Commercial director Archives

Singapore – Following a slew of recent senior appointments, Bondee has just announced the appointment of Lionel Sim as head of commercial.

In this role, Sim will be managing all corporate partnerships and commercial initiatives, backing Bondee’s efforts to further drive engagement with users and brands across the region.

With a career spanning more than 15 years in digital media and advertising, Lionel has held key roles in global tech firms, including Apple, Tencent, and TikTok, that operate in a variety of markets such as Singapore, Japan, China, the United States, and Australia. His proficiency in English, Mandarin, and Bahasa Indonesia reflects also his cross-cultural competence, which has been instrumental in fostering collaboration with international teams.

Speaking on his new position, Sim said, “I’m really excited and grateful to be taking on this role at Bondee, which lines up perfectly with what I’m passionate about. I love building businesses and bringing communities together, and I’m looking forward to forging win-win partnerships that will add value and deliver joy to Bondee users. We are actively listening to customer feedback and embracing the opportunity to work hand in hand with partners to shape innovative commercial models together.”

Meanwhile, Fei Yu, the newly appointed CEO of Bondee, commented, “Lionel brings years of experience in establishing partnerships that drive growth for all partners, aligning perfectly with Bondee’s strategic goals. Bondee is super focused on hiring talented individuals who share our vision, and we believe Lionel will effectively leverage his extensive global background to build highly-valuable collaborations with businesses to drive monetization at Bondee.”

Sydney, Australia – Azerion, digital advertising solutions provider, has announced Caitlin Huskins as its new commercial director for the JAPAC region.

With more than 13 years of experience in the digital advertising industry, Huskins has held several senior leadership roles across the agency landscape.

Most recently, Huskins served as the group marketplace director at EssenceMediacom, where she was responsible for driving digital growth and building strong client relationships. Prior to that, she played a key role in the company’s expansion of its client portfolio in the Asia Pacific region as the digital integration director at Havas Media. Earlier in her career, Huskins also served as investment director at Mindshare.

In her new role at Azerion, Huskins will be responsible for developing and executing the company’s commercial strategy in JAPAC, with a focus on expanding its client base and driving revenue growth. She brings extensive experience working with clients across multiple markets and delivering results for some of the world’s leading brands.

Azerion has achieved significant milestones in the JAPAC region in recent months. In June 2022, the company successfully launched the Azerion brand after the acquisition and integration of Inskin Media. In the same month, Azerion also began offering gaming as part of its platform proposition.

A few months after, the company announced the expansion of its advertising auction platform’s presence, Improve Digital. This expansion is seen to further solidify Azerion’s position as a leading player in the digital advertising space in the region.

Commenting on her appointment, Huskins said, “I am thrilled to join Azerion and be part of a team that is committed to delivering exceptional results for its clients. With the launch of Performance by Azerion in JAPAC, we have a unique opportunity to provide clients with a comprehensive end-to-end solution that drives performance and ROI. I look forward to working with the team to build on the company’s success and take it to the next level.”

Georgia Woodburne, managing director at Azerion JAPAC, commented, ‘Caitlin is known in the industry for her reputation as a driven and results-oriented leader, and we are fortunate to have her join our team at Azerion JAPAC. Her passion for mentoring and developing talent, combined with her extensive experience working with clients across multiple markets, will be invaluable as we continue to expand our capabilities as a full funnel platform in the region. We are excited to see Caitlin’s impact and how she will help us drive growth for our clients.”

Singapore – Performance advertising company Rakuten Advertising has announced the appointment of Neil Cao to the position of commercial director for China. His new role is part of the international leadership team and will support the growth of an incredibly dynamic and innovative region for affiliate marketing.

Based in Shanghai, Cao will be responsible for leading the Rakuten Advertising business across China by developing and implementing performance marketing strategies for clients and accelerating growth in the country.

His background spans over a decade of experience in the digital ecosystem, ranging from e-commerce, to consumer electronics, to app and gaming. As an advocate for full-funnel performance strategies, he has leveraged various media channels including search, display and programmatic to help clients drive engagement, sales, loyalty and beyond.

Cao has a proven track record in digital advertising and business development, including successfully selling programmatic advertising to new-to-DSP Chinese merchants and hitting the one million-dollar milestone with MiQ. He has also managed the monetisation of mobile apps, leading to a successful NYSE listing with Cheeta Mobile.

Speaking on his appointment, he said, “I am thrilled to join Rakuten Advertising where I will have the opportunity to collaborate with the world’s leading brands in a thriving Chinese market. My goal is to offer invaluable in-market insights and empower both local and international merchants to connect with their target audience. I’m excited to work together with our clients, partners and team to leverage our performance-based advertising solutions, unlocking growth potential in this challenging yet exciting era.”

Meanwhile, Stuart McLennan, senior vice president for the APAC region at Rakuten Advertising, spoke of Cao being a perfect fit for the company.

“We are delighted to welcome Neil to the team at Rakuten Advertising. With his extensive knowledge of the digital landscape and a proven history of success working with both advertisers and publishers, he is perfectly equipped to help our Chinese clients and partners thrive in their next phase of growth. Under his leadership, I am confident that we can help local and international brands outthink and outperform in a dynamic and highly promising Chinese market,” McLennan said.

Sydney, Australia – Major Australian commercial free-to-air television network Nine has appointed Tina Andrew as the new commercial director at 9Now, Nine’s video on demand service. In her new role, she will be responsible for growing the commercial potential of the platform as it enters a period of innovation and growth.

Reporting to Richard Hunwick, Nine’s director of sales, total television, Tina will be part of the 9Now leadership team under Hamish Turner, director for 9Now and programming.

Speaking of her appointment, she said, “I’m thrilled to help drive the future of Total Television in this new role. This is a pivotal time for Nine to continue leading the market and accelerate the move toward consumer viewing habits on 9Now, focusing on a data driven user experience and unique content offering.”

Meanwhile, Hunwick said, “Tina’s appointment is the next step in our move towards a Total Television future and a further acknowledgment of and investment in the importance of 9Now within that ecosystem. She will take a leadership role, not just in Sales, but also within CODE (Nine’s Centre of Digital Excellence) and will act as a voice of the customer within the 9Now leadership team as we accelerate our product development and user and advertising experience over the next 24 months.”

Lastly, Turner commented, “Tina is an excellent and highly regarded executive with a proven track record of delivering results, and I’m looking forward to her joining the team. As audiences migrate to a digital future, the importance of Nine’s streaming offerings through 9Now is paramount and untapping the true potential of the platform for viewers and clients alike is the new frontier. We are only at the tip of the iceberg in terms of innovation and sales opportunities in this space, and Tina will make a huge impact in her new role.”