Move and win roundup: Week of March 11, 2024

AS Watson Group has appointed Kulvinder Birring as CEO of Marionnaud Group and Gabriele Betti as deputy CEO of Marionnaud Group, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison Holdings. Birring was appointed CEO of Watsons China in 2018. Before that, he had led Watsons’ operations as managing director of Malaysia and Indonesia. In his new appointment as CEO of Marionnaud Group, he will manage Marionnaud’s portfolio of over 730 O+O (offline plus online) stores in eight markets, one of Europe's leading luxury perfumeries & cosmetics retailers. Marionnaud's leadership team, including Gabriele Betti and Emilio Leon, will work seamlessly with Birring in his new role.

Bala Krishnan has been promoted to head of communications at Stellantis India and Asia Pacific to promote the automaker’s Jeep and Citroen brands in India. He was previously responsible for all NSC Communications in the region. In his new role, Krishnan will oversee the communication functions across 26 markets. Krishnan will work closely with the country PR managers of the 12 brands that Stellantis sells in the India-Asia Pacific region.

Breast Cancer Foundation (BCF) has appointed SPRG Singapore as the agency of record for its PR and social media work in Singapore after a competitive pitch. The retainer contract will see the strategic communications agency develop myriad communications strategies to build brand awareness and credibility. SPRG Singapore will also handle BCF’s media relations and outreach and its advocacy and communications team to reach a wider community. The agency will also develop and implement innovative social media strategies, create compelling content, and manage BCF’s social media channels to drive engagement and awareness. SPRG Singapore hopes to cement top-of-mind awareness for BCF through its communication efforts.

Dentsu Creative has won the integrated creative mandate for Gemini Edibles & Fats India (GEF India). The account was won following a multi-agency pitch and will be serviced from the agency’s Chennai office.  As per the mandate, Dentsu Creative will provide end-to-end creative solutions for GEF India, covering all aspects of branding, communication, and marketing. This includes designing attractive packaging, creating impactful Point-of-Sale Materials (POSM), launching engaging TV, radio, and print campaigns, and producing event collaterals for the brand. The agency will also craft a comprehensive digital strategy with a monthly content calendar, captivating social media creatives, and innovative executions. Through this partnership, Dentsu Creative focuses on elevating the brand value of GEF India and its products, highlighting their quality, health benefits, and consumer trust. The agency will also aim to strengthen the brand's connection with its target audience by creating relevant and memorable brand stories and delivering them across multiple touchpoints.

Electriclime has added filmmaker Henry Schofield to their director roster. The director will be represented exclusively in Asia and MENA and freelance in Australia and New Zealand. Specialising in sports, automotive and lifestyle work, he has worked on campaigns for brands such as Genesis, Toyota, POC Sports, and Adidas.

AnalogFolk CEO Matt Robinson will join Bastion as managing director digital brand, and Ben Hourahine will assume the role of chief strategy officer digital brand after Bastion acquired the agency. Together they will further drive Bastion’s comprehensive digital and creative capabilities and support the agency’s progressive approach to brand building, advertising, PR and social and business innovation by leveraging emerging media, social, technology and cultural insights.

MG Motor Australia has bolstered its communications and marketing team with several professionals. David Hearty has been promoted from national digital manager for Australia and New Zealand to head of MG Motor Australia’s marketing. His new role will focus on electric vehicles, an expanding dealer network, accessories and community. David Giammetta has been appointed as PR and communications manager,  who has previously worked in various organisations, including News Corp Australia and NSW Health.

Black Sheep Advertising, South Australia-based advertising agency, has appointed Michael Gagliardi as co-creative director. Gagliardi was former Fuller creative director, who has worked in the advertising sector for over a decade, helping brands such as Kathmandu, the South Australian Tourism Commission and Holden. He will work alongside Black Sheep Advertising’s other creative director, David Ormston.

Creatives for Climate, a non-profit global network of 30,000 professionals committed to climate action, has appointed youth change agent Antonia Estall as its Asia-Pacific chapter lead to kick-start action across the region to empower professionals to tackle greenwashing and build a movement of professionals taking climate action. Estall’s primary focus will be in New Zealand, as research from Consumer NZ confirms 9/10 New Zealanders place importance on a product's green claims being verified before it is sold.

Enigma, a full-service indie agency, has announced two key appointments to its senior leadership team.

• Ciaran Miller-Stubbs joins Enigma as new executive director. He will lead the agency’s Sydney team. Miller-Stubbs was previously with Emotive, where he was the client services director. Prior to that, he spent six years at The Monkeys, leading MLA’s Lamb and Beef accounts, as well as Canadian Club, Jim Beam, and Amazon.
• Matt Ennis has been appointed as creative director. He will work on creative across the agency from the company’s Newcastle office. Ennis joins from Havas Host Australia, where he worked on Air New Zealand’s 'Bring on Winter' campaign, and aided in launching a new global tourism platform for Fiji.

I&CO has announced a strategic design capital alliance with Trambellir, a Malaysia-based online booking platform for medical tourism. The partnership will take the form of a design capital model, where I&CO will enhance the UI and overall business assets for Trambellir. Following this partnership, Norikuni Takamiya, the head of I&CO APAC, has been appointed as chief design officer (CDO) of Trambellir to enhance corporate value and accelerate business from a design perspective.

Healthy Thinking Group Asia (HTG), a health communications agency, continues to expand its operations and has appointed Dennis Wong as senior account director. Joining HTG from Spurwing Communications, Wong previously held roles at Weber Shandwick, Hong Kong, and Ogilvy CommonHealth Asia Pacific. In his new role, Wong will focus on delivering regional medical communication initiatives, creative campaigns, and virtual, face-to-face and hybrid events, as well as helping to develop the business into the next phase.

WePurple, the integrated design and marketing agency group, has expanded to the Americas region. WePurple Americas is spearheaded by group managing partner Alex Cook, who has relocated to Mexico City from Singapore, where he was based for over 12 years. 

Mutant has appointed Renny Rengganis and Charmaine Goh as directors in Indonesia and Malaysia respectively. Rengganis, who has previously held roles at Edelman Indonesia, Zeno Indonesia, and BCW Indonesia, joins Mutant with 17 years of experience, having previously led campaigns for brands such as X (formerly Twitter), Smarfren Telecom, Frisian Flag, and Unilever Citra Body Lotion. Goh, who was previously senior account director at Roots PR, brings over a decade of experience having worked with global brands such as Diageo, Michelin Guide, Sony Pictures, Nestlé, Heineken, Philips, and Adidas.

Independent agency Special PR has been tapped as the PR partner for PepsiCo brands Pepsi, Red Rock Deli, and Smith’s, extending Special Group Australia’s remit with the global giant. The appointment will see Special PR develop creative earned campaigns, PR strategy and activation, content development, media relations, publicity, and influencer relationships across Australia, with a focus on Gen Z and culture. Special PR, founded in Australia by ex-Havas talent Alex Bryant, was launched last July.

Ishan Chatterjee, who worked at VML in this region from 2011 to 2017, has been appointed by R3 as vice president of global growth to support the company’s expansion across EMEA. Based in London, Chatterjee is responsible for client growth, partnerships and R3’s capability expansion. Chatterjee joins R3 after 13 years at VML & VMLY&R in Europe & Southeast Asia, and he was most recently head of growth in the UK. Previously, he worked for VML in Singapore, India, Indonesia and Malaysia. 

Quincy Yip has been elevated to an expanded role as global director of customer experience and marketing of Lalamove to succeed Kristie Cheung. Cheung stepped down as global head of marketing communications and has moved to HSBC as brand marketing lead for Hong Kong. Yip reports to Paul Loo, chief operating officer of Lalamove. Yip joined Lalamove in 2020 as the director of customer experience. Before Lalamove, he worked for Klook and Cathay Pacific. 

Ogilvy Malaysia has announced its latest new business win, securing the account for Wipro Unza Malaysia’s brands that include Carrie Junior, Eversoft, and Scentify, following a triple-party competitive pitch. The contract, set to commence on April 1, spans two years and marks a significant milestone in Ogilvy's journey in Malaysia.

Andy Wilson, who most recently led Ogilvy’s Sustainability Practice across APAC, has launched Early Majority, a global advisory with a mission to accelerate the adoption of good ideas, technologies and brands. The name derives from diffusion theory which measures how an innovation spreads through a population. Based in Singapore, Early Majority has launched with projects in the healthy-aging and alternative-protein spaces. The company will be sector-agnostic, with a primary focus on scaleups, MNCs and governments, and will operate through a system of specialist partners. 

Cognito, a global financial services communications agency, has appointed Sarah Anderson as an associate director in its Singapore office. Anderson brings over 18 years of communications experience to Cognito, having worked in both agency and in-house roles in the UK and in Singapore. Prior to Cognito, she was colleague communications and sustainability communications lead for the CEO’s office of abrdn (Aberdeen) Singapore. 

Sun Life has appointed Mahima Tankha Marwah as chief client experience and marketing officer, Asia effective March 15. Marwah will be responsible for leading client and marketing strategy across the region to grow brand health, deepen client engagement, and inform product innovation to meet client needs. Prior to joining Sun Life, Marwah held senior insurance distribution, client experience and marketing roles at global financial services providers FWD and Allianz.

NRMA Insurance has appointed Accenture Song to handle its customer experience. The brand has parted ways with its creative agency Bear Meets Eagle On Fire and will lean on Song's capabilities, spanning marketing, CX, digital, design, and communication, with a focus on integrating these disciplines for a comprehensive model. NRMA Insurance aims to streamline the insurance process, enhance claims procedures, and raise awareness among Australians regarding their insurance requirements and associated risks

DDB Group Singapore has appointed Subodh Deshpande as its chief strategy officer (CSO), effective March 4. Working alongside CEO Jeff Cheong and CCO Vinod Savio, Deshpande will spearhead the agency group’s strategic product for local and regional clients. Deshpande’s credentials include co-authorship of the book “Utopia Brands”, which was published in 2023. Before joining DDB Group Singapore, Deshpande spent nearly a decade at the global consulting firm Innate Motion. He led teams in crafting brand narratives for prominent companies such as Unilever, HP, Kellogg’s, Upfield, Suntory, and Reckitt’s across India, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. 

BBH India has hired Nisheeth Srivastava as executive creative director (ECD). Based out of Delhi, Srivastava's mandate involves working across brands handled by both agency offices and reporting directly to Parikshit Bhattaccharya, chief creative officer of BBH India.

Hui-Luen Lien has been appointed head of international marketing and communications at SenseTime. Lien has been with the company for more than five years, joining in 2019 as director of marketing and strategic partnerships. Prior to that, she worked at Yitutech and Accenture.