James Hawkins named chief digital officer of Dentsu Media APAC

Hawkins takes on the role in addition to his duties as CEO of Dentsu Möbius and will report to Takaki Hibino, CEO of Dentsu and Dentsu Media Asia Pacific, and Rosalynn Tay, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network Singapore.

Hawkins previously held the role of president of Dentsu’s digital capabilities for South and Southeast Asia, and will now look after the wider Asia-Pacific region.

Hawkins’ ability to identify and produce bespoke, creative solutions has earned the trust of numerous clients, “creating enduring partnerships and award-winning campaigns”, Hibino said in a press statement. 

“He is a fantastic leader who puts talent at the heart of the agency and will be a key role in driving our creative momentum in the region,” he added.

Speaking to Campaign Asia-Pacific, Hawkins said that he will be focused on exploring opportunities with brands across the region in developing and delivering solutions that blend creative, technology and media.

“Content is a massive driver for this convergence and I believe we are well positioned to take the opportunity to bring it altogether,” he added.

To illustrate, Hawkins pointed to the ongoing work the network is doing for Disney, which he described as “a different take on a typical media RFP”, that has proved quite fruitful.

“We’ve definitely got work to do still, but I have no doubt that we can get there,” he said. “We have a super team and it’s about how we drive it forward.”

Asked about challenges, Hawkins said the first thing on his list is getting people onboard, and on the same page.

“It’s about a mindset change to the way we work,” he said. “It’s also about building that collective trust, encouraging your people to be bolder and braver in doing work that has impact. Once you have that, I believe everything else will fall into place.”

Tay said that Hawkins has made significant contributions to Dentsu Möbius and has demonstrated “exceptional leadership quality.”

“We are delighted to have him take on this well-deserved role and add to the strength of our leadership in the region,” she added.

Hawkins boasts 14 years’ experience in digital marketing, including nine in Asia. In 2012, he joined the network with the launch of digital agency Möbius, which today services clients such as Singapore Airlines, Mondelēz International and Disney Studios. In 2014, he was featured on Campaign Asia’s 40 under 40 leaders to watch in the region, at the age of 34.