Tag: Managing Director

Singapore – American-based music distribution company The Orchard has promoted former vice president for Southeast Asia and South Korea Priya Dewan to the role of vice president for international marketing for APAC. In addition, she has also taken the role of managing director of Southeast Asia and Korea at The Orchard.

Her newest vice president position is the company’s first Pan-Asian management role. In addition, her promotion follows the company’s substantial growth in the market, and the need for expansion to provide additional on the ground support to artists and labels in the region. 

During her past role as VP for SEA and South Korea, she was responsible for leading The Orchard’s teams in the region, providing expertise, releasing strategy and regional support as well as creating a pipeline for artists locally to new international audiences.

In addition, Dewan is responsible for signing The Orchard’s priority labels in the region, including BTS’ label BIGHIT Music and JYP Entertainment – whose roster includes K-pop groups ITZY, Stray Kids and more.

She brings in 18 years of music industry experience, and previously held a position at UK-based label Warp Records as the label manager for North America.

“In this new role I look forward to helping more clients from across the region achieve greater success by providing more access to our global tools and teams. This also includes exploring bigger opportunities for our entire catalogue with our international digital service providers across the Asia-Pacific region,” Dewan said regarding her appointment.

She will report to Colleen Theis, chief operating officer at The Orchard.

“The Orchard’s Pan-Asian expansion further amplifies the amazing success we’ve had connecting artists and labels from the region with fans around the world. Priya’s leadership and proven expertise at identifying and developing talent will continue to create new opportunities for our clients,” Theis said.

Recently, The Orchard launched its office in Indonesia, with Arie Legowo appointed as the company’s head for the market and Gyscha Rendy appointed as client services manager, Southeast Asia. Both Legowo and Rendy will report to Dewan in their new roles. 

In addition to South Korea, The Orchard’s newly expanded reach across Asia now includes an on-the-ground presence in Greater China, Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore and the Philippines.

Singapore – Redhill, the global full-service communications agency headquartered in Singapore, bolsters its senior leadership team with key hires for its Malaysia, Indonesia, and India teams.

Umesh Nair (leftmost in photo) has been named as deputy managing director and will lead Redhill’s technology practice and operations in Malaysia. Nair brings with him 15 years of experience in digital marketing and corporate reputation across technology, banking, aerospace, and telecom. Before joining Redhill, he was managing partner at Publicis Groupe’s PR firm MSL Malaysia, and also served as head of reputation at Edelman Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Pavan Sahu (rightmost in photo) has been elevated to the role of deputy managing director, and will continue to accelerate Redhill’s growth in Indonesia and India.

Sahu joined Redhill in 2019 as senior director and has played a crucial role in leading communications strategies across India, Indonesia, and Singapore, while leading crisis communications and brand reputation management for Redhill’s office in India. Some of the key clients Sahu has worked with include Danone, Truecaller, Crayon, Builder.ai, and GudangAda.

Aside from the key appointments in APAC, the agency has also unveiled leadership for its market in the Middle East and for helming the agency’s accounts in the government, public and corporate sectors.

Seasoned communications expert Anit Kurian (second from left in photo), who carries with him nearly two decades of experience, will be managing director for Middle East and Africa. Meanwhile, Charu Srivastava (second from right in photo), like Sahu, has been promoted to deputy managing director. 

For the role, Srivastava will lead the agency’s business within the government, public, and corporate sector. Srivastava joined the agency in 2019 as director, building the company’s government and corporate practice to include a diverse portfolio of clients.

On the appointment of Kurian and Nair, Pranav Rastogi, Redhill’s managing director, commented, “We are delighted to welcome Anit [Kurian] and Umesh [Nair] to the Redhill team. Both Anit and Umesh bring decades of management and communications experience to the table across multiple countries and verticals.”

On Sahu and Srivastava, Rastogi continues, “Charu [Srivastava] and Pavan [Sahu] have performed exceptionally well in growing their respective verticals exponentially despite the challenging environment due to the pandemic. Even as we hire externally, we are also investing in our current senior leaders. Charu and Pavan have proven track records and a wealth of experience and expertise to keep up with our rapid growth. I am confident that Anit, Umesh, Charu, and Pavan will help take Redhill to new heights in the coming years.”

The agency recently celebrated its seventh anniversary in October this year. In June, Redhill entered MARKETECH APAC’s Top 5 Stories for welcoming its new MDs, Marienelle Castelino and Tavy Cussinel.

In an exclusive conversation with its CEO and Founder Jacob Puthenparambil, he shared the agency’s philosophy in building and growing its team.

“It’s extremely vital for our growth that we have people who stay with us for a very long time because it’s a people-based industry, especially PR. A lot of the company culture is based on the long-term people that we have. You can’t write those things down or learn from a textbook,” said Puthenparambil.

Singapore – Global web recommendation platform, Outbrain, has appointed Shouneel Charles, former executive vice president and business head digital at Time Group’s television division Times Network, to assume the position of managing director for its India arm

Charles brings more than 20 years of digital and media expertise, setting up large digital ecosystems, digital news publishing models, and profitable internet, as well as mobile-based businesses.

Aside from his previous role at Times Network, he worked as the chief revenue officer and chief sales and marketing officer at news media company NDTV, as well as the national sales head of Yahoo India, and as director at HBO & Warner Brothers India.

In his new role, Charles will be responsible for driving Outbrain’s revenue, business strategy, and digital growth.

Commenting on his appointment, Charles said that he will bring his skills to bear in the native advertising and digital ad tech spaces.

“Outbrain India is primed for rapid growth and I am privileged to now be a part of it. I hope to not only see business increase but also to be instrumental in the next phase of growth for Outbrain across India,” said Charles.

Andrew Burke, Outbrain’s managing director for APAC and growth markets, said, “We’re sure that with his impressive background in this region, he will help us continue to provide the best service across the open web.”

Singapore – Virtue, the creative agency under media company VICE, has appointed Lesley John to be its managing director for the Asia-Pacific region, establishing the company’s focus on the region as a key growth market.

Through the appointed role, John will oversee Virtue’s business and teams across the region including offices in India, Indonesia, Korea, and Japan from its Singapore hub.

She joins from S4 Capital-owned data, content and production company, MediaMonks, where she served as head of client services in Singapore. Prior to that, she held senior and regional positions at agencies VCCP, Arcade, and BBH.

“I am extremely thrilled to be joining the team. Virtue has an incredibly unique offering that stands out within the APAC market. From the agency’s sheer talent to its cultural access within VICE, to its differentiating proposition, there is immense opportunity to help drive growth for brands in the region looking to become part of the ever-evolving cultural landscape,” John said regarding her appointment.

She will be reporting to Virtue’s co-presidents, Colin Mitchell and Chris Garbutt.

Mitchell said, “The APAC market is incredibly diverse and offers Virtue considerable opportunities to deliver culturally impactful work for brands. We continue to invest in our Singapore hub and there is exciting growth potential in other territories, including China and India. Lesley is a brilliant and seasoned leader, who will drive this, to ensure Virtue delivers for clients across the region.” 

Virtue has added new clients across the region, including Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble and Diageo over the past six months. The agency said it is set to announce a string of new appointments, in addition to exploring opportunities to support its clients and brands in new markets across the region.

Australia – Advertising agency TBWA\Sydney has announced two new leadership promotions, namely Nitsa Lotus, former managing director, to step into the newly created role of chief growth officer, and Tanya Vragalis, former general manager, to assume the role of managing director. 

Lotus has recently celebrated 15 years at the agency. Prior to joining TBWA\Sydney, she previously held roles at various creative agencies such as Whybin TBWA, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Lowe Lintas.

In her new role, Lotus will be leading growth initiatives and innovation across each of the agencies within the TBWA\Sydney Group – TBWA, Eleven, Fleishman Hillard, Fabric, and Bolt – as well as continuing to lead significant client relationships.

Meanwhile, Vragalis has been with the agency for four years. Prior to joining TBWA\Sydney, she previously worked as the group head at M&C Saatchi Australia, the group business director at Leo Burnett, and the senior communications manager at George Patterson Y&R.

As the new managing director, Vragalis will be overseeing significant clients Optus and Carlton United Breweries.

Commenting on her elevation, Lotus said, “It’s been a privilege to be part of this agency’s story for the last 15 years. I’m excited about the next chapter and am looking forward to helping drive growth and innovation across the group.”

Vragalis also commented that she feels incredibly honored to take this next step and lead a team of passionate and creative collaborators at TBWA\Sydney. 

“I look forward to continuing to inspire our people and partnering with our clients to disrupt this ‘new normal’ with different, elevated creative ideas,” she added.

Paul Bradbury, the CEO of TBWA\Australia and New Zealand CEO, noted that growth and momentum provide exciting new opportunities for the people. 

“Nitsa and Tanya thoroughly deserve these promotions. I would also like to congratulate Nitsa on her tenure at TBWA, quite an achievement in an industry of so much change,” said Bradbury.

Tokyo, Japan – Global data and measurement-driven media agency Essence has elevated current associate vice president for client services for Japan Kota Murakami to the role of managing director for Essence in Japan.

He will be responsible for leading continued client-centric innovation in data, analytics and technology, as well as business growth and company culture for Essence in the market.

In his previous role as AVP for client services, he headed the agency’s client services and drove business growth for the agency in Japan, as well as overseeing key client services in Korea. Previously, he served as global account director at Tag in the United States, streamlining creative production processes for major brands and agencies through software as a service.

He will be reporting to T. Gangadhar, CEO for APAC at Essence as part of the agency’s APAC leadership team; and Michael Beecroft, CEO for Northeast Asia at GroupM as part of GroupM Japan’s executive committee.

“Kota has done an excellent job in spearheading, in collaboration with the leadership team, Essence’s growth and development in Japan over the past few years. In addition to global and local industry experience, he has a deep understanding of our business, product offering, clients, work, people and culture. I am excited about his vision for Essence in Japan and how he will take the agency to new heights,” Gangadhar said.

Meanwhile, Beecroft commented, “Kota’s contribution to Essence’s growth has been clear. With his appointment to GroupM Japan’s executive committee earlier this year, and now as the confirmed leader of Essence Japan, his impact on the Essence and overall GroupM business will only increase.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Media Prima, the media and entertainment company in Malaysia, has recently announced the appointment of Rafiq Razali as its new managing director.

Razali brings with him his comprehensive experience in business development and strategic planning. His track record includes establishing and scaling start-up companies related to digital and information technology. 

The new managing director first joined Media Prima as the chief executive officer of REV Media Group on 15 April 2016 and was subsequently appointed as group executive director on 18 February 2021. 

Prior to joining Media Prima, Razali has previously worked with Maxis Berhad, where he held various positions that included responsibilities in the International Business Division and the Corporate Strategy divisions.

Datuk Seri Syed Hussian Aljunid, the group chairman of Media Prima, said Razali has been pivotal in driving the group’s positive results in recent months, and his many contributions to the group include establishing Media Prima as the local industry leader in the digital realm. 

“He has a strong understanding of the group’s business operations and when combined with his prior experience leading successful digital start-ups and commerce companies, we are confident that Rafiq is the ideal choice to lead Media Prima to new levels of success,” said Aljunid.

Singapore – Xandr, the advertising and analytics division of global telco AT&T, is continuously investing in more talents across their Asia-Pacific (APAC) market by the recent appointments of Masatsune Shironishi as managing director for Japan, and Nicole Prior as managing director for Australia and New Zealand.

Shironishi’s appointment takes effect immediately, while Prior’s appointment will take effect by 1 November this year.

In their new roles, Shironishi will be responsible for building on the early successes of the business, localizing go-to-market efforts and ensuring Xandr is well placed to grow in digital video and connected TV. Meanwhile, Prior’s remit will include overseeing the Australian business operations and continuing the momentum that the team has established in building a premium Australian video marketplace.

Prior to their new roles, Shironishi joined from Amobee Japan where he was country manager and brings deep industry experience and expertise across media agencies, TV, digital media and advertising technology. He has also worked at OpenTable, Elsevier and Microsoft in various senior sales and product roles.

Meanwhile, Prior was formerly the chief media partnerships Officer at IPG Mediabrands’ UM and brings extensive agency and broadcaster experience with executive roles held at MediaCom, Finecast, Ikon Communications, Network 10 and Seven Network.

Both new hires will be reporting to Jerome Underhill, head of global regions at Xandr.

“Xandr has experienced strong growth across APAC as advertiser demand grows for premium, brand and privacy safe environments and publishers and broadcasters seek to meet that demand through partnerships with Xandr. These senior leadership appointments are reflective of the broader investments we are making throughout APAC to allow us to best serve our expanding set of customers,” Underhill said.

The company is also continuing to build its APAC leadership team including a general manager to lead Southeast Asia and India. Xandr has already expanded the leadership team, with Tom Dover having relocated from Sydney to Singapore as director, video marketplace development for APAC. Tom will be responsible for accelerating Xandr’s video-first product adoption delivering creative and differentiated solutions to the region’s largest agencies and advertisers.

Melbourne, Australia – Following local and national demand for their services, brand experience company Akcelo has appointed former managing partner at agency VMLY&R Melbourne Jon Kenyon as the company’s managing director for Melbourne, following the company’s extension to the city.

Akcelo, which was founded by former VMLY&R ANZ CEO Aden Hepburn, has won multiple clients and made a string of hires with further appointments and announcements to be made over the coming months as it continues to build out its full-service offering in Melbourne.

Kenyon joins Akcelo from VMLY&R Melbourne where he was managing partner at the WPP-owned business, driving the resurgence of one of the most famous advertising agencies in Australia with award winning work and exponential growth.

“Akcelo is delivering transformative brand experiences across the entire customer journey that is truly market-leading. I am super thrilled to be leading this office and join a rapidly growing and talented team of more than 80 ‘Akcelerators’ as we continue to push the boundaries for our partners,” Kenyon said, regarding his appointment.

Meanwhile, Hepburn commented that expanding the company nationally has always been in the company plan and they are thrilled to offer further borderless capability to their client partners as they grow.

“Jon brings strong leadership and inspirational business thinking to Akcelo and builds deep, effective relationships with clients and has an eye for brilliant work. With so many leading Australian businesses in Melbourne looking to deliver more holistic brand experiences for their customers, we’re excited Jon is taking the reins to spearhead our offering as we continue to build a world-class team focused on creating work that really shifts the needle,” he stated.

Singapore – Global adtech TripleLift announces that it will be expanding its global presence into the Asia-Pacific market, as well as announcing Singapore-based Henry Shelley to be appointed as TripleLift’s new managing director.

Part of the expanded regional market presence is due to the fact the company has seen a growth of APAC publisher partnerships in the last two years by over 250%. 

TripleLift’s multiple ad formats have become an integral part of the programmatic revenue strategies for most of those publishers. Since launching the industry’s first native ad exchange in 2014, TripleLift has expanded its marketplace and offerings to include display and video.

Meanwhile, Shelley brings extensive experience accelerating client business and expanding company operations across regions, including London, Australia, and Singapore. He most recently served as general manager for The Trade Desk, leading its expansion across Southeast Asia. Prior to that, he was global account lead for Amnet Programmatic Experts of the Dentsu Aegis Network and held positions at marketing agencies Columbus Agency and Latitude.

For Shelley, programmatic native advertising is, more than ever, now an essential and permanent fixture on media plans across the APAC region. He added that great-looking ad formats enrich people’s experience with brands, which then gives advertisers, publishers, and broadcasters performance that scales.

“TripleLift quickly established itself as a trusted partner in Australia, and with the company’s acquisition – one of the largest transactions in ad tech history – expansion in key markets across APAC is accelerating. I am beyond thrilled to lead TripleLift’s next phase of growth in APAC, helping shape the future of digital advertising and making advertising work better for everyone in the region,” he stated.

TripleLift first launched its native programmatic product seven years ago to help publishers compete with large media platforms that were grabbing an increasingly disproportionate slice of ad budgets and squeezing publishers across the open web in the process. Since then, the company expanded its product portfolio to support every major programmatically transactable ad format from display to connected TV (CTV).

Meanwhile, Jacqueline Quantrell, chief revenue officer at TripleLift, stated that as the region is home to several of the worlds’ largest and fastest-growing digital ad markets, APAC presents publishers and advertisers with an enormous opportunity to harness the power of programmatic to achieve business objectives.

“With our established suite of ad formats, increased investment in new technologies, and Henry at the helm of our business in APAC, we’re poised to help more publishers grow their share of budget and help advertisers reach their target audiences,” Quantrell concluded.