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.