Publicis appoints group head of creative tech

Publicis Groupe has hired Laurent Thevenet, previously executive technology director at RGA, as head of creative technology for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, based in Singapore.

In addition, the company has appointed Anna Tomasetti as creative community manager and Barbara Messer as head of creative PR, both for the same territory.

All of the new hires will report to Natalie Lam, chief creative officer for APAC and MEA, who joined earlier this year.

At RGA, Thevenet oversaw work across Southeast Asia and led projects in China, India, the Middle East and Australia. He founded the APAC RGA Prototype Studio in 2016, which has developed prototypes for clients such as Nike, Uber, Google, Siemens and Nikon.

Tomasetti has served as lead for Ascential's See It Be It initiative and an awards manager for Lions Festivals, in addition to film-industry experience such as directing the Canberra Film Festival.

Messer has almost 20 years of journalism, communications and awards experience, including with BrandCulture Communications, Adfest and 303 MullenLowe. 

"Laurent is many things," Lam said in a release. "A thinker, maker, musician and coder who knows the latest about all things tech and brand values. Having him in the Groupe will bring firepower and magic to help our clients connect with their audience in a region full of rich traditions and big ambitions for the future."

Thevenet is originally from France and moved to Singapore in 2008. At RGA he worked on the development of the Zig app for ComfortDelGro.

"Joining Publicis Groupe was an obvious choice for me," he said. "I’m an engineer by training but have always worked at the intersection of music, art, creativity and technology, which makes the role a perfect fit. The scale of Publicis Groupe, the spectrum of its skills and capabilities, and the opportunity to impact work across so many offices was irresistible."

Tomasetti said that building "connective tissue" between creative teams across three continents and eight time zones will certainly be a challenge. "I truly believe in the power of connections that help us thrive in both work and life, and I can only try my hardest to inspire our regional creative community to be a part of that vision," she said Tomasetti.

Messer said her new 'dream role' will allow her to help the group's creatives share stories about their process, inspirations and ideas.

"We now have the best team to unite our talent as a true community, build a strong creative culture across the region, and make the Groupe the best place for all creative talent to be in," Lam said.