Tag: Ogilvy PR

Singapore – Ogilvy has announced the appointment of Richard Brett as president of Ogilvy PR Asia-Pacific, effective 1 August 2025. Brett will take on the expanded role while continuing as CEO of Ogilvy PR Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) and Ogilvy Health Australia. He will remain based in Sydney.

The move follows the planned departure of Emily Poon, who is stepping down as President of Ogilvy PR Asia-Pacific after 17 years with the firm, including five years in the regional leadership role. Ogilvy said Poon decided earlier this year to take a break and pursue new ventures.

Chris Reitermann, CEO of Ogilvy Asia-Pacific, praised Poon’s contribution, saying, “Emily has been a driving force behind Ogilvy PR’s strength and evolution in the region. Her leadership and dedication have shaped not only our agency’s success and culture but also the careers of many who worked with her. We wish her all the best in her next adventures.” He added that Brett’s promotion reflects the agency’s commitment to nurturing internal talent: “We are excited to have Richard lead Ogilvy PR Asia-Pacific into our next phase of growth.”

Brett joined Ogilvy PR ANZ in 2013 and became CEO in 2018, taking on leadership of Ogilvy Health Australia in 2021. With more than 25 years of experience in communications consultancy and in-house leadership, he is widely recognised for award-winning campaigns, client growth, and fostering a people-centric culture.

Commenting on his appointment, Brett said: “I’m honoured to step into this role and build upon the momentum Emily and our Asia and Australia teams have established. Ogilvy PR’s legacy is built on a people-first culture, bold creativity and cutting-edge innovations, and I’m excited to lead our talented teams into the future.”

He added that continuing his ANZ and Health leadership roles alongside the Asia-Pacific remit would strengthen collaboration across markets.

Julianna Richter, global CEO of Ogilvy PR, said, “Richard’s strategic brilliance and passion for integrated, earned-first creativity make him the perfect fit to guide Ogilvy PR forward in the region. We are confident he will elevate our capabilities in APAC and inspire our team to continue achieving great things.” Richter also paid tribute to Poon’s “charismatic leadership,” saying she would be greatly missed.

Reflecting on her tenure, Poon described her 17 years at Ogilvy as “truly transformative and enriching,” and said she was proud of leading the APAC team for the past five years. “Ogilvy is more than a workplace, it is a community where I found lifelong learnings and lasting bonds in shared purpose,” she said. “While I’m excited for new horizons ahead, my heart remains with friends at Ogilvy. Richard is an extremely talented and values-driven leader—I couldn’t be happier with him taking on the role.”

Singapore – Ogilvy PR has named Q Akashah as its new managing director for Singapore and Malaysia. Amidst the new appointment, she will be retaining her portfolio as executive director for Islamic Marketing in Southeast Asia.

As part of Ogilvy’s Singapore and Malaysia integrated leadership team, Q will oversee and manage the PR offices across both markets, pursuing innovations in areas such as AI, influencer engagement, creative and content creation, and employee engagement, amongst others. 

“It is a privilege to be in the Company of Giants to bring forward our ambition of driving creative and impactful PR-led and social-first integrated work. The communications industry is changing rapidly, and my priority is to ensure Ogilvy PR remains at the forefront of propelling the success of our clients’ brands and businesses,” said Akashah.

With more than 15 years of strategic communications experience and stints in Ogilvy Malaysia and Indonesia under her belt, Akashah joined Ogilvy PR in 2008 and has steadily climbed the ranks through the years. She was recognised with the SEA Young Professional of the Year in 2014 and has worked on numerous award-winning campaigns locally and regionally.

She will continue with her second portfolio of spearheading Islamic marketing and communications efforts across the region, working with international brands to engage with Muslim consumers as well as Muslim-centric industries to appeal to a larger non-Muslim audience. 

The agency said the appointment is part of its commitment to talent development and succession planning and follows Emily Poon taking on the regional leadership of Ogilvy PR in 2021. 

“We are delighted to announce Q’s appointment,” said Emily Poon, president of Ogilvy PR in Asia Pacific. “As a values-driven leader that always seeks to do right by our people, clients, and business, I cannot think of a better successor to take on the leadership of our Singapore and Malaysia PR offices. At a time where we are seeing a rapid pace of change in AI, media and technology platforms, I am excited to work alongside Q and our network colleagues for our next phase of growth in Singapore, Malaysia, the region and beyond. At Ogilvy PR, we believe it is vital to continually invest in the growth of our next generation leaders, cultivate a diverse leadership bench and nurture an inclusive workplace for our network’s continued success.”

Ogilvy PR was recently re-appointed as AIA Singapore’s PR agency of record, extending it to a 13-year partnership following a competitive pitch. The agency will also be serving as AIA Singapore’s social agency of record.