publicis Groupe in Singapore has promoted Joanne Theseira, the current managing director of Publicis Communications, to be its new CEO of Publicis Communications in Singapore, where she will take on executive responsibility for Leo Burnett, Publicis Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi, Prodigious, and MSL. 

In this new role, Theseira will also champion the continued development of clear and ownable client, business, and employee positionings for the agencies under her stewardship. She will ensure that they are evolving in line with clients’ needs and reflective of the way consumers are engaging with brands today.

Additionally, Theseira will take on the newly created role of chief growth officer for Publicis Groupe SEA, and will report to Amrita Randhawa, CEO of Publicis Groupe Singapore and Southeast Asia. She will be leading Power of One accounts expansion, powering new business development, and managing the profile of Publicis Groupe in SEA. Theseira will also work closely with the Publicis Groupe SEA market CEOs and Practice leadership across APAC to deliver on the growth agenda.

Speaking about her appointment, Theseira shared that she believes that a strong and positive talent-centred culture is integral to the business of creativity, and this opportunity to hone and harness their different creative agencies is one that only Publicis Groupe can offer.

“Driving growth across Southeast Asia gives me an incredible canvas to scale and shape the future of our agency offerings and make a meaningful impact on our industry and our clients. I’m excited to get started,” she said.

Meanwhile, Randhawa said that Theseira’s passion for the creative business is addictive, and the clarity of her vision for their creative communications agencies and her determination to make the Groupe the fastest growing in the market is energising and impressive. 

“Joanne has demonstrated a strong capability to build high-performing teams and attract both clients and outstanding talent into the Groupe which makes her uniquely qualified to make an impact in this role,” she added.

Mumbai, India – Media network Omnicom Media Group (OMG) in India has appointed Anand Chakravarthy, former managing director at Essence, to be its new chief growth officer

In his new role, Chakravarthy is set to use his strategic foresight and over two decades of industry experience to create new opportunities for growth and play an instrumental role in shaping OMG India’s future trajectory. He will be reporting directly to Kartik Sharma, group CEO of OMG India. 

Chakravarthy has over 24 years of experience in the media and advertising industry and has worked with many reputable businesses, all of which witnessed exponential growth under his guidance. He has also led many profitable businesses, including during his leadership stints at Essence Global, Wavemaker, and Reliance Broadcast Network. Chakravarthy’s strength lies in his ability to formulate crucial strategies that help businesses scale up and become sustainable in an extremely competitive market.

Commenting on his appointment, Chakravarthy said that he is thrilled to be a part of OMG India, as the network is recognised globally for its thought leadership and building future forward capabilities – a critical need in the industry today. 

“Working in this ecosystem with this team and leveraging these capabilities to help brands evolve without any limitations is a fantastic opportunity. I look forward to fully committing to OMG’s vision and pushing the boundaries of innovation & growth,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sharma said, “I am delighted to welcome Anand on board. His extensive knowledge, values-based leadership style and commitment to delivering results will undoubtedly be a great asset to our business going forward. His work speaks for itself and shows that he has the propensity to lead and help companies capitalize on new growth opportunities in an emerging market.”

Wellington, New Zealand – Global small business platform Xero has appointed Chris O’Neill to the role of chief growth officer, where he will be responsible for strategic direction and operational performance within Xero’s newly-created applications and services division, which represents part of Xero’s small business platform. He starts his role at Xero officially on April 4, 2022.

As he will be based in San Francisco, USA, he will be responsible as well for leading the strategic development of Xero in the Americas, and working closely with Tony Ward, president for the Americas at Xero.

Chris joins Xero having served as a senior executive, board member and investor for a number of global technology companies, including Google and Evernote. He also has deep leadership experience in global and North American consumer and enterprise markets.

Steve Vamos, CEO at Xero, commented, “The global cloud-based small business applications software market is still in a relatively early stage of development and represents a huge opportunity. Chris brings extensive experience to help further develop and grow a number of exciting business areas within Xero.” 

He added, “I look forward to Chris helping us further scale Xero’s business in the US and Canada, building on our go to market and product efforts to date; through partnerships, acquisitions, and further development of our product capabilities to meet the needs of customers and partners.”

Malaysia – Marketing communications agency Naga DDB Tribal has appointed Farrah Harith-McPherson, former managing director at media network M/Six in Kuala Lumpur, to step into the newly created role of chief growth officer.

Harith-McPherson is a branding and communications specialist with over 20 years of experience, and has served in a diverse range of roles in a leadership capacity. Aside from her previous role at M/Six, she has also held roles at BBDO Malaysia and M&C Saatchi.

In her new role at Naga DDB Tribal, Harith-McPherson will be reporting to Kristian Lee, Naga DDB Tribal’s CEO, and will work closely with Clarence Koh, the agency’s COO, Alvin Teoh, the agency’s CCO, and Alex Goh, the agency’s CSO, as well as Nik Radzi, the agency’s ECD. She will focus on driving the agency’s action goals focused on developing new services in pursuit of new business as well as organic growth. 

Moreover, Harith-McPherson will aid in charting the direction of the agency in identifying horizontal and vertical growth opportunities to elevate the diversity and level capabilities of its service offerings to existing as well as to its potential clientele. Her role also entails sharing responsibilities with the COO in streamlining the agency’s internal processes, managing key department operations, and providing guidance and leadership to agency staff members.

Commenting on her appointment, Harith-McPherson said, “I am thrilled to be joining an agency with such a strong legacy for building enduring and memorable brands. I look forward to continuing the strong growth momentum as well as being a part of the team that charts this next chapter to drive organic and new business growth for Naga DDB Tribal through new offerings and strategic collaboration.” 

Meanwhile, Lee stated that the hire was an indicator of the agency’s intent and ambition to continue to strive towards pursuing positive evolution to attain its goals of becoming an agency that truly understands and meets the marketing needs of brands of all sizes local and regional alike.

“With her experience, drive, and proven leadership qualities, Farrah brings not only vision and skill but importantly a strong voice that complements our management team perfectly. We could not be more thrilled and excited by her coming on board,” he said. 

Singapore – Advertising company Wunderman Thompson has elevated former CEO for ANZ Lee Leggett to the company’s role of chief growth officer for Asia-Pacific. Through the new role, she will lead the strategic growth for the network with a focus on new business and key clients across the region.

In addition, Wunderman Thompson has also announced the elevation of Matt Parry, former managing director for the agency’s Sydney office, to the position of CEO for Australia.

With more than 20 years of digital and international experience, Leggett first joined Wunderman Thompson in June 2020. Through her tenure as CEO for ANZ, the company has clocked in several achievements, including the appointment as UNDP’s global digital experience agency and business wins including the University of Melbourne, Department of Education and NSW Rural Fire Service.

Speaking about her appointment, Leggett said, “I have felt honoured to have spent the last few years running our Australian business and looking after our people and clients in such an extraordinary time. To be able to do that across the region is a brilliant opportunity. Our business in Australia is in great hands with Matt and the rest of the team and I look forward to being able to continue to work with them as I start my new APAC role in 2022.”

Meanwhile, Parry began his career with the network in 2006, before moving to Asia in 2012. Before his move to Sydney, Parry was formerly managing director of Wunderman Thompson Hong Kong where he grew the agency to be one of the strongest in the market.

Speaking on his appointment, he said, “The Wunderman Thompson business in Australia has amazing people, capabilities and clients. I couldn’t be happier to take up this role, and to carry on Lee’s brilliant work in setting us up for a fantastic 2022.”

Both Leggett and Parry will report to Ewen Sturgeon, CEO International at Wunderman Thompson.

“Over the past two years, Lee has created a strong Australian business with inspiring momentum behind it, and this new regional role is a testament to her work. Lee leaves it in a great position for Matt, who I have no doubt will continue this success and take Australia to new heights,” Sturgeon said.

Singapore – GrowthOps, a marketing technology company, has made strategic appointments to strengthen its teams in the Southeast Asia region, namely David Isaac Mathews as chief growth officer for the Southeast Asian region, Shaad Hamid as general manager for Singapore, and Chris Greenough as general manager for Malaysia

Between Singapore and Malaysia, Hamid and Greenough will oversee a diverse team of some 200 professionals, in highly sought-after technology, user experience, creative, consulting, and marketing roles.

Prior to joining GrowthOps, Mathews was an innovation co-lead for ASEAN at EY-Parthenon’s TAS Digital, wherein he delivered digital transformation and strategy projects across a range of industries, covering business design and monetization for clients. Aside from his new role at GrowthOps, he is a mentor for Deep Technology Commercialization: formerly at Lean LaunchPad Singapore, and currently at the NUS Research Innovation Programme (GRIP) program.

“Driving growth increasingly requires regular innovation at the intersection of product and marketing strategy; our multi-disciplinary consulting and implementation teams are assembled to support that. At GrowthOps, we are guided by the customer experience and journey, and our aim is to implement the marketing technology needed to bring data-driven decision-making to the C-suite. Comprehensive marketing strategy and full-funnel marketing are the cornerstone of our best-practice methodologies, based on the learnings of what top-quartile CMO’s do to build, launch and grow,” David said regarding his appointment.

Meanwhile, Hamid’s past experience started off with DigitasLBi in Dubai, UAE as a senior account manager and then as SEO director, working on clients such as Etihad and Johnson & Johnson. He first joined GrowthOps in 2017 as the regional head of growth marketing services for Southeast Asia, a role he continues to hold up to this day alongside his new role.

“I am delighted to take up the role of GrowthOps Singapore’s General Manager, leading this brilliant team of people who bring passion, innovation, and diversity of thinking to work every day. I am incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved so far, and we are all excited about our next phase of growth. We continue to be client-focused, hungry to create amazing work, and humbled by our responsibility to shape the future of marketing in our region – in partnership with our visionary clients,” Hamid stated.

Lastly, Greenough started off his career with FutureLab in 2011, where he was part of the founding team that would go on to become GrowthOps Malaysia after a series of acquisitions. Then in 2015, he co-founded Hyperlab, an enterprise Conversational AI startup that was acquired by global Customer Experience firm, Everise. At Everise, he was elevated to Chief Marketing Officer, where he led the rebranding of multiple acquisitions and repositioned Everise from a traditional call center into a leading digital customer experience outsourcing firm. 

“My combined agency, startup and enterprise CMO experience gives me a well rounded perspective of the challenges leaders in various stages of growth and transformation encounter. Throughout my career I’ve blended the use of technology with creative marketing to build effective customer experiences. This is the working practice knowledge I bring to GrowthOps, which I hope will benefit our employees and customers,” he said regarding his new position.

Speaking about the new hires, Chee Hung Goon, CEO at GrowthOps Asia, commented, “Businesses today are rapidly evolving through digital transformation, but sustaining growth is difficult because the traditional ways of reaching a customer are no longer as impactful. We are growing, because our partners are gaining confidence from our ability to identify where their customers are, and how best to reach and retain them on digital platforms.”