Singapore – IPG Mediabrands has announced the appointment of Kumar Kanagasabapathy as chief strategy officer for the Asia-Pacific region. Kanagasabapathy brings over two decades of experience leading cross-functional teams across major industry verticals to his new role. 

Previously, Kanagasabapathy served as global chief strategy officer of Rufus, an IPG Mediabrands network agency, where he played a key role in establishing the strategic craft and framework for the global Amazon business. 

Moreover, he has delivered breakthrough results for clients including Amazon, adidas, Target, NBCUniversal, and Disney, consistently blending data driven insights with creative flair and ingenuity to develop innovative strategic solutions.

He will be based in the IPG Mediabrands APAC RHQ in Singapore, reporting to Leigh Terry, CEO of IPG Mediabrands APAC. His appointment is effective immediately. 

Speaking on his appointment, Kumar said, “I am thrilled to join the IPG Mediabrands APAC team and contribute to the agency’s continued growth and success in this region. I’m passionate about partnering with clients to craft innovative, results-driven solutions.”

He added, “I believe that the future of media lies in challenging long-held fundamentals, embracing bold experimentation, and forging deeper, more meaningful connections between brands and consumers. Nowhere is this transformation more dynamic than in APAC, and I’m excited to be part of this journey.”

Meanwhile, Leigh commented, “Kumar’s exceptional strategic expertise and proven track record of success make him the ideal leader to drive our strategic vision forward in the APAC region. His deep understanding of the evolving media landscape, coupled with his ability to inspire and empower teams, will be invaluable as we navigate the complexities of the dynamic Asia-Pacific markets.” 

New York, USA – Droga5 has announced the appointment of Emma Montgomery as its global chief strategy officer. She is the third global appointment for the agency this year, with worldwide CCO Pelle Sjoenell appointed this past March, and global CEO Mark Green recently appointed this fall. 

Montgomery will be bringing her strong leadership expertise to Droga5, and will be responsible for connecting and supercharging Droga5’s strategy and creative offerings globally. She will be based in its headquarters in New York City.

She joins Droga5 after serving as CEO of DDB Chicago. She’s been in the industry for over 20 years, and has served in several high-level leadership positions throughout her career, including as President and CSO of Leo Burnett Chicago, Global CSO of TBWA, and CEO of Leo Burnett Australia. 

She has also worked across a breadth of categories and multiple global clients, including Kraft, Aldi, Diageo and Molson Coors, among many others, including challenger brands and startups.

Montgomery’s multidisciplinary background across business, creative, media, experience design and data and analytics makes her uniquely placed to navigate the current disconnected marketing environment for agencies, clients and consumers alike.

Speaking on her new role, Montgomery said, “I’m excited to join Droga5 and have the opportunity to help carve out a new path for the brand globally, building on its tremendous legacy of creative leadership. The potential of Droga5, combined with the possibilities of Accenture Song, was too exciting to pass up.”

She added, “No other agency has what they have, and as marketing shifts, the chance to make creativity a genuine partner to business is real here. I’m eager to return to my strategy roots and work with Pelle, Mark and our network of Drogans to show the world the force that creativity can be.”

Meanwhile, Annette King, global lead of marketing practice at Accenture Song, commented, “I’m delighted that Emma will complete our new Droga5 global leadership line up, along with Pelle and Mark, and that our clients and our people will get to benefit from the huge contribution she will make to their business and to what we do. She has one of the most interesting, varied, brave and relevant backgrounds of anyone in her field and she is beyond match fit for today’s world and the opportunities it presents to us. We are lucky to have her.”

Lastly, Sjoenell stated, “Emma is a world-class strategic leader and authority that I’ve long admired and dreamt of being partners-in-crime with. Her work inspires the creativity that connects people and brands in ways that move business and culture forward, so I’m excited to finally be able to work with her alongside Mark, and to see her lead and further strengthen our leadership and strategy teams around the world.”

Singapore – Iris, a global creative network, has appointed Shea Warnes as the new chief strategy officer of Iris Singapore. In the new role he will report to Rebecca Nadilo, managing director of Iris Singapore, responsible for leading integrated strategy and further propelling Iris’ social and content product, Iris Inc–which stands for Igniting New Creators.

Warnes joins from Dentsu Creative, where he was head of strategy based in Singapore, working across key clients that included Activision Blizzard, Amex, Toyota, Manulife and the Singapore government. 

He has worked in New York, London, Australia and Singapore, and brings unique experience that bridges tech, social and brand from over 15 years in senior roles at companies such as Meta, BBH London and Havas, as well as launching Media.Monks for ANZ in 2020.

Speaking on his new role, Warnes said, “What I’ve found in Iris is an agency committed to the simple and powerful idea of building brands people want to talk about. I’m in awe of the talent, skillsets and agility here to get to different shaped ideas that work, which is critical when so much of what our industry pumps out is wallpaper and noise.”

He added, “I’m looking forward to working with Becs and the teams here to refine the inputs and outputs to get to culturally-fit creative. That requires a new creative OS that better marries fame with performance, and I’m excited to partner with our clients to deliver growth and value.”

Meanwhile, Nadilo commented, “When there’s a cost of media crisis going on, and 4 out of 5 people are more influenced by people than ads, we need someone who thinks about the conversations we want people to be having and then marry audacious creative ideas with social, content and creators, and Shea does exactly that.”

She added, “I’m beyond excited to welcome Shea to the Iris Singapore team. Not only does he have great creative instinct and a way to reduce problems into one line, or deliver simple truth bombs, but he is also a great human who will lead with empathy, collaborate brilliantly and continue to shape Iris Singapore into a place where people do and feel their best.”

Singapore – International advertising agency dentsu has announced the appointment of Clay Schouest as chief strategy officer for client and solutions in APAC to handle the agency’s client portfolio in the region. 

Schouest is back in Asia and with dentsu after five years in Europe. As a dentsu veteran, he spent 11 years at the agency working on strategy roles in Shanghai, Singapore, and London.

In his newly created role, he will be based in Singapore and will lead the strategy and vision for dentsu’s client portfolio, building integrated, end-to-end solutions that deliver client revenue growth, profitability, and satisfaction.

Prior to his appointment, he served as the global strategy director for communications for Reckitt in 2021.

Schouest brings with him a unique experience after having worked in key markets across the world, including New York, London, Amsterdam, and Shanghai. He has devoted his career to building strategies that merge media and creativity, working with prolific brands including Coca-Cola, Unilever, P&G, Diageo, and L’Oreal.

Yusuke Kasahara, CEO for client and solutions in APAC, said, “Clay is a truly global citizen, having lived and worked across major markets in all three regions, giving him a unique ability to build hyper-relevant strategies that deliver long-term growth and loyalty for brands.”

He continued, “He will work closely with our Chief Client Officer and CEO, Media, APAC, Prerna Mehrotra, to build a culture of client-centricity and excellence in our business, drawing on his 25 years of experience to help our clients navigate the complexity of the marketplace with laser-sharp focus on delivering solutions to help them achieve their growth ambitions. I am delighted to welcome Clay back to dentsu and back to Asia.” 

Commenting on his appointment, Clay Schouest shared,  “Some of my most memorable and career defining years were at dentsu and I am delighted to be returning back to the business and a region I have missed and call home.” 

“There is no question that Asia is the most exciting region in the world, with its exponential growth in wealth and population creating significant opportunity for brands. But to thrive in this environment, brands have to truly understand the vast profiles of the Asian consumer and how best to engage with them, given the strength of local brands and the proliferation of channels these consumers chose to engage with. I’m looking forward to re-engaging with dentsu’s clients in Asia and partnering with them to deliver on their long-term priorities and identify new paths to growth,” he added. 

Singapore – Advertising agency McCann Worldgroup has announced the appointment of Shilpa Sinha as the new chief strategy officer of the APAC region

In her new role at McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific, Sinha will be taking the reins from former CSO Richard McCabe, and will be bringing her two decades of experience in marketing strategy to the table.

Sinha is an experienced global marketer and strategist with a strong track record working in major markets including India, UK, China and Russia, for agencies including Grey, FCB and Ogilvy. She served as Head of Strategy & Transformation for McCann Moscow before the agency closed its operations in Russia in 2022. 

Sinha has also held a unique combination of senior roles in brand management at Unilever and strategic planning leadership at prominent agency networks, bearing experience in building leader and challenger brands across diverse categories, and even winning the first ever Gold Cannes Lion for any IPG agency in Russia.

Ghassan Harfouche, President of McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific, said, “I’m so excited to have Shilpa move back to our region and know that her global experience and emphasis on effectiveness will add significantly to our client work.”

Meanwhile, Harjot Singh, global CSO of McCann Worldgroup commented, Having worked with Shilpa for six years, I’m thrilled that she is taking the baton. She has a proven track record in key global markets, including regional powerhouses, China and India, and combines creative smarts with rigour and passion. I can’t think of a better person to help our APAC brands earn a meaningful role in people’s lives.”

Speaking on her own promotion, Sinha stated, “After eight years away, I am excited to be back in vibrant Asia, one of the significant growth engines in the dynamically evolving world order. It’s amazing to have the opportunity to move within the McCann Worldgroup family and work on our incredible brands. I’m really looking forward to hitting the ground running.”

Hong Kong – Multinational insurance company Manulife in Hong Kong has announced new members of its leadership team namely Thaddeus Yu as chief strategy officer and Alice Li as chief communications officer. Together, the executives will report directly to Patrick Graham, chief executive officer of Manulife Hong Kong and Macau.

Yu succeeds Carrie Tong, who was recently appointed as chief operations officer for Hong Kong and Macau

In his new role, Yu is responsible for setting the overall strategic priorities of the Hong Kong and Macau business, ensuring prudent choices, and executing plans aligned with the company’s priorities. He is also in charge of assessing necessary and effective changes to the company’s business model to ensure the company stays on course in achieving its strategic objectives.

With over 15 years of experience in various local and regional positions at Cigna, AIA, and Bank of Montreal Insurance, Yu joined Manulife’s Asia strategy team in 2021. During his time in his previous position, he led strategy development, spearheaded critical business initiatives, and provided guidance on strategic projects while also managing the Asia CEO office.

Meanwhile, Li’s responsibilities include leading strategy development for external and internal communication goals, building corporate reputation and a culture of pride, and promoting the company’s global Impact Agenda, aligned with Manulife’s global communications team and strategy.

With more than two decades of experience in corporate and marketing communications, Li is a seasoned professional who joined Manulife in 2020. Since then, she has made significant strides in the company’s communication strategy and impact. Prior to Manulife, her career spanned diverse industries, including energy, telecommunications, IT, and insurance, as she held senior positions with global brands such as Shell, SmarTone-Vodafone, Microsoft, and AXA.

Speaking on the new appointments, Graham said, “With their extensive knowledge of our company’s strategic priorities and their functional expertise, I am confident that the talented new members of our senior management team will be pivotal in driving us towards achieving our ambitions in Hong Kong, Macau and the broader GBA markets as we embark on the next phase of our growth agenda. Their appointments also highlight our ongoing commitment to harnessing top talent through an active leadership development pipeline.”

Singapore Wunderman Thompson has announced the appointment of Shailesh Iyer as its new chief strategy officer for Singapore where he will be working with the agency’s Unilever brands as well as the agency’s partnerships with brands HSBC and J&J, amongst others.

Iyer brings with him a strong leadership experience in integration-driven strategic approaches across a multitude of categories and clients. He was previously with public relations company Publicis Groupe Indonesia as chief strategy officer where he led the strategy practice across creative and digital, working across the three markets of Singapore, UAE and Indonesia.

Furthermore, Iyer has also worked on various global brands such as McDonald’s, Oreo, Cadbury, KraftHeinz, Samsung, Nestle, Coca-Cola, SK-II, Tide, IKEA, HSBC, Citibank and more.

Nimesh Desai, chief executive officer of Wunderman Thompson Singapore, said that they were thrilled to have Iyer in their team knowing of his proven expertise in strategies, bringing a creative and grounded human approach to the agency.

Meanwhile, Iyer commented, “I am super excited to be a part of the Wunderman Thompson family. The agency has everything it takes for the next phase of how the industry evolves. The right leadership, right skillsets and the right vision to help us create meaningful work that inspires growth for us and our ambitious clients.”

Earlier this month, Wunderman Thompson also announced other leadership appointments including KJ Lee as managing director for South Korea and Richa Dholi as VP for strategy planning for India.

Bangkok, Thailand – Ogilvy has recently appointed Chatree Chokmongkolsatian as its newest chief strategy officer in Thailand, where he brings in unrivalled expertise in modern marketing strategies to the local team.

Before joining Ogilvy, Chokmongkolsatian was previously the head of business and strategy group at Cheil Worldwide, specialising in digital and retail marketing – ranging from brand communications, media and data, experience, e-commerce, to new and emerging platform businesses. 

He has also been the vital force behind phenomenal successes of many leading brands in several industries namely Samsung, Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), Nestle, Advanced Info Service (AIS), Thaibev, Beiersdorf, among others.

Speaking on his new appointment, he said that he is confident that he will be able to leverage his extensive experiences to build on Ogilvy’s creative leadership and continue to generate more impact for their clients.

“To me, taking on the new role at Ogilvy Thailand is both an opportunity and a challenge. Ogilvy is undoubtedly an industry leader with groundbreaking creative innovations that constantly excite the industry and produce real business results. However, every marketer nowadays has been challenged head-on by the rapidly changing social conditions, media consumption behaviours, as well as the technology landscape.” 

He added, “The marketing solution that worked 3 months ago may not be so effective today, and Advertising may not be the only solution to clients’ problems. Building exceptional experiences for products or brands needs an omnichannel approach, as each method has different purpose and way of reaching customers, and as we are living in the age where people are willing to pay fees for ads-free viewing and are super strict with their personal data and privacy.”

Meanwhile, Nopadol Srikieatikajohn, chairman at Ogilvy Thailand, commented, ‘Chatree is a great example of the new generation of leaders who set new standards for every work that they do, with profound knowledge and experiences in the ever-changing modern marketing strategies and tactics, paired with deep understanding of clients’ businesses. All of this makes Chatree the perfect person to lead our strategy capability and pioneer new strategic offerings for our company and clients’ growth.”

Tokyo, Japan – Grey Tokyo has announced the promotion of current executive planning director Rui Nago to the role of chief strategy officer. He first joined the agency in 2010, and has since then been responsible for developing the brand, creative, and overall communication strategies across the agency’s clients.

Some of the campaigns that he has worked on include P&G Pantene’s brand campaigns: ‘#More freedom in job-hunting hair’, ‘The Hairy Tale’, ‘#PrideHair’, and Domino’s Pizza Sanchoku (farm-fresh), to name a few.

Speaking on his new role, he said, “The world is changing with increasing speed, and we cannot see what the future holds in these times. I believe that strategy once again redefines a brand’s reason for existence, guides the brand in the right direction for their future, is creative, and is becoming more and more crucial. I am excited to help create many clients’ future whilst leveraging Grey’s strength of seamlessly connecting strategy with creativity.”

Meanwhile, Yukiko Ochiai, president and CEO at Grey Tokyo, commented, “Rui is an exceptional strategist, successfully driving Grey’s effectiveness agenda to bring success to our key clients. He has been a fundamental contributor to our recognition as Spikes Asia Agency of the Year 2022, alongside our 2021 APAC Effie wins.”

She added, “He will be instrumental in relentlessly playing different combinations of strategic skills from within the group to enhance our creative solutions and help our clients navigate their way through a challenging and changing world.”

New York, USA – Global creative-as-a-service company Shuttlerock has appointed Guillem Bonavia as its newest chief strategy officer to continue the company’s rapid growth and global expansion.

He is based in Auckland, New Zealand and will report to CEO and founder Jonny Hendriksen to accelerate key focus areas that will drive the greatest impact over the coming years. 

Bonavia has a rich consultancy history beginning two decades ago in Barcelona with positions at Accenture and Everis. He then moved to London where he held key roles at leading financial and consultancy institutions such as Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and McKinsey & Company. In 2016, Guillem was appointed by Lloyds Banking Group to drive the Digital Transformation journey.

Following that, he was hired as the head of strategy (digital) for Woolworths NZ in 2018. In this role, Guillem shaped the digital strategy and transformation portfolio.

Speaking on his appointment, he said, “The strategic goals for Shuttlerock are to double down on our focus on the creative-as-a-service model, increase our active customer base by delivering best in-class value and build up key technology and creative capabilities that set our customers up for success.”

The new appointment follows the recent hire of Kirsty Traill as chief customer officer, as well as two additional senior promotions of Cameron Burns as chief of staff and Arron Redmore as chief creative officer.