Tag: Leadership

Singapore – Lucas Ngoo, one of the co-founders at Carousell, is set to step down from the day-to-day management roles from the company. He will still retain his co-founder leadership role, and will transition to an advisory role. This move comes eleven and a half years since he co-founded Carousell alongside Siu Rui Quek and Marcus Tan.

In a recent LinkedIn post, he stated that he continues to have full vested interests in the success of Carousell as a co-founder, board director and shareholder, and have full confidence in their business and leadership team.

“My passion has always been to build the future with technology. It has been an incredible journey working with our CarouTeam to make selling secondhand even faster with machine learning and piloting features that shape our current recommerce foundations,” he said.

Ngoo added, “I believe there is more to learn, hence it is a personal decision of mine to take the chance to have a break to learn new areas of innovation and other industries, such as AI in biotech/healthcare, climate tech/energy transition and Web3.”

He also reflected on initial conversations with Quek and Tan on the founding of Carousell, and seeing how their idea grown into multiple brands facilitating tens of millions of users to participate in the circular economy and make secondhand their first choice.

“I am grateful for all the support over the past decade, especially to our user community for supporting us to choose secondhand, and sharing your inspiring stories and feedback to help us continually improve. This is just the start of our second decade of Carousell, and there is more to come,” he concluded.

Singapore – After serving as Flash Coffee’s head of marketing in Asia-Pacific for over three years, Deniz Kavak has announced that he will be moving to Propseller, a Singapore-based real estate agency, where he will serve as its head of marketing.

In a recent exclusive interview with MARKETECH APAC, Kavak shared that his leadership will focus on two areas: team leadership and strategic oversight. In it, he will be dedicated to recruiting, managing, and developing a high-achieving marketing team, as well as crafting and executing the overall marketing strategy for Propseller.

“A significant part of my hands-on efforts will be directed towards growth marketing and brand-building initiatives. This means I’ll be closely involved in driving customer acquisition via performance marketing channels, enhancing our brand presence in the market, and establishing Propseller as the leading tech-powered real estate agency in Singapore. I aim to blend innovative marketing tactics with data-driven insights to propel Propseller’s growth and solidify its reputation among property owners and seekers alike,” Kavak told MARKETECH APAC.

Marketing capability focal points

When asked about his key marketing priorities for Propseller, he stated that he will focus on strategic areas essential for the brand’s growth and brand presence, including conversion rate optimisation (CRO) and customer relationship management (CRM).

For Kavak, their CRO efforts will be vital to enhance their lead generation efforts, ensuring that their digital touchpoints effectively convert visitors into leads. Meanwhile, their CRM efforts will aim to improve Propseller’s lead nurturing through personalised communication, making the customer journey as seamless as possible.

“To bolster these efforts, we’re excited to announce that we will soon be hiring for key positions in our CRM team. This is a fantastic opportunity for those looking to contribute to a cutting-edge CRM strategy in the real estate sector,” he shared.

He also explained that they will expand their communications team, and that their focused efforts on CRO, CRM and communications will keep them busy over the coming weeks and months.

“Communications, encompassing social media, content marketing, and public relations, is equally crucial for amplifying our brand awareness. Through these channels, we plan to engage our audience, provide valuable insights, and showcase Propseller’s distinctive offerings,” he added.

Reflecting on previous stint at Flash Coffee

Kavak shared that during his time at Flash Coffee, he discovered the enduring power of branding alongside their highly optimised performance marketing campaigns. He also added that their previous investments in branding significantly contributed to reducing their overall customer acquisition costs in the long term, affirming the essential role of brand strength in growth strategies.

“Our experience with partnerships was equally transformative. Collaborating with prominent brands like Bumble, Oatside, and Barbie, we harnessed their extensive reach to connect with our target audience more effectively. These partnerships not only facilitated new customer acquisition but also supported our partners in achieving their marketing goals, creating a mutually beneficial ecosystem,” he said.

He also shared that during his time at Flash Coffee, they underscored the critical importance of customer obsession in marketing. This means that every strategy, campaign, and initiative must be deeply rooted in understanding and serving the customer’s needs and preferences.

“This customer-centric approach will continue to be a cornerstone of my strategy at Propseller, guiding our efforts to redefine excellence in the real estate industry. As I transition to Propseller, the essence of strategic marketing and commercial partnerships remains important, although the nature of these partnerships will evolve to align with the real estate sector’s unique dynamics,” he shared.

Understanding what’s next for real estate marketing in APAC and Singapore

For Kavak, the evolution of real estate marketing is marked by significant advancements and challenges, as we adapt to meet the expectations of a digitally connected audience. Moreover, he explains that navigating through these developments requires a nuanced approach, focusing on enhancing tech-driven experiences, leveraging the power of video marketing, and honing in on hyper-personalisation and hyper-local strategies.

“In the forefront of tech-driven experiences within the real estate sector, AI chatbots represent a transformative tool for enhancing lead generation and customer acquisition. By providing instant responses to inquiries and detailed information about brand services, these chatbots play a crucial role in engaging potential clients from the first interaction. The challenge here lies in ensuring such innovations remain user-friendly and accessible to all, regardless of their tech-savviness,” he said.

One of those key opportunities for real estate marketing is having video marketing playing a pivotal role in the industry, which can be implemented in strategies such as virtual tours, property showcases, and neighborhood explorations. In fact, the company is exemplifying the use of said technology through its cinematic video tours that vividly showcase properties, challenging us to distinguish our content in a densely populated digital arena.

“Lastly, hyper-personalisation and hyper-local marketing stand as pillars for crafting marketing messages that resonate deeply with target audiences. An example of this is tailoring ads to showcase similar properties sold in a buyer’s neighborhood, making the content highly relevant and engaging. Tailoring communications to match the specific needs and interests of buyers is essential, yet it presents the challenge of gathering and analyzing data accurately while respecting privacy boundaries,” he said.

Meanwhile, his outlook for the Singapore real estate industry is focused on two pivotal trends: the increasing reliance on technology for seamless transactions and the enhanced role of agents in ensuring customer success.

He stated, “Firstly, technology is set to redefine the real estate transaction process, with customers increasingly expecting digital solutions to make their experiences more seamless and convenient. A prime example of this trend is the launch of the Propseller Mobile App, which significantly enhances the property selling and buying experience. It allows owners to track their sale process, monitor listings, and access offers in real-time, while enabling buyers to discover off-market listings and request viewings with just one click.”

“However, the role of technology does not diminish the importance of agents; on the contrary, it elevates the expectations placed on them. Propseller’s approach combines technological ease with the expertise and personal touch of highly skilled agents, supporting customers through every step— from professional photography and video tours to negotiation and paperwork,” Kavak concluded.

Singapore – Public relations consultancy Elliot & Co. has appointed Mayda Jutahkiti as its new managing director for Singapore and Jayeeta Mazumder as its new account director.

The new appointees will work closely to ensure the agency’s growth and success, ensuring that it remains relevant to the evolving needs of the industry.

In her new role as managing director, Mayda will spearhead the strategic direction, growth, and overall success of Elliot & Co. Singapore. She brings with her 20 years of experience in various capacities, fostering team dynamics and ensuring client satisfaction across industries.

She previously served as general manager at her previous agencies, Rice Communications and The Hoffman Agency. She had also worked on multiple startups like Remote, AI Rudder, and 3S Money, as well as established companies like Google, Salesforce, PayPal, LinkedIn, Audi, and MyRepublic, among others.

Meanwhile, Jayeeta, in her newly appointed role as account director, will work alongside Mayda to oversee the client portfolio and lead a team of PR and editorial experts.

She has a wealth of experience in PR and media, with 15 years of career in journalism and delivering effective communication strategies for global clients such as Netflix and WeWork. Prior to joining Elliot & Co., she worked with Monk’s Hill Ventures, where she collaborated with partners, founders, ecosystem builders, and thought leaders, gaining extensive knowledge of the media and PR landscape in Southeast Asia.

Jeremy Foo, founder and CEO of Elliot & Co., shared, “I am confident that Mayda and Jayeeta’s combined background across various industries, coupled with their diverse experience in serving a wide range of local and global clients, will steer the agency in this increasingly challenging and competitive space. They have already made their mark on the team, and I am eager to see how the agency evolves and flourishes under their stewardship.”

Commenting on her appointment, Mayda also said, “It is an exciting role for me where I feel empowered and can make a positive impact on the business. I’ve had the opportunity to work at two outstanding and people-centric organisations, so the focus on people and culture has really rubbed off on me. This will still be at the heart of all I do, even as we navigate a challenging environment, explore new horizons, and chart a course for a future of sustained success.”

Tokyo, Japan – McCann Japan has recently appointed Charlotte Auyeung as its new head of strategy. Her appointment took effect in February 1 this year. 

She has over 20 years of account management and strategic planning experience at global advertising agencies including McCann and Leo Burnett in Hong Kong, Beacon Communications, Naked Communications and TBWA/Hakuhodo in Tokyo, where she led the strategies for companies such as P&G, The Coca-Cola Company, McDonald’s, IKEA, Airbnb, H&M and more.

In 2019, she took on a marketing role at Netflix Japan, where she led campaigns for popular shows including “Stranger Things,” “The Naked Director,” and “Alice in Borderland.”

Speaking on his new role, Auyeung said, “I’m thrilled to join McCann, whose mission to help brands earn a meaningful role in people’s lives aligns deeply with my own. Alongside our talented strategists and embracing McCann’s philosophy of ‘Truth Well Told’, I am eager to cultivate a team dedicated to uncovering consumer insights and brand stories rooted in truth, crafting strategies that inspire actionable solutions and creative excellence across platforms, growing brand and business for our valued client partners.”

Meanwhile, Takashi Aoki, representative director and president at McCann Japan commented on the appointment, “I am very excited to welcome Char to our leadership team. She is the ideal strategist to help us evolve McCann’s one-of-a-kind mission and philosophy in a modern way. She brings the expertise, experience and leadership we need to redefine our digitally-driven integrated solutions to grow our clients’ businesses and accelerate our transformation to become a more innovative agency partner for our clients.”

Lastly, Shilpa Sinha, chief strategy officer at McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific, said, “I am delighted to welcome Char to the APAC Strategy Leadership Community. Char brings a wealth of strategic experience, building power brands that have shaped culture. She also demonstrates the perfect combination of a thinking and doing growth mindset, a fundamental for strategy leaders of the future. I cannot think of a better person to drive meaningful and effective creativity for our clients.”

With INNOCEAN’s name being derived from the phrase ‘Ocean of Innovation’, it comes as no surprise that Chow Kok Keong, Innocean Indonesia’s chief creative officer, leads his team of creatives by cultivating an agency ecosystem that thrives on out-of-the-box thinking and bold ideas.

“Embracing the mantra of unlearning and learning, I always push my team to stay at the forefront of the industry and embrace new technologies to ensure our campaigns remain cutting-edge, fresh, and impactful,” said Chow.

As a creative leader who seeks to set their agency apart in an industry full of ideas, Chow has a unique way of encouraging his team members to think creatively, embrace diverse perspectives, and take risks rather than playing it safe.

Consistently staying out-of-the-box 

As the industry always demands fresh and unique ideas for new campaigns and initiatives, one of the biggest challenges faced by creative leaders is to always ensure that their team always has the creative direction to tackle a multitude of situations. Chow approaches this by seeing it as a challenge with a solution, and not a struggle. 

“Every challenge comes with a solution when we keep pushing ourselves and never give up until we find a way to overcome it”, Chow mentioned. 

As chief creative officer, Chow says that his role is to provide his team with clear creative directions when they are stuck in a rut when it comes to ideas. Additionally, he pushes his team to not settle for anything that they are too comfortable with.  

With this in mind, one of Chow’s strategies to drive creativity in the workplace is to include internal sessions among his team members on ‘Trend & Knowledge Sharing’ to always stay relevant on what’s new within the industry, and holding an ‘Open Brief Challenge,’ to allow collaborative effort between multiple entities to come up with a collective solution to the client’s demand.

Going into more detail, Chow remarked, “I conduct idea reviews every two weeks and regularly participate in brainstorming sessions with the team. Consequently, the best ideas will be produced and submitted to award shows, where exposure and involvement serve as the best rewards and motivation for the team members to stay passionate in their creative work.”

Creating memorable, iconic campaigns

With his style of leadership, Chow and his team always strive to make sure that they always put the similar creative intention and passion into every brief, as they see it as a significant opportunity for them to showcase their skills and make themselves proud of their work, regardless of how big or small the projects are.

When asked about the most memorable projects that he led as CCO, Chow said that he really appreciated doing Hyundai’s U17 project, which was a campaign that supported young football players in terms of transportation during the U17 FIFA World Cup in Indonesia.

“There are several projects that we produced in 2023 that I like, and one of them is the Hyundai U17 project where we believe every young footballer deserves an opportunity to shine. Hence, we empowered the youth with a series of programmes to inspire them to be champions of tomorrow for the nation,” he explained. 

Furthermore, another major project that Chow shared was the ‘Anti-Hate Keyboard,’ which was actually a campaign for corporate social responsibility(CSR) which helped raise awareness and stop cyberbullying through a creative way of modifying gaming keyboards.

“I am proud of the Anti-Hate Keyboard, a CSR project that stopped cyberbullying through innovation by reprogramming the firmware of the gaming keyboard. When bullies type out insulting words, the keyboard automatically swaps the negative words for positive ones”, added Chow.  

A rising force of creativity in Indonesia 

Founded in 2020, INNOCEAN Indonesia has seen its fair share of milestones and successes. On the creative side of things, Chow admits that there are still several things that they need to improve on to always stay on top of the industry, but there is no denying that Chow’s leadership contributes greatly in always pushing the agency to that goal. 

“Over the past 18 months, through the collaborative effort of my creative team, along with the unwavering support and guidance from our APAC regional CEO, James Lee, we’ve achieved several milestones.” 

“Although our creative output isn’t perfect yet, it has significantly improved, and we remain committed to pushing for even greater creativity. Additionally, we successfully secured new business through pitches and earned recognition in creative award shows, both regionally and globally,” concluded Chow.

The leadership journey is often marked by resilience, determination, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. It takes unwavering dedication and profound commitment for someone to rise and achieve success, not only for themselves but also for the organisation they serve.

For MARKETECH APAC’s third Milestone Series article, we spoke with Peggy Koh, vice president of growth partnerships for SEA and Greater China at Adzymic, to share one of her greatest milestones — rising to her current position today to sharpen the company’s focus on SEA as its key region driving growth.

In this narrative, Koh shares her journey and experiences throughout her career, her leadership work, and her insights on driving growth for a small tech company.

Climbing higher and pushing forward

Before joining Adzymic, Koh handled several marketing and sales roles in other companies. Most notably, she served most of her career in the banking industry, having worked both in local and regional management roles at DBS Bank, Citi, and UOB.

Bringing with her everything she’s learned in her previous roles, she joined the creative dynamic management platform Adzymic in 2021, where she took on the role of head of growth and client success. Her responsibilities then include managing the company’s key global accounts, ensuring that they deliver successful campaigns, and driving further growth for its clients and the company.

It didn’t take long for Koh to earn herself a promotion, welcoming 2024 as the VP of partnerships for SEA and Greater China.

Her extensive background, having been both a media owner and a client, and her holistic understanding of the Southeast Asian market, where she had worked for so long, paved the way for her to develop strategies that were instrumental in positioning Adzymic in the key region.

Koh shared, “Every step in my career has led me to today. I cut my teeth doing online media sales for a small firm back in the early 2000s, when digital media was the complete underdog, and picked up the basics. Thereafter, a 12-year marketing career in the banking industry, managing both local and regional roles, was instrumental in letting me gain experience in the corporate world, understanding how decisions are made on the client side and also observing how corporate culture is built in global organisations.”

Leading Adzymic towards success

As the vice president of partnerships for SEA and Greater China, Koh oversees both sales and marketing roles. For her, both roles ‘naturally feed off one another’, which is why it’s important to ensure synergy between these two functions.

“In sales, whenever we clinch projects with notable brands, the marketing kicks in to craft case studies that tell our DCO (Dynamic Creative Optimisation) stories to foster more learning in the industry of our adtech application. We make it a point to be present at major martech events in all markets we are active in, to stamp our presence, and to showcase our client brand portfolio. This in turn increases our visibility to become a well-established DCO brand that’s born and bred in Asia, with keen Asian insights and understanding of how local business is done,” she stated.

Koh believes that her exposure to new markets has propelled the growth and development of her business acumen, negotiation skills, and understanding of different cultures. After only working in the Singapore market, she is now managing networks in six markets for Adzymic.

With this, from having two team members, she now handles a team of ten across SEA and Hong Kong for both sales and key account servicing. Her understanding of the role and the market is relevant in leading her teams to work towards achieving their objectives.

However, as they are still a relatively small tech company, Koh also knew that one of the challenges of being a leader is attracting and retaining talent. In a competitive market such as Southeast Asia, many talents would flock to bigger companies with more established names in the industry.

This is why Koh shared that she also felt grateful and fortunate to have found goal-driven and talented young people who are rendering their time and skills to support Adzymic’s goals across all of its key markets.

“I see it as my job to build up the Adzymic culture, one that is nurturing of our people’s talent and career skill sets, and I’d like our people to have a strong sense of belonging here as we truly value everyone’s hard work and contributions,” she added.

Staying ahead of the curve

Navigating the dynamic and competitive tech landscape is no easy feat for many who have tried to penetrate its intricate web of opportunities and challenges.

The global adtech market, in particular, is showing promising numbers, with an estimated growth of USD 1.4 billion by 2030. And the Asia-Pacific region is among the fastest-growing in this area, according to a report by MarketsandMarkets.

And Koh is confident that Adzymic is already well-positioned to capitalise on this projected growth rate.

She shared that the company is always looking for ways to stay at the forefront of the curve, making sure to offer solutions that answer the evolving needs of their clients, such as new ways to apply DCO techniques by harnessing data and focusing on mobile advertising formats. The company also recently launched its APX to bring high-impact skinners and mobile scrollers to Asian advertisers.

Furthermore, the company’s campaigns were able to successfully showcase Adzymic’s well-differentiated propositions for their Asian clients. Among their works, two that stood out the most are their campaigns for Income Insurance Singapore and Standard Chartered Hong Kong.

For Income Insurance Singapore, a client with advanced martech stacks, Adzymic DCO developed as many ad variants as their data insights could generate to consistently support higher performance with relevant messaging.

Meanwhile, for a client that embraces innovation and fresh approaches to advertising, such as Standard Chartered Hong Kong, Adzymic activated new and innovative rich media formats to meet their campaign objectives.

Furthermore, Adzymic currently boasts a strong brand portfolio and a client base. And so, one of Koh’s main jobs is to maintain and strengthen these relationships to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty.

She noted how Adzymic places great importance on their customer service, making it the centre of their organisation and their very DNA. For them, it’s important to employ a customer-oriented mindset, making sure they are doing their best for every client.

“Our adtech solution is dynamic, our tech team is innovative and imaginative, and our account managers are trained up to be conscientious and strong at managing projects and timelines. When you do something well, the results and the experience speak for themselves; trust is built, and then clients will naturally stay with you over the long run,” she continued.

Reflections approaching her third anniversary 

When asked what moment in her career is the most rewarding, Koh says it’s her time now in Adzymic as she was able to make the most impact in her workplace.

“It will be 3 years in a few weeks’ time. With Adzymic, it’s always felt intuitive, with a sense of constant growth and positive learning, and I’m really coming into my own at this juncture. It’s not a glamorous large corporate organisation, but it’s a place where I feel safe to learn, grow, and be empowered to contribute,” she said.

With an excited outlook on what lies ahead in her future, Koh simply ends with, “I’m excited to see where this path will take me! ”

This piece is published under MARKETECH APAC’s content series ‘Milestones’, which celebrates the different milestones and achievements of industry leaders across the Asia-Pacific region. Please reach out to [email protected] for more information.

Manila, Philippines – Deustche Bank has announced the appointment of Dino Siason as its chief country officer for the Philippines, as well as head of head of corporate bank in the country. His appointment is effective April 1, 2024, and is subject to necessary regulatory approvals.

In his new role, Siason will lead Deutsche Bank’s 1,500 strong platform in the Philippines. He will be responsible for the corporate bank and investment Bank, along with one of the bank’s two key service hubs in Asia-Pacific, serving critical back and middle office functions globally. 

Siason will replace Michael Chua, who is retiring after working in the banking industry for nearly 30 years.

Siason will report to Burkhard Ziegenhorn, head of corporate bank for Southeast Asia and Australia and Kaushik Shaparia, CEO, emerging Asia and chief country officer of India.

He brings more than 20 years of financial institutions experience to this role and spent nearly 18 years with Citibank in the Philippines, Singapore and the Czech Republic. Most recently, he was Citi’s head of treasury and trade Solutions for the Central Europe Cluster, based in Prague. 

Throughout his career, he has held a wide range of roles across credit, client coverage and franchise management, with a strong focus on enabling clients to become more global. Siason will relocate to Manila.

“We are proud of our 48-year history in the Philippines and committed to growing in this increasingly important market. We’re delighted that our strong platform has attracted high quality talent like Dino, and look forward to him leading our franchise from strength to strength in the Philippines,” Shaparia stated.

Meanwhile, Ziegenhorn commented, “Dino will play a leadership role in taking our Corporate Bank in the Philippines to the next level. His global client coverage and product expertise combined with his deep local market knowledge, will help further differentiate Deutsche Bank in the Philippines.”

He added, “We are thankful to Mike for his dedicated leadership with the bank; he hands over a strong platform poised for further success. We have built many trusted and valued relationships here over past decades, and I am confident that Dino will significantly enhance and grow these over the years to come.”

Singapore – Experience innovation company Valtech has announced two new senior hires to growth and consulting practice in Asia-Pacific. They include Florian Pihs as vice president of growth and Prem Varatharajan as vice president of strategy and consulting.

With Pihs and Varatharajan at the helm, Valtech is poised to enable leading brands to leap ahead of the competition and drive business value in the region through experience innovation.

Pihs, an industry leader with over 20 years of experience, joins Valtech to spearhead business growth across China and Southeast Asia. Based in Beijing for more than two decades, he specialises in business transformation for global companies looking to expand into China, as well as Chinese companies looking to scale globally.

In his new role, Pihs will focus on creating a unified and impactful go-to-market strategy for APAC, aligning Valtech’s offerings with the value delivered to clients. He will leverage marketing, demand generation, and partner alliances as key growth drivers, ensuring Valtech unlocks maximum business value for existing and new clients in the region.

Speaking on his new role, he said, “The opportunity to lead Valtech’s growth journey in APAC is truly exciting. This market has a huge potential for business transformation given its rapid digitalisation, making it fertile yet competitive for experience innovation. With Valtech’s ability to help businesses leap ahead through experiences that keep pace with shifts in customer expectations, it’s well-positioned to make a real difference in how businesses operate in APAC and how APAC customers experience the world.”

Meanwhile, Varatharajan, a strategy and consulting veteran, brings over 15 years of experience spearheading multi-market transformation programs for Fortune 500 clients. His expertise spans technology, experience, and capabilities-led programs, demonstrated through his successful track record at Wunderman Thompson, Deloitte Digital, and Publicis Sapient.

He will be aiding in shaping Valtech’s ‘Value Led Consulting’ offering in the region. With his deep understanding of Asian markets and the intricacies of marketing transformation, he will build and lead a robust consulting practice to drive strong business outcomes for clients.

“I am excited to join Valtech during a period of dynamic growth in APAC. The company’s focus on value and experience-led transformation aligns perfectly with my own,” he said.

Speaking on the appointments, Shannon Dix, regional managing director for APAC at Valtech, said, “I couldn’t be more excited to reunite with and welcome Florian and Prem to Valtech here in the region. They complement with our growth ambitions and reinforce our commitment of bringing best-in-class talents to help our clients transform their businesses.”

Meanwhile, Patrick de Moustier, managing director for APMENA at Valtech, commented, “Combining Prem’s strategic firepower with Florian’s growth expertise creates a formidable force in the APAC landscape. Their leadership will be instrumental in setting new standards for experience innovation and redefining best practices within APMENA.”

Singapore – The LEGO Group has announced new key leadership changes in the Asia-Pacific region, namely Claus Kristensen as the new senior vice president and Uma Ramanan as the new head of marketing. It is also worth noting that these changes also come with Eric Maugein stepping down from his role as regional president for the company in the region.

In his new role, Kristensen will oversee the APAC region and its newly reshuffled business units, aligned to growth priorities and its evolving landscape. His appointment took effect on January 1 this year, and he will report to Colette Burke, chief commercial officer at The LEGO Group and be part of the markets and channels leadership team. 

He joined the company in 2012 as the head of executive strategy and agenda and in 2016, moved to Sydney to become vice president and general manager of the Australia New Zealand Business Unit (BU). Under his leadership, the ANZ BU grew significantly and manifested itself as the biggest BU in APAC. 

In 2021, he stepped into his current role as vice president of APAC marketing and B2B e-commerce. Over the past two years, he has established the regional B2B e-commerce for The LEGO Group.

Speaking on his new role, Kristensen said, “I am honoured to have been appointed to lead the LEGO Group in Asia-Pacific, continuing the legacy of success established by Eric. The LEGO Group is such a storied company and has come a long way over the past 91 years – from a small carpenter’s workshop to a modern, global enterprise that is now one of the world’s largest manufacturers of toys.”

He added, “I am so proud to be part of this company and will be focused on working with the team to deliver a step-up in business performance as we empower more kids and adults around Asia-Pacific to unlock the power of creative play.”

Meanwhile, Ramanan will be responsible for accelerating the LEGO Group’s marketing strategy in the region. With over nine years of experience in the company, Uma brings a perfect blend of strategic vision and boundless imagination to the world of bricks.

She was promoted from her previous role as the APAC brand director in December 2023. Along with her team of brand managers, she led the charge to deliver APAC’s growth targets through integrated marketing and along the way inspiring millions of kids and adults in learning through play with LEGO bricks. 

Uma first began her LEGO journey in the UK/Ireland market as senior brand manager, before working her way up to become brand director and subsequently, global brand director for Asia, based in China.

The new leadership changes also come in line with the company implementing a new organisational structure effective from 1 January 2024 by introducing two new business units – India & Emerging Asia (IEA), and Singapore, Malaysia and Travel Retail (SMTR). 

“This change deepens our commitment to these markets and sets us up to accelerate growth by unlocking new possibilities with dedicated resources, synergies in tackling similar challenges, and continuous innovation to enhance our ongoing relationships with our partners. The change also signifies our continued commitment to drive growth in Asia-Pacific,” Kristensen also added.

These announcements come off the back of the company’s latest expansion in Travel Retail with its two new LEGO Airport Stores (LAS) at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3 and Terminal 4. The company also recently invested more than US$1b with the opening of its sixth global factory and its first carbon-neutral facility in Binh Duong Province in Vietnam. 

France – Untie Nots, a leading Software as a Service (SaaS) company and a member of the Eagle Eye Group, has recently appointed Jean-Matthieu Schertzer as its inaugural chief AI officer. This appointment follows the company’s commitment to integrating AI solutions and its rapid adoption across the retail sector.

Schertzer, who has an extensive background in applied mathematics, is poised to lead the team in advancing the next wave of AI-powered customer marketing solutions.

He is set to work with Eagle Eye Group’s leadership team and, together, bring a heightened level of support for the design, development, and implementation of AI technologies, catering to retailers and brands on a global scale.

In this new role, he will also bolster customer connections and introduce widespread, multidimensional personalisation on a global scale. This initiative will empower retailers and brands to craft hyper-personalised omnichannel experiences and establish direct, one-to-one connections with their customer base.

Speaking about the appointment, Tim Mason, CEO at Eagle Eye Group, stressed, “Our decision to appoint a Chief AI Officer comes against a backdrop of retailers struggling to provide the personalised customer experiences that today’s consumers demand.”

“We are using AI to augment the Eagle Eye nervous system, which enables the real-time matching and delivery of offers and communications to individual customers, with a ‘brain’ that can create personalised offers dynamically, on the fly. Even if you have 10 million customers, no two will receive the same offer or be engaged in the same way. Jean-Mattieu will help us bring this vision to life,” Mason added.

Zyed Jamoussi, co-founder and president of Untie Nots, also shared, “AI is already used within retail, but its true potential has yet to be harnessed.”

“We see a future where predictive AI not only identifies opportunities and anticipates customer behaviours but also provides real-time insight, enabling brands to give customers the recommendations and promotions they need when they need them. Jean-Matthieu is helping our company—and our industry—realise that future,” he ended.

Talking about AI-powered personalisation, on the other hand, Schertzer said, “We stand on the cusp of a generational opportunity with AI and its applications in retail, among other sectors.”

“I firmly believe that the brands that can implement AI-powered personalisation will dominate the future. Still, they need partners like Untie Nots and Eagle Eye that are committed to innovation and have the infrastructure and industry-specific background to execute it,” he explained.

As the company positions itself into the next platform designed specifically to maximise the potential of their customer data and execute personalised promotions and marketing, Mason concludes, “We are working to place Eagle Eye as the go-to SaaS platform for retail brands worldwide looking to take their personalisation capabilities and loyalty scheme ROIs to the next level in the months and years to come.”