Mindshare names Kevin Rooney CEO for Japan and Korea

Mindshare has named Kevin Rooney, formerly regional chief growth officer, to lead the company in Japan and Korea as CEO.

He will be based in Tokyo, and the appointment is effective immediately.

Donna Kim will remain as general manager of Mindshare Korea. Kenichi Saito, who was appointed as MD in Japan last July after Stephen Berkov returned to the US following a stint of just over a year as managing director for Japan and Korea, will move on to a GroupM role.

Rooney was chief growth officer for two years and has been with WPP for more than 14, including roles where his remit covered North America, global, the UK, and most recently APAC.

Few people in the network have Rooney's tenacity and drive, Amrita Randhawa, CEO of Mindshare APAC and executive chair of Mindshare Greater China said in a release. Rooney will "deliver this best of Mindshare to our clients in Japan and Korea", she added. 

“It’s exciting that after so many years, I have the honour to take on one of the most challenging yet most exciting regions for Mindshare," Rooney said.