Dentsu, Aegis integration brings management restructuring

“Since the deal closed we ran as parallel businesses and now we’ll finally operate the full range of assets under one P&L,” Nick Waters, who will lead the Dentsu Aegis Network in Asia-Pacific, told Campaign Asia-Pacific. Waters takes responsibility for management of the business and the development of network, specialist and local brands across the region.

The joint entity has restructured its operations considerably. Traditionally, Aegis maintained regional leaders while Dentsu operated on a sub-regional basis. Finding a new balance to those structures demanded adjustments on both sides of the equation.

Some of the changes brought about by the move include a new North Asia region, which encompasses Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and the Aegis agencies in Japan, with Rob Hughes at the helm. The company has tapped Luke Littlefield to head the Dentsu Aegis Network in Australia and New Zealand. Dick van Motman takes leadership as CEO in Southeast Asia, and Ashish Bhasin manages South Asia.

The agency has put off full integration in China until 2015. Aegis Media and Dentsu will continue working in parallel there, managed by Phil Teeman, CEO Aegis Media China and Motohiro Yamagishi, CEO, Dentsu Network China. KF Lee has been named chairwoman of the Dentsu Aegis Network in China, overseeing both sides of the business.

Additionally, Yamagishi will lead the Dentsu agency brand across North Asia while Rohit Ohri will lead the Dentsu agency brand across the rest of the region, Asia Pacific South.

“China is so big and complex, we didn’t want to rush it and make mistakes,” Waters clarified. The combined entity has roughly 5,500 employees in the country including associates.

The Dentsu Aegis Network chose to put its headquarters in London. The plan is for Carat, the Dentsu agency brand, iProspect, Isobar, Posterscope and Vizeum to all work together for the first time, under the operating model of one P&L per country, alongside growing multi-market specialist and local brands. The network operates in 110 countries with more than 22,000 specialists.