Mindshare appoints its new leader in Japan

Mindshare is promoting Yumi Murayama to the role of managing director of Japan, starting March 1. Murayama, who has played a lead role with global and local business at Mindshare Japan over the past five years, will also join Mindshare Asia Pacific's management roundtable along with the GroupM Japan Executive Committee.

Mindshare says it will not be replacing the CEO of Japan and Korea, a position previously held by Kevin Rooney who is now the CEO of GroupM agency M/Six in Asia Pacific. Mindshare Korea will continue to be led by its managing director, Donna Kim.

Murayama, who spent four years as a planner at Mediacom prior to Mindshare, has worked with global and local clients across many categories including autos, FMCG, luxury and travel and tourism. 

“I am so excited to take on this role and this challenge," Murayama said in a release. "I feel we can constantly find new ways to do things and live the Mindshare value of provocation by challenging the status quo. My commitment for the first year is to create a solid structure for our business that keeps the needs of clients at the center and gives our people the opportunity to do the best work of their career.”

Mindshare Asia-Pacific CEO Amrita Randhawa said it's a "source of joy" to have leadership emerge from within the company and noted Murayama's ability to lead strategically while also rolling up her sleeves to help her team.

Mindshare's leaders in Japan have had short tenures in recent years. Kevin Rooney spent just a year as CEO of Japan and Korea before being asked to lead M/Six in Australia last summer. Rooney had replaced Kenichi Saito, who moved on to another GroupM role after being appointed as Japan MD just the summer prior. Saito came in to replace Stephen Berkov, who returned to the US following a another stint of just over a year as managing director for Japan and Korea.