Tag: Leadership

South Korea—TBWA Media Arts Lab (MAL), Apple’s dedicated global creative agency, has announced key leadership changes in its Seoul office, with the appointment of Minah Lee as managing director and the promotion of Youji Noh to executive creative director.

As the new MD of MAL Seoul, Lee will report to global CEO Katrien De Bauw and work alongside Noh to oversee the agency’s leadership and client relationships.

“Minah brings a wealth of experience in the tech world, having worked both agency- and client-side for Korean and American global brands. She brings an entrepreneurial, start-up spirit that we believe will drive MAL Seoul into its next chapter,” said De Bauw.

Lee joins MAL from her role as head of account management at Amazon Korea, with prior experience in marketing strategy and management at companies including Cheil Worldwide, Samsung Mobile, Coupang, and Vestiaire Collective.

Speaking about her new role, Lee shared, “It’s every marketer’s dream to work for an iconic brand like Apple. I’m excited to lead the team in Korea to drive strategic initiatives that strengthen the brand while leveraging the momentum of global K-culture trends. I look forward to working with Katrien and Youji to elevate the Korea team and maximise our potential.”

Meanwhile, Noh’s promotion to ECD reflects her growing leadership role at MAL Seoul, where she has contributed to the office’s creative development through projects such as AirPods Cases, Behind the Mac, the Shot on iPhone film by Park Chan-wook, and the Made on iPad music video for Jay Park, illustrated by webtoon artist Namon. She will continue to report to global chief creative officer Brent Anderson and will lead the creative and production teams.

“Youji is a tastemaker, pure and simple. She has repeatedly helmed work that resonates deeply with Korea and that organically creates impact, all while maintaining Apple’s distinctive voice and hallmark simplicity. Youji’s understanding of the intersection of media, art and audience makes her the ideal creative lead for this important market,” said Anderson.

Noh also shared, “I’m thrilled to be working with Minah to lead and grow MAL Seoul,” said Youji. “Korea is having a moment in culture across various disciplines, especially with youth at the core. To continue creating iconic, culture-shaping work for Apple is a dream job for me and the team.”

Australia – AKQA has announced the appointment of Sarah McGregor as executive creative director for AKQA Australia, reinforcing the agency’s creative leadership in the region. In addition, David Clarke has been promoted to executive experience design director for APAC, elevating AKQA’s regional design capabilities across Asia-Pacific, effective immediately.

With over two decades of experience in Melbourne and London, Sarah has held senior creative roles at agencies including Dentsu Creative, Leo Burnett, cummins&partners, Karmarama, Y&R, and Grey London. Throughout her career, she has led award-winning campaigns for iconic brands such as Honda, Bonds, Nintendo, 7-Eleven, Virgin, Kmart, L’Oréal, The Iconic, Tourism Western Australia, Transplant Australia, and Marriage Equality.

Based in Melbourne, Sarah will work closely with AKQA Australia’s senior leadership team, including executive creative director Tara McKenty, chief strategy officer Iona Macgregor, executive strategy director Nicole Armstrong, general manager Sydney Justine Leong and managing director Jeremy Smart, to continue driving creative innovation and growth in the region.

Commenting on her new role, Sarah says, “AKQA has long been known for work that solves hard problems in inventive ways, courageously fusing creativity, technology, and humanity to create powerful work. I’m excited to join such a forward-thinking team and collaborate with our clients to create experiences that are not only innovative but truly meaningful.”

Meanwhile, David will lead AKQA’s experience design offering across Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, and will report to AKQA APAC CEO Brian Vella. Over the course of his career, David has worked at AKQA in London, New York and Australia. This latest move is set to strengthen the agency’s regional design leadership, ensures continuity, and positions AKQA to drive greater impact across the board.

“I owe much to my time at AKQA over the span of 20 years. London taught me the craft, New York shaped me as a leader, and now this role offers an incredible opportunity to amplify a region rich with creative potential. I’m energised by what’s ahead and honoured to be a part of such an ambitious network of talented people,” David says.

Jeremy Smart, managing director at AKQA Australia, stated, “Sarah brings a wonderful combination of creative excellence, leadership, and a deep understanding of purposeful storytelling. Her passion for innovation and inclusion reflects AKQA’s values and vision for the future. We’re thrilled to welcome her to the team and look forward to the energy and ideas she’ll bring to our clients and culture.”

He added, “It’s also great to see a strong leader like David, who has headed up our experience design team here in Australia, moving into a broader remit role, giving him the opportunity to bring his innovative and exceptional thinking to our wider APAC teams and clients.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Ampersand Advisory has recently welcomed Mawarni Adam as its senior consultant. In an exclusive conversation with MARKETECH APAC, Sandeep Mark Joseph, CEO and co-founder of Ampersand Advisory stated that Mawarni will aid the agency in growing its consulting business, which offers approaches, solutions and tools focused on business development, whether it revolves around media, creative, PR or data.

“Our aim is stated in our motto and remains unchanged. We exist to bring “business results, now!” for our clients, whether that be in media, creative, PR or data. Mawarni will help us grow our consulting business, which offers approaches, solutions and tools to live up to our motto,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Mawarni told MARKETECH APAC that she intends to leverage her various experiences in financial services, tech startups, as well as in data & loyalty marketing to help businesses in their scaling and growth.

“I am a believer in marketing audit or doing ‘housekeeping’ across touchpoints so all or any initiative will have high chances of success when given the proper or stronger foundations to build upon. I am also a big fan of cost and time savings, so I hope to bring in some knowledge or tricks of the trade using low-code or no-code tools to advocate for efficiencies,” she stated.

As part of her consulting role, Mawarni also returns to Marqetr–the content production and marketing company she founded in 2020–as an active contributor. Prior to joining Ampersand Advisory, she joined Toyota where she headed the strategic brand management for the brand in Malaysia.

“Having spent most of my career on the client side, being fortunate enough to be on the front seat of change and sometimes privileged enough to be placed in the driver’s seat of many turnaround initiatives, I think I have a lot to contribute to companies looking for growth and transformation,” she stated.

She also stressed that her hybrid experience as a corporate marketer and entrepreneur has brought her a tremendous cumulative amount of knowledge and skills across a wide spectrum over the last two decades, which she intends to bring to Ampersand Advisory.

She also highlighted transformation as one of the key lessons she intends to bring to the agency, stating, “Transformation can be an exciting buzzword to say and flex in conversations, but in reality, it is daunting to many. So, while there are high dependencies on digital tools and platforms to deliver results, human experience and people-readiness should always be at the forefront of how companies approach, design, and execute marketing transformations.”

Meanwhile, when asked about what marketing transformation trends will be significant to Ampersand Advisory’s growth, Sandeep stated, “The key trends include the rise of AI, the changing economics of advertising agencies, and the changing dynamics of consumers who are veering towards short content across multiple fragmented platforms. With recent boycotts and tariffs, there is now greater flux than ever before.”

He added, “Our consultants are highly experienced, data-driven and have worked in multiple markets ranging from India to China to Indonesia and more. This gives us insight, width and breadth when it comes to solutions for clients. A further edge we have is that we execute where needed: we don’t just advise, we actually put our money where our mouth is and execute the strategies we suggest. That’s 100% accountability.”

Australia – Amber Abbott has been appointed CEO of Havas Australia’s creative communications agency; One Green Bean (ogb), after overseeing a period of sustained and significant growth during her tenure as managing director.

Amber assumes extended responsibility for the management and strategic direction of the agency. Working with ogb’s leadership team, managing partner Lauren Bailey and head of content Laura Byrne, to take the agency to its next phase of growth with a focus on digital innovation, world-class creative thinking, and strategic partnerships and collaborations.

Her appointment comes as One Green Bean enters its 18th year since it began in Australia helping brands earn attention through creativity that drives meaningful conversation – including enduring 10- and 11-year client relationships with Nike and Meat & Livestock Australia respectively. Under Amber’s leadership, ogb has recently welcomed a raft of new clients to its roster that includes Pinterest and Tourism & Events Queensland.

Amber has been with the agency for 11 of those 18 years, progressing from account director to hold senior leadership positions including head of client services and general manager before being appointed managing director in January 2023.

Speaking on her appointment, Amber described the full circle ogb career development she aims to replicate for her team, stating “After over a decade with ogb, it is an honour to take on this role. We’ve entered an exciting new era. We’re still the feisty, boutique agency we were all those years ago – but with the reach, reliability and rigour of a global network behind us. That is a powerful combination.”

She added, “Starting my career at ogb in 2014 was like boarding a rocket ship – fast paced, high pressure. But learning from the best in the business and working on some of the world’s most prestigious, courageous and complex brands quickly taught me that leaning into uncomfortable moments allows you to prove what you’re made of, and expedite your learning and growth.”

When asked about her vision as ogb’s new CEO, she said, “As CEO, my mission is to foster an environment that allows my passionate, talented team to thrive too – to find and seize uncomfortably exciting opportunities that push them to be their best selves, while providing the flexibility, training and personalised support to help them find the right work/life balance that is absolutely essential.”

She added, “I want to inspire my team to be present in their life beyond work, pursue passions and remain consciously curious – because the life bit makes you fundamentally better at the work bit. Not just for our careers – but for our client partners as well.”

Meanwhile, James Wright, group CEO at Havas Creative Network ANZ and global chair at Havas PR Network, commented, “The last two years has seen some of the strongest growth and commercial success in the history of ogb. This has been coupled with an outstanding culture that puts people and creativity at its core. I believe the agency is well set for this to continue with Amber at the helm. She is one of the most dedicated, organised and committed leaders I have ever worked with, and with her strategic mindset and eye for a great idea she has all the attributes you want in a CEO. More than that she is just a great person to be around and partner with as we continue to grow Havas in Australia.”

India – Edelman has announced a series of leadership elevations across its India team, aligning with the firm’s strategic vision for the next phase of growth and continued commitment to integrated client solutions.

Among the key changes, Ashutosh Munshi, previously lead advisor for brand marketing and communications, will take on the expanded role of lead advisor for integrated communications.

In this position, Munshi will oversee the integration of practices, sectors, and capabilities to support the delivery of comprehensive marketing solutions. Over his 22-year tenure at Edelman, he has played a key role in building the brand marketing practice and establishing the firm’s strategic planning and creative functions in India.

Karishma Gupte has been promoted to India brand lead, moving up from her current role as brand lead for Delhi and food and beverage sector lead. She will also take on additional responsibilities as head of the Delhi office. Over the past seven years, Gupte has led award-winning campaigns and contributed to the growth of the firm’s food and beverage portfolio.

Meanwhile, Vasudevan Rangarajan, formerly SVP for public and government affairs, has been named managing director of the practice. Rangarajan has spent over 13 years with the firm and, in recent years, has focused on strengthening Edelman’s policy advisory and stakeholder engagement capabilities.

Also part of the leadership changes is Pankaj Suri, who will relocate to Dubai to serve as EVP, people partner for the Middle East.

Suri, who has led the people function for Edelman India for more than 13 years while supporting APAC operations, will transition his India responsibilities to Ashutosh Thatte. Thatte will be elevated to vice president, people partner, effective June 1, 2025. Over his nine years at the firm, he has contributed to business alignment and culture-building efforts across the India team.

Speaking on the appointments, Bhavna Jagtiani, CEO of Edelman India, says, “Our clients and teams have placed deep trust in these leaders over the last decade. Together, we have built a culture of collaboration, quality and innovation that has been at the core of our client and people relationships. I am confident that together, we will unlock new dimensions of value for our clients and teams as we chart our next phase of growth in India.”

India – After more than two decades in India, Cheil India has transitioned into the Cheil SWA Group, reflecting a strategic evolution into an end-to-end marketing solutions provider. The transformation includes a new group structure and leadership appointments.

Founded in 2003 as Samsung’s dedicated agency, Cheil has evolved into a full-service marketing group with a broader client portfolio. Its transformation into the Cheil SWA Group follows years of organic growth and strategic acquisitions, positioning it at the intersection of creativity, technology, and business strategy.

The restructured group comprises seven specialised units—Samsung Business, Cheil X, Experience Commerce, CYLNDR, NewRx, Digital Media & Influencer Marketing, and Cheil GDC—each offering expertise across areas such as creative marketing, digital transformation, performance marketing, content production, retail design, influencer engagement, and technology solutions. This integrated model is aimed at addressing the increasingly complex needs of modern businesses.

With this shift, Cheil SWA Group is also positioning itself as a destination for top industry talent. The realignment breaks down silos between marketing disciplines, offering clients a more streamlined and coordinated approach.

Carlos LimSeob Chung, president and CEO of Cheil SWA, will lead the newly restructured Cheil SWA Group. Jitender Dabas, recently appointed CEO of Cheil X, will oversee the group’s agency operations. Meanwhile, Mandeep Sharma steps in as COO of Cheil India, with a mandate to strengthen customer experience and build out CRM capabilities across the marketing value chain.

“Our transformation into the Cheil SWA Group marks a significant milestone in our journey. Each company within our group is driven by a commitment to innovation and excellence, allowing us to offer comprehensive solutions to our clients. We are excited about the future and confident that our expanded capabilities will enable us to achieve even greater success,” Chung explained.

He added, “Today’s marketing landscape demands integrated thinking and specialised execution. Our transformation into Cheil SWA Group is a natural evolution of our capabilities, allowing us to offer clients seamless access to world-class expertise across every touchpoint of the consumer journey.”

Singapore – Christopher Daguimol, most recently the group director and head of corporate communications at ZALORA, has announced his departure from the company after a venture that lasted ten years and seven months.

In a LinkedIn post, Christopher reflected on cultivating the communications department of ZALORA from the ground-up and establishing foundational protocols that continue to shape the group’s strategy.

“ZALORA is deeply significant to me. I’ve dedicated my entire 30s to its growth into a Southeast Asian e-commerce leader. More importantly, I’ve worked with incredibly talented individuals who have shaped the region’s start-up ecosystem. This journey offered unparalleled opportunities for building, learning, and mentoring future communications professionals,” he said.

His tenure at ZALORA was divided into two parts: first serving as the head of brand communications from 2014 to 2019, and then as the head of corporate communications from 2020 up until this year.

During his first stint at ZALORA, he focused on building ZALORA’s brand identity across Southeast Asia. Some of those achievements included implementing measurable KPIs for PR and social teams, as well as launching the ZALORA Influencer Programme in 2019. 

He also conceptualised and executed initiatives celebrating regional fashion and design, such as the ZALORA Style Awards (2015-2018) and Make Me A ZALORA Model (2016-2019).Moreover, he spearheaded media campaigns for ZALORA’s pioneering pop-up stores (2014-2018), bridging their online and offline presence, and consolidated the group’s social media strategy (2018-2019), including the group’s official TikTok launch. 

He also helped run the inaugural ZALORA Fashion Festival in 2019, integrating online and offline for brand partners, generated significant engagement and results, as well as lead ZALORA’s participation in fashion weeks, including Singapore’s first live shoppable runway in 2017.

Meanwhile, his corporate leadership role–which followed their Frankfurt listing–focused on corporate messaging and reputation management. He led the creation of the ZALORA TRENDER Report (2020-2024), a key resource for Southeast Asian fashion retail insights, and the ZALORA Podcast (2021-2022). He also led the company’s employee volunteering program and the 2020 re-launch of ZALORA Values. 

It is worth noting that from 2016-2018, he concurrently served as head of communications for Global Fashion Group under Romain Voog.

“To my remarkable past and present teams across the region: it has been an honor. I leave ZALORA in your capable hands, confident in your continued success. I eagerly anticipate witnessing ZALORA’s future achievements,” he concluded.

His departure follows the recent exit of Aashish Midha from his role as CEO at ZALORA Philippines & Indonesia, as well as Achint Setia from his role as chief revenue and marketing officer at ZALORA.

Singapore – Edelman has added Asia Pacific-based specialists to its global Workplace Advisory team, in response to growing demand for expertise in building and maintaining employer trust in Asia Pacific. The expansion of its workplace communications advisory and solutions offering comes shortly after the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer report found that there is an unprecedented global decline in employer trust. 

The Workplace Advisory specialists operate across geographies to service clients’ requirements across 10 markets in Asia Pacific (Australia, India, Indonesia, Greater China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam), embedded within Edelman’s integrated teams to provide full-service communications solutions to clients. 

Jiejun Yan is the Asia Pacific Workplace Advisory lead. She brings two decades of experience as an external and in-house consultant working with C-suite leaders and global organisations in employer brand, transformation, culture and change communications, employee experience and surveys, training and leadership alignment & development. She is completing the executive Masters in Change at INSEAD and is a certified Human Resource professional, change practitioner and executive coach. She is based out of Singapore.

Meanwhile, Meghan Barstow is the president of Edelman Japan and the Asia Pacific Workplace Advisory strategic advisor. She brings decades of experience as a communications strategist with her work spanning across corporate reputation, brand, consumer and employee experience. Meghan has worked with C-suite leaders and global, complex and decentralized organisations to build integrated communication strategies, leveraging new technologies and creative approaches to break through the clutter. She is based out of Tokyo.

Daniel Billimack has come onboard as regional director, Workplace Advisory. He has extensive experience in business transformation, change management, people strategy, employee engagement and culture change. Besides native English, he is fluent in Japanese and has a proven track record working with multinational corporations operating in Japan and beyond. In addition to completing an MBA with a focus on global people strategy, Daniel holds PMP and SHRM-SCP certifications. He is based out of Tokyo.

Cristina Hargrave is regional senior supervisor, Workplace Advisory. She is a certified change practitioner and seasoned employee communications expert who is well-versed in working with CEOs and Communication leaders to effectively communicate with and motivate diverse employees across markets. She is based out of Seoul.

Heng Min Wong brings rich experience in workplace and workforce transformations to his role as regional director, Workplace Advisory. He has a track record of strategic leadership alignment, culture change, operating model redesign and curating workplace relocation strategies across diverse industries in the Asia Pacific region. Heng Min holds a Master’s in Applied Finance, is a PROSCI-certified Change Management Practitioner, and a LUMA-certified Design Thinking Facilitator. He is based out of Singapore.

Rakesh Thukral, Edelman’s CEO for Asia Pacific, said, “The recent Edelman Trust Barometer research shows signs that employer trust is at risk in these challenging times of change. This is further accentuated by the current uncertainties that the companies are facing. Productivity, employee welfare and upskilling have a new sense of urgency.”

He added, “Employee trust is now crucial more than ever as companies navigate through these needs and their employer brand needs to be integrated seamlessly into business conduct and communications strategies. With these specialist hires, we are matching the urgent and evolving needs of our clients in engaging employees as a key stakeholder group.”

Edelman’s Workplace Advisory offering helps organisations with the process of strategic employer trust-building, with specialist expertise covering the areas of employer brand, internal communications, change management and culture & transformation, among others.

Australia – Special has appointed acclaimed creative duo Peter Defries and Alan Wilson as regional group creative directors for Uber and Uber Eats, further strengthening its leadership across the APAC region.

Defries and Wilson bring 14 years of creative partnership to the role, returning to Australia after nearly a decade in New York. During their time in the U.S., they served as executive creative directors at BBH NY, where they led work for the J.M. Smucker Company’s portfolio of FMCG brands, along with major accounts including Walmart and Cadillac.

Their work has been recognised with more than 30 international awards. In 2022, both were named among D&AD’s Top 20 Executive Creative Directors worldwide.

“We’ve been massive fans of Special for some time now. Watching from the other side of the world, we were consistently blown away by the breakthrough work they produced, especially with Uber and Uber Eats. So when the opportunity arose to be part of it, we couldn’t say no,” Wilson shared.

Defries added, “Leaving New York wasn’t a decision we took lightly—it gave us some of the best experiences of our careers. But the chance to come home and join this extremely talented team, pushing creative boundaries at a world-class level right here in our own backyard, was simply too good to pass up.”

Defries and Wilson will join Celia Garforth and Lauren Portelli as part of Special’s leadership team on the Uber account across APAC. Garforth and Portelli have played a key role in growing the agency’s strategic and creative remit with Uber and Uber Eats in the region.

The partnership now spans ANZ, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, with all work led from Special’s Sydney office. In 2024, the team’s work was recognised with a Gold Effie for the ‘Get Almost Almost Anything’ campaign in ANZ. Special also operates an on-the-ground team in Tokyo to support the expansion of Uber’s business in Japan.

Tom Martin, partner and CCO at Special Australia, commented, “We’re pumped to have Pete and Alan boomerang back to Australia and back into Special. We’re at our best when we bring together top-tier humans who get what it takes to make great work and do it with care, craft and real collaboration.”

Cade Heyde, global partner of Special, added, “The magic of Special Group comes from the extraordinary people behind it. Celia and Lauren have been instrumental in building our creative reputation across APAC. And now, with Peter and Alan joining them, we believe we have one of the best, most exciting teams in the world.”

India – Havas India has named industry veteran Prashanth Challapalli as chief digital & innovation officer for Havas Creative Network India, a newly created role aimed at accelerating digital transformation and innovation across the agency’s operations.

In this newly created role, Challapalli will be responsible for integrating emerging technologies with creative strategy, with a focus on developing digital-first solutions and evolving brand storytelling across the network.

Challapalli brings over 25 years of experience across advertising, digital, entertainment, and consulting. His background spans digital transformation, content strategy, and brand innovation, having led teams, overseen business operations, and worked on campaigns for both local and global brands.

He was previously the founder and CEO of Gravity Integrated, a consultancy focused on business and marketing strategy, where he advised clients such as Amazon Pay, Google, and Tata Motors. Prior to that, he held senior leadership roles at agencies including Publicis, Leo Burnett Orchard, and iContract, where he led major digital initiatives.

Speaking on his appointment, Challapalli shared, “We live in the ‘Attention Economy’, where AI-driven content is reshaping brand narratives and business outcomes. While creativity remains key, innovation now extends beyond advertising. Havas’ integrated model fosters digital, media, culture, and creativity, with Converged, its AI-driven OS, further enhancing this synergy. I’m excited to join a network that pushes boundaries and sets new creative benchmarks, working with leadership to shape a fresh narrative for Havas, its brands, and its people.”

Challapalli will work closely with Sanchita Roy, chief strategy officer at Havas Media India, Rohan Chincholi, chief digital officer at Havas Media India, and other senior leaders across the network to support the adoption of Converged OS and its associated strategies within Havas Creative Network India.

Based in Mumbai, he will report to Rana Barua, group CEO of Havas India, SEA, and North Asia.

Barua commented, “Innovation is no longer an option; it is imperative. The creative industry is undergoing a seismic shift driven by technology, data, and consumer behaviour. Prashant will work closely with network leaders to drive the convergence of creative, media, and health, powered by data-driven innovation and technology, while seamlessly integrating storytelling to enhance impact.”