New leadership in place at Mindshare Japan

Stephen Berkov has returned to the US after just over a year as Mindshare’s managing director for Japan and Korea. Kenichi Saito has replaced him as the agency’s Japan head.

Saito did not respond to Campaign’s request for comment and clarification as to the circumstances of the leadership change. His experience also includes senior planning roles at UM.

Berkov joined the GroupM company in February 2016, relocating to Tokyo from Los Angeles. He had prior experience in Japan, having served as president of La Prairie Group from 2010 to 2013. Before that, he was head of marketing for Audi in the US.

Mindshare was recently awarded Gold in the Japan Media Agency of the Year category in Campaign’s 2016 Agency of the Year Awards.