Tag: Chief Marketing Officer

Sydney, Australia – Global web recommendation platform Outbrain has appointed Paul Knegten, former senior marketing executive of CTV platform FreeWheel, to step into its newly created position of chief marketing officer (CMO).

Knegten brings his deep background in advertising technology in this hyper-growth sector of ad tech to Outbrain following its acquisition of video intelligence AG, a contextual video platform in the CTV space. Prior to FreeWheel, Knegten was the CMO for Beeswax, which was acquired in 2021 by Comcast’s FreeWheel.

In his new role, Knegten will be leading Outbrain’s global marketing initiatives and will be instrumental in promoting the platform’s global brand. He will also oversee the global and regional planning, development, and execution of Outbrain’s strategic and product marketing programs and campaigns.

Commenting on his appointment, Knegten said, “I have been watching Outbrain since its founding with admiration and am beyond excited to join this amazing team and build upon Outbrain’s unparalleled technology and product leadership.”

Meanwhile, David Kostman, Outbrain’s co-CEO, commented that Knegten is a talented, experienced, and impressive addition to their executive team and the ideal person to drive their brand and global marketing. 

He further shared that Outbrain is on the verge of its annual 2022 advertising innovation conference, ‘Unveil’, and Knegten is joining the company at an exciting time.

“Paul’s extensive and proven track record in our markets will be invaluable as we continue to grow as a leading recommendation platform for the open web across platforms,” said Kostman.

‘Unveil 2022’ is a digital innovation roadshow which will run for a single day on 17 March 2022 for the APAC region, which is now open for early registration.

New York, USA – AiTrillion, a global software-as-a-service (SaaS) marketing platform for e-commerce sellers, has announced the appointment of Sudiptaa Paul Choudhury to the role of global chief marketing officer. Choudhury brings into the company over a decade of marketing industry experience, having worked with Intuit, Tally, Ericsson, Oracle, HP and other notable organisations.

Her experience within the marketing industry revolves around her experience of leaning towards market research, competitive insight, customer and product marketing, digital marketing, brand-led content strategy, creation and execution, and achieving the results efficiently.

Speaking about her role, Choudhury shared that SaaS market & Artificial Intelligence (AI) is where the future is and currently one of the most revenue earning segments globally. For her, SaaS is empowering businesses with the highest contributions towards enterprise resource planning (ERP), e-commerce apps, and CRM.

“SaaS & AI is the future and is currently one of the most revenue earning segments globally with highest contributions towards ERP, Ecommerce, CRM. I’ve been hired to take the brand to the next level,” she shared.

The company offers a suite of products and services such as AiBrandInsights and AiConsumer Insights to help empower businesses of all sizes to beget success with an accessible, intelligent, automated sales and marketing platform that is powered by AI in its true sense.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Used car e-commerce platform Carsome has appointed Ravi Shankar Mallavarapu, former chief growth officer at AirAsia, as the company’s new chief marketing officer. Through his new role, he will be heading multidisciplinary functions and continue to drive Carsome’s leadership in all marketing-related aspects.

As part of his chief marketing officer role, Mallavarapu will be overseeing Carsome’s brand, marketing, digital, social media, public relations, growth, market research and customer experience. He will also work closely with Derek Tan, chief brand officer at Carsome, on brand, creative, production and sponsorships.

He brings with him close to 15 years of experience in digital, brand and growth marketing. He spent six years across multiple firms in India, before moving to Malaysia. During his latest stint at AirAsia, he has built an in-house digital marketing team and transformed it into a growth team, which runs ads to develop marketing products, in line with the company’s business direction of pivoting from an airline to a super-app.

Speaking about his appointment, Mallavarapu said, “I am thrilled to be a part of Carsome’s journey of building a trusted car ownership ecosystem using data and technology. Being the industry leader, Carsome is in a good position to bring change to user behaviour in the Southeast Asian region, where most car transactions are done offline.”

He added, “We can move this online by establishing trust and the best customer experience at every touchpoint. I look forward to making Carsome the top-of-mind brand in this region and connecting the dots between brand, marketing, technology and data.”

Meanwhile, Eric Cheng, group CEO and co-founder at Carsome, commented that said appointment is an important move to continue strengthening Carsome’s leadership team to achieve greater heights.

“Ravi is a data-driven marketer who balances creativity with excellent execution. We are very excited to have him onboard to accelerate our business growth and help establish Carsome’s mission in the market, which is to create a new standard of buying and selling cars,” Cheng added.

Australia —Toyota in Australia has announced the appointment of Toyota veteran Vin Naidoo as its new chief marketing officer. Naidoo ascends from his general manager role in the automotive company which he held since 2020 leading the APAC leg.

Naidoo joined Toyota Australia in 2002 after graduating from Melbourne University as a mechanical engineering major. Naidoo assumed various positions at Toyota since then, and now brings an extensive experience in after-sales, product planning, national fleet and national sales, as well as regional operations. From 2013 to 2020, he was the head of sales of Toyota’s luxury vehicle brand Lexus in Australia.

Naidoo commented that his focus as new CMO will be to articulate Toyota’s compelling vision as a mobility company, connecting everyone “with the freedom to move and be moved.”

“This will require even deeper collaboration across all parts of our business as we navigate the once-in-a-century transformations occurring simultaneously in connectivity, autonomy, sharing and electrification. We will communicate the unique benefits to customers of Toyota’s industry-leading vehicles and services. We will also build on our success by accelerating innovation in the spirit of continuous improvement, which is a cornerstone of our company culture,” he said.

Naidoo replaces John Pappas who has been promoted to chief executive at Lexus Australia.

Sydney, Australia – Australian multinational bank Commonwealth Bank has appointed Jo Boundy as its newest chief marketing officer and executive general manager at the same time. She will officially step into the CMO position in March 2022.

Boundy’s appointment follows the recent appointment of Monique Macleod as the new group executive marketing and corporate affairs back in August.

Macleod said she was pleased to be able to welcome someone as experienced and well revered across the industry as Boundy.

“I’m thrilled we have been able to attract a person of Jo’s talent to be our next chief marketing officer. Jo has more than 20 years global experience, having led marketing, customer, communication, digital and entertainment teams at a number of large commercial organizations including Optus, British Telecom, Google and, of course, Qantas, from where she joins us and played a key part in the group’s brand and marketing strategies,” she stated.

Boundy served with Qantas for 12 years, where he served as chief marketing officer as well for the airline group, their loyalty program Qantas Loyalty, and head of digital and entertainment.

London, United Kingdom – Global media network PHD has announced that former regional head of strategy and planning for APAC Chris Stephenson has been promoted to the role of global chief marketing officer. He will be replacing Avril Canavan, who steps down from the role after 11 years of handling it.

He will report directly to Philippa Brown, Worldwide CEO at PHD, and be responsible for the strategic direction of the network’s external and internal marketing, aligned to business development goals.

His leadership will include amplifying PHD’s ‘Make the Leap’ positioning across its network of 107 offices in 74 countries – a call to action and reference to how the agency prioritizes creativity to drive disproportionate growth for their clients, backed by its proprietary planning platform Omni Studio. 

Stephenson first joined the network in the United Kingdom in 2003 before moving to Australia to launch PHD Sydney in 2009. He was promoted to head of strategy and planning for APAC out of Singapore in 2015 and has become a regular and respected commentator on the communications industry.

As an industry thought-leader, Stephenson has co-written multiple books on the future of the media industry, including PHD’s latest publication, ‘Shift | A Marketing Rethink’, which explains how marketers can stay ahead of change and stop just responding to it.

Commenting on his appointment, Stephenson said, “I can’t wait to get started in this new role at such an exciting time for PHD, and at such a pivotal moment for our industry. For the last two decades I’ve been fortunate to work with brands to engage their audiences in positive, constructive, and innovative ways. Now, powered by our ‘Make the Leap’ philosophy, I couldn’t be more excited to be working with our network around the world to do that for PHD.”

Meanwhile, Brown commented that Stephenson is a talented marketer who understands the PHD brand proposition, product and platforms better than anyone. She added that in addition to having solid client experience and a deep understanding of their proprietary systems like Omni and Omni Studio, he has co-authored and promoted PHD’s thought leadership over the years, presenting it on industry platforms across APAC.

“He is known as a truly creative thinker and, as Worldwide Chief Marketing Officer, will be instrumental in showcasing how PHD’s strategic, creative thinking can help brands make the leap ahead of their competitors,” Brown stated.

Mark Holden, worldwide chief strategy officer at PHD, commented, “I’ve worked with Chris for a long time, and he’s a great addition to the Worldwide leadership team, not only because of his credentials as a creative and visionary leader, but because of his infectious energy. He will no doubt build on the great foundations already laid and help our markets around the world take their agency marketing to the next level.”

Connecticut, USA – Global print and digital document products company Xerox, known for their photocopiers and printers, has announced that former SVP and GM at Xerox Latin America Deena LaMarque Piquion is the new global chief marketing officer of the company, where she brings in 20 years of experience leading sales, marketing, and operations teams for information technology companies. 

Through her new role, Piquion will be responsible for leading Xerox’s marketing functions, as well as enabling go-to-market teams to generate revenue and for building awareness and demand for Xerox’s offerings and new businesses.

Prior to her stint at Xerox, she served as the vice president and general manager for Tech Data Corporation, a US-based multinational distribution company specializing in IT products and services.

“Xerox is commercializing innovation in disruptive technologies such as digital transformation, 3D printing, and augmented reality. I look forward to amplifying market awareness of our broad portfolio of world-class services and continuing to make a positive impact in the communities we serve,” Piquion stated regarding her appointment.

In addition to her new role, she will also be serving as a member of the company’s executive committee and report to Vice Chairman and CEO, John Visentin.

Visentin noted that hiring a new chief marketing officer is in line with the company’s preparation for accelerated growth, adding that they need a marketing leader with deep management expertise and a fundamental understanding of their customer and partner needs.

“Deena embodies both. We look forward to all the ways she will promote the Xerox brand, and the value of Xerox’s solutions and new businesses, to support the company’s transformation,” he stated.

Xerox’s presence in Asia-Pacific is evident by the company Fuji Xerox, which is a joint venture with Japanese photographic firm Fujifilm Holdings.

Melbourne, Australia – Global research technology platform Glow has announced the appointment of Matt Houltham as the firm’s first-ever chief marketing officer.

Prior to his new stint at Glow, he had already served with Glow as one with the firm’s advisory board for two years.

Houltham was previously the CEO of Havas Media ANZ, in which he vacated said position last December after five years at the company. He was initially the group managing director of integrated agency Havas Melbourne, before expanding his remit to include responsibility for Havas Media across ANZ. 

“It is quite a jump to the left for me, after two decades of championing agency life. I’ve always loved working with emerging businesses. It meant I got to help them in a more holistic way – with brand as well as marcomms and often stretching into product and service experience,” Houltham stated.

He has also had previous stints with creative agency Naked Communications as managing director for its Australian market.

“The intrigue for me has always been the opportunity to apply a mix of skills to the challenge of simultaneously building the product/brand/experience with limited resources. It’s why I’ve sat on a number of advisory boards in the past few years, including Glow’s, and spent the first half of this year consulting to start-ups and agencies,” he added.

Speaking about his new position at Glow, he said that he feels privileged to have joined their ‘small but perfectly formed’ crew, adding that they have an awesome product – a consumer research platform that helps businesses big and small make better commercial decisions – but they also have a strong sense of purpose which was really important to him.

Meanwhile, Tim Clover, founder and CEO at Glow, stated that he was delighted to secure the services of Houltham.

“We have worked with Matt for a couple of years and it seemed a natural progression to bring him on full-time to bolster our senior management team at a time when we are growing quickly and expanding internationally,” Clover commented.

In recent months Glow has hired talent in Australia, the UK and Asia as well as appointing several new senior members to their advisory board, including US research industry veteran and entrepreneur Sima Vasa, and 99designs co-founder and tech veteran Lachlan Donald.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Global esports organization Galaxy Racer (GXR) has appointed Allan Phang, former regional head of marketing and PR of professional esports company EVOS Esports, to now assume the role of chief marketing officer. 

Galaxy Racer holds a roster of eleven esports teams in various online battle games such as Legends, Dota 2, CS: GO, and Fortnite, as well as PUBG Mobile, and Free Fire. It has over 60 male and female esports athletes from 22 countries, with over 20 content creators across the Middle East North Africa (MENA) and Southeast Asia (SEA).

The organization said that Phang’s leadership appointment aims to lead the development of best-in-class strategic marketing plans to establish GXR’s brand presence on a global scale. She will be handling the organization’s marketing initiatives from social media and digital campaigns to advertising, partnerships, and creative projects.

Aside from previously working at EVOS Esports, Phang also worked at AirAsia for close to seven years and his roles included being the head of esports, leading as well in the areas regional marketing, ancillary income, employee engagement, as well as internal branding, corporate culture, partnerships, and business development. Most recently, he led the airline’s esports strategic initiatives including the AirAsia Allstars Esports Club, sponsorship activation for Mineski Dota 2 Esports Team, and the World Electronic Sports Games (WESG) by Alisports, the sports arm of Alibaba Group. 

“I believe Galaxy Racer is on the right path to be a market leader in this space with their integrated 360 approaches focusing on content and lifestyle, as brands and marketers begin to understand the true value of esports and gaming in connecting with the hard-to-reach demographics of Millennials, Gen Z Digital Natives and Gen Alphas,” said Phang.

Meanwhile, Galaxy Racer’s CEO Paul Roy commented that Phang is a highly experienced business leader with a proven track record, including his vast knowledge and network in the esports ecosystem, which they value immensely. 

“As Galaxy Racer evolves into a lifestyle brand, I am confident with his cross-cultural leadership qualities, passion for innovative marketing, and forward-thinking mindset, he will be able to take us to the next level as we aggressively continue our global expansion across continents,” said Roy.

Galaxy Racer has also announced that it has recently brought onboard Guenther Hake, the senior vice president and general manager of Disney Consumer Products in Greater China and CEO at Oriental DreamWorks. Hake will be assisting in an advisory role with GXR’s brand partnerships, consumer products, apparel, and merchandising endeavors.

New York, United States – Global cloud-based marketing technology company, Zeta, has appointed Crystal Eastman to be its first-ever chief marketing officer.

Zeta, which has a presence in the United States, Brazil, and the United Kingdom, as well as India, among others, offers its platform and data to empower consumer brands to acquire, grow, and retain their customers at a low cost.

The company said that the new leadership is in line with its strategy to drive the executive team for Zeta’s next phase of growth.

As the first CMO at Zeta, Eastman will be responsible for global marketing strategy and execution, including brand activation, performance marketing, corporate communications, public relations, and events and sponsorships, as well as client engagement, and Zeta’s employer brand.

Before joining Zeta, Eastman was the head of global marketing at technology firm The Trade Desk, where she was responsible for global go-to-market activities, including product marketing, sponsorships, and events, as well as global campaign activation. She has also held numerous senior marketing positions throughout her career, including leadership stints at brands American Express and BlackRock.

“It is an honor to join this talented and accomplished executive team at such an exciting time in the company’s journey. I look forward to helping marketers across the globe unleash their full potential by taking advantage of Zeta’s advanced identity solution, leading-edge audience insights, and uniquely integrated omni channel activation opportunities,” said Eastman herself.

Meanwhile, Zeta’s Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO David A. Steinberg commented that they are thrilled to have Eastman join the executive team, as she has an impressive, proven track record in growing data-driven and digital businesses, with deep expertise in all aspects of marketing. 

“Under her leadership, we will continue to deepen our understanding of our customers’ evolving needs, continuously innovate our product offerings and how we deliver them, and scale our growth ambitions by introducing Zeta to the next generation of marketers. Crystal joins an expanding, diverse executive team that brings the collective experience and leadership abilities needed to accelerate our growth agenda,” said Steinberg.