Tag: Leadership

Singapore – Rokas Sidlauskas, formerly affiliated with Hello Health Group, joins the leadership roster of loyalty platform Society Pass as its chief marketing officer. 

Prior to joining Society Pass, Sidlauskas held several roles at Hello Health Group, including leading its corporate development and handling the roles of head of product business solutions and head of branded services. He spent over two years at said company.

Sidlauskas was also the co-founder of digital marketing agency Lion&Lion and served as its vice president for business development from 2013 before moving to Australian social commerce company ENSOGO in 2014 as its vice president for sales.

Following the closure of ENSOGO’s Southeast Asian operations in 2016, Sidlauskas moved to gym-sharing platform start-up Passport Asia as its vice president for international business development. He then moved to fitness company CMG.ASIA as a director and venture lead, and served there for over two years. Lastly, he served as the chief executive officer and co-founder of home-based healthcare solution company GO.CARE.

Sidlauskas’ recent leadership announcement comes on top of its numerous acquisitions in Southeast Asia, including Philippine delivery platforms Mangan and Pushkart.ph, Thailand-based Thoughtful Media, and Vietnam-based delivery service Handycart under Dream Space.

Australia – Red Havas in Australia has reshaped its leadership team to reflect local opportunities and its global focus on key growth areas; health and wellness, corporate PR and reputation management, technology and e-commerce, consumer, and lifestyle, automotive and mobility, travel and hospitality and employee engagement.

Simone Gupta, CEO at Havas PR Australia, and leading Red Havas, Havas Blvd, One Green Bean and Organic, will continue in her role and report into James Wright, global CEO at Red Havas, and global chairman of the Havas PR Global Collective.

Meanwhile, current Red Havas Managing Director, Steve Fontanot, will take up a new role, commercial managing director for APAC that will include M&A and commercial partnerships. He will support the Havas APAC leadership team on strengthening the PR offering in the region. Steve will continue his role as managing director of Havas Blvd.

Other promotions include Kate Smailes, current executive director at Havas Blvd promoted to managing partner at Havas Blvd and chief client officer; Alex Bryant, current executive director at Sydney PR promoted to managing partner consumer and brand; and Sue Cook, current practice head of health, is promoted to managing partner of health and wellbeing , supported by Nicole Phillips, executive director.

Furthermore, Matt Thomas, current executive director of corporate and public affairs is promoted to managing partner of corporate and public affairs; and Haylie Marchant, current executive director at Brisbane, is promoted to managing partner.

Wright said, “It is an exciting new phase for Red Havas as we grow our global micro-network of agencies. We have great leaders in place to take us into the next evolution of the business and a superb group of future leaders helping us power the business. These changes enable the business to strengthen our areas of specialisations, as well continue to develop new offerings as clients evolve. Red Havas Australia continues to be one of the strongest performers for Havas in the APAC region.”

Meanwhile, Gupta commented, “Over the past 18 months myself and Steve have taken the Red Havas senior leadership team in Australia through a number of changes, to ensure we are future fit in this transformed world to grow the business and changing needs of clients. The deep expertise and experience of this leadership team reflects key areas of opportunity and growth, and enables us to attract the best talent.”

Manila, Philippines – Global digital payments company Visa has appointed Jeff Navarro as its new country manager for the Philippines and Guam. He succeeds previous country manager Dan Wolbert, who has moved to a new role for Visa North America.

Navarro was previously the regional vice president for the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indochina at Western Union. He also served as the president and chairman of the board at Western Union Processing Services Inc. Prior to joining Western Union, he has also worked with SMART Communications and Shell across sales, brand, and business development roles.

Speaking on his appointment, he said, “It is a great pleasure for me to join Visa, a global leader in payments and money movement, areas which are near and dear to my heart. I am excited and honoured to have the opportunity to lead a team of seasoned professionals, who share the drive and passion to further widen financial inclusion for all Filipinos.” 

He added, “I look forward to working closely with our clients, fintechs, the regulator, and all stakeholders to grow digital payments in the country, and enable individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive.”

Meanwhile, Tareq Muhmood, Visa’s Group Country Manager for Regional Southeast Asia, said, “I am delighted to have Jeff lead our team in the Philippines and Guam as the country manager. Jeff’s regional experience and in-depth knowledge of the financial services industry will be an asset for Visa and will serve him well in leading our team.”

He added, “Jeff and the team will drive our business agenda with clients, consumers, and regulators in the Philippines and Guam, in line with our purpose to uplift everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.” 

Singapore – Edelman has announced key leadership changes in its Singapore team. It is led by the newly-appointed chief executive officer Julia Wei, followed by Yeelim Lee promoted as chief operating officer. Other leadership appointments include Nisha Sivanandan as head of strategy and integrated client leadership, Jonathan Ha as head of digital and integrated solutions, Amanda Lam as director of human resources, and Xi Ling Lee as finance director.

Wei will report to Adrian Warr, CEO for Southeast Asia at Edelman, and will build on the agency’s growth and innovation in earned-centric, integrated campaigns.

She leaves her role as managing partner at AKA Asia to return to Edelman where she previously spent a decade honing her capabilities. She now brings over 17 years of diverse expertise in integrated communications, both in-house and agency, to drive growth through modern communication approaches. 

Meanwhile, Lee has spent eight years with the firm, across Hong Kong and Singapore, and has held positions that built experience in regional client management, data and analytics, sector and practice leadership, and new business operations.

Speaking on her appointment, Wei said, “Edelman has always held a special place in my heart and the opportunity to return in a leadership role at a pivotal point of the agency was a no-brainer. I’m looking forward to working with my new, and former, colleagues and collectively elevating our work, our skills and of course continuing on our business success.”

Meanwhile, Warr commented, “I could not be more pleased to see Julia return to the fold. Having achieved several years of fast growth and bold innovation, in spite of significant market headwinds, we now have a unique window of opportunity to evolve our culture, capabilities, and our services to clients – there’s nobody better than Julia to lead that charge.” 

He added, “Julia’s going to have three clear priorities – firstly, maintaining the best agency culture in the market, secondly getting A-list fame for the amazing work we do with our client, and thirdly creating new ways of working in this fascinating hybrid world. Julia and Yeelim have very complimentary skillsets and experience –together, they will lead the team to new frontiers.”

Sydney, Australia – Rufus, the dedicated media and communications agency by Initiative for Amazon’s range of services, has announced new senior leadership appointments namely Sarah O’Leary as managing director and Tom Cumberworth as head of partnerships.

O’Leary has a strong media investment background garnered from 15-years in senior management and director roles both agency and marketing-side. 

Previously with Atomic 212 as Head of Client Service and Planning, O’Leary’s strengths lie in her leadership qualities and deep understanding of how media agencies operate within the ANZ landscape.

Meanwhile, with nearly 15-years of global and local experience, Cumberworth was previously group trading director at OMD Sydney where he led the Suncorp Group business, overseeing the investment strategy and decisioning for the entire portfolio across all media. 

Previously he was with Mindshare and MEC in the UK commencing in 2008 as a TV buyer and moving to an account director role working on clients such as Nike, News Corp, 3 Mobile and Kimberly Clark to name a few.

Melissa Fein, CEO at Initiative Australia said after a robust search and selection process she was delighted to welcome both Sarah and Tom to Rufus, who together bring specialist skills to the table and are charged with delivering high performance outcomes for Amazon.

“Sarah has a proven track record of leading senior stakeholder relationships and delivering business growth in today’s complex and fast-moving market. We’re delighted she has accepted the opportunity to lead Rufus at a pivotal time in the agency’s growth and momentum,” she said.

Fein added, “Tom is an outstanding team leader with a raft of global and local experience managing and leading specialist buying teams across all media platforms, inclusive of TV, VOD, OOH, Radio and more. He will play a leading role in Rufus, Amazon and our media partners’ future successes.”

Singapore – Creative agency Ogilvy Asia has announced a new slew of hires to bolster its creative team in Singapore and Hong Kong, namely Nikhil Panjwani as regional executive director; Dan Parmenter as creative director; Hugo Suíssas as senior art director; and Tiago Silva as senior copywriter.

The new recruits will primarily work within OpenX – WPP’s bespoke team dedicated to The Coca-Cola Company and its portfolio of brands across Asia Pacific – whilst also supporting Ogilvy’s growing client demand in Asia for cross-capability ideas that generate impact across geographies and cultures.

They join an existing team of other hires including Regional Executive Creative Director for Ogilvy Asia Sarah-Leith Izzard and Associate Creative Directors at Ogilvy Hong Kong Stratos Efstathiou and Soenar.

Panjwani joins Ogilvy Asia as regional executive director, based in Singapore. He brings close to 20 years of creative experience, the last seven as creative director for BBH Singapore. Born and bred in Bombay, Nikhil has led teams across India and Southeast Asia to produce award-winning work for leading global brands.

Meanwhile, Parmenter most recently served as creative director for M&C Saatchi Abel in South Africa, steering the creative output of key accounts including Nando’s, Standard Bank and Lexus. A copywriter by trade, he brings strong strategic expertise in ideating and bringing big creative ideas to life, having previously worked as copywriter and creative group head at Ogilvy Johannesburg between 2008 and 2015.

Based in Singapore, Suíssas and Silva have met at Lisbon-based agency Brandia Central in 2013, and have worked together at agencies across Portugal, including excentricGrey, Young & Rubicam Group and O Escritório, serving clients in the auto, retail and banking sectors.

Reed Collins, chief creative officer for Ogilvy in APAC, commented, “We are blessed with such extraordinary creative talent across the region, with this team being specifically built as a microcosm of that around being the best creative partner for our clients’ growth ambitions globally. Our creative bench has never been stronger and ambition greater.”

Sydney, Australia – IPG’s connected intelligence company, Kinesso, has elevated Clay Gill, the current CEO at Matterkind Australia, to be its new CEO for Australia. As part of his new remit, Gill will retain his Matterkind leadership role while adding responsibility for Kinesso Australia’s data and technology solutions.

Gill noted that marketers can engage IPG from start to finish knowing that the design of their digital marketing requirements from CDP to media activation is fully transparent and effective, and that the company’s supply path optimisation agenda is also unparalleled globally, as it’s fully auditable and accountable – ensuring every dollar spent in media is validated.

He further shared, “IPG offers its clients an end-to-end solution across Martech, Adtech and Media activation using First Party Data at a deterministic level. Where insight and scalability are a challenge for the industry, IPG’s full-stack offering provides clients [with] an unmatched ability to extend beyond their own eco-system and or access a quick-to-market data solution through Acxiom’s Infobase.”

“We are by far ahead of the cookie crumble and very much leading the way towards connecting consumers with their brands. I am excited about what the future holds and the expanded offering for our clients,” said Gill.

Meanwhile, Mark Coad, CEO at Mediabrands Australia, commented that Gill is an outstanding leader and the extension of his role is a testament to his leadership qualities and the great work Matterkind continually produces for its clients.

He added, “In his new role, Clay’s primary responsibility will be to ensure clients have a single, simplified engagement experience with Acxiom, Kinesso and Matterkind; companies that work closely together as part of the data, technology, and media activation backbone of IPG.”

Matt Ware, CEO at Kinesso APAC, said, “Clay and his team have established an industry reputation for craft, innovation, and client servicing and I’m confident with his industry knowledge and zeal for innovation and solving client problems, combined with the calibre of his team, that he will be well positioned to bring the full spectrum of Kinesso and Matterkind capabilities to life. I am delighted he has taken on the expanded leadership role”

As part of the new Matterkind/Kinesso leadership team, Michael Whiteside, former head of Melbourne/Perth, will be moving to the role of national managing director of Matterkind, while Kim Kho, previously UM’s director of Biddable Media, Australian Government, will be taking on the role of national head of trading at Matterkind. Additionally, Matterkind also welcomes Georgina Fox, former head of operations at GroupM’s Finecast, to be its new national head of strategic investment and partnerships. 

On the appointment of his new team, Gill said, “As a leader, nothing is more pleasing than recognising talent and promoting from within plus onboarding innovative leaders of the future. In Michael, Kim, and Georgina I am confident the business has the skills, knowledge and creativity to offer our clients truly world-class end-to-end business solutions.”

Jakarta, Indonesia – Ogilvy has announced the appointment of Sieg Penaverde as the new group chief executive officer for Indonesia, succeeding previous CEO B. Ramanathan who moves to a regional role.

In his new role, he leads an Ogilvy Group powered by close to 300 experts in brand communication and activation, digital experience, public relations, health and content studio who work fluidly together to unleash impactful creativity that grows its clients’ brands and businesses.

Having held leadership positions in the Philippines, Mexico, Japan and Indonesia, Penaverde brings invaluable global, regional and local insights and wealth of experience in unearthing creative solutions through data and technology fueled with powerful cultural truths. 

Speaking on his new role, he said, “Beyond the amazing talent and expertise across the Ogilvy family, it is the power of borderless creativity and the resilience of our people through the challenges of the pandemic that has inspired us all. We did not allow anything to get in the way of delivering impactful creative work. This strength in numbers gives us the confidence to deliver against the mandate of uncovering growth opportunities for our clients.”

He added, “We also embrace a shared goal doing our part to ensure that we come out of this pandemic with a better normal, not just a new one.”

Meanwhile, Kent Wertime, co-CEO of Ogilvy Asia, commented, “I couldn’t be happier that Sieg is taking on the leadership role in Indonesia. During his tenure with the Ogilvy Group in Indonesia – first as head of Bates and more recently with the additional responsibilities across the whole group as group COO – Sieg has proven to be a trusted and worthy leader, and a natural successor as head of the Group. Sieg is supported by a very capable executive leadership team, who are aligned to Ogilvy’s mission to help our clients in Indonesia.” 

Singapore – Ogilvy today announced new senior leadership appointments in Asia, including B. Ramanathan (Ram)’s nomination as chief marketing officer for and Janet Tsai’s promotion as chief communications officer. 

Through the appointments, both appointees will work hand in hand to strengthen Ogilvy’s position as a creative partner for growth, developing and promoting new modern offerings across Ogilvy’s five business units across content, data and technology.

In his new function, Ram will lead Ogilvy’s go-to-market approach in Asia, responsible for accelerating marketing and new business efforts. An agency veteran of 22 years, Ram most recently served in a dual position as chief executive officer for Ogilvy Indonesia and Bates CHI & Partners Indonesia.

Following Ram’s regional promotion, Ogilvy’s operations in Indonesia will now be led by Sieg Penaverde, who previously assumed the chief operating officer role in the country. 

Meanwhile, Tsai’s appointment is added to her existing role as VP for marketing and communications for Ogilvy China and global lead for Ogilvy’s Outbound Practice. In the added role, she will work closely with Ram to elevate Ogilvy’s reputation, promote new offering and services, and showcase the impact of borderless creativity to drive Ogilvy’s clients business growth. 

Tsai is a seasoned leader with PR, brand building, crisis management and integrated content planning experience across a number of industries including technology, finance, auto, entertainment, fashion and luxury.

Kent Wertime, chief executive officer for Ogilvy Asia, said, “Ram has been a terrific leader for our business in Indonesia. He has a huge heart for our clients, for our staff, and for the work we do to help grow our brands make an impact in the world. We are incredibly excited to have Ram at the helm of our marketing and growth function to help our clients push boundaries and make the most of the opportunities in this part of the world.”

Meanwhile, Chris Reitermann, chief executive for Ogilvy Asia and Greater China, commented, “Janet has played an instrumental role in leading corporate communications in China in addition to her client-facing duties for our China Outbound Practice. Her strong expertise and performance in China made her a natural candidate to take the reins of our regional communications as we enter a new exciting growth phase.” 

Singapore – Media and marketing communications agency PHD has appointed Imogen Bourke as its strategy director for Asia-Pacific, where she will be responsible for the continuous development and elevation of the agency’s strategic product and capability roadmap within the region.

Bourke brings with her a blend of skills honed from 16 years of diverse roles across media, technology, and production organisations and expansive international experience having worked in London, Melbourne, and Beijing.

She was previously the head of strategy for PHD Hong Kong, where she was instrumental in supporting the success and growth of the agency – in new business wins, major account retention, and media creativity.

Bourke will also be guiding teams across the region to produce effective brand experiences that deliver business outcomes and positively inspire people, communities, and culture. In addition, she will also be charged with developing industry-first strategies and challenger thinking propositions to future-proof clients’ businesses and drive sustainable growth.

She will be reporting to James Hawkins, CEO of PHD APAC.

Speaking on her appointment, Bourke said, “I could not be more excited by this opportunity to expand my experience and expertise across the APAC markets. It’s a wonderful gig to work closely with the region’s best strategists and planners to champion and grow PHD’s market-leading product, and continue to cultivate a culture of creativity, innovation and collaboration that delivers unparalleled strategic thinking and solutions for our clients.”

Meanwhile, Hawkins commented, “Imogen’s media and strategic expertise paired with her ability to build high-performing teams will help to elevate PHD’s product offerings and drive business results for clients. I am confident in Imogen’s ability to be the driving force in uncovering marketplace opportunities and lead the best strategic planning team in the region.”