Ruth Stubbs departs iProspect

Ruth Stubbs is leaving her Singapore-based role as global president of Dentsu Aegis Network's performance-marketing unit iProspect, Campaign Asia-Pacific has learned.

She will become EMEA chief executive of Group M media agency Wavemaker in early 2020. She will relocate to the UK and report to Toby Jenner, Wavemaker’s global chief executive.

Stubbs has been global president at iProspect since late 2016. That promotion followed her five-year stint as CEO of iProspect Asia Pacific, during which she grew the business from 40 people to over 1000, completing seven acquisitions. She first joined iProspect in Asia in 2011, which followed a tenure as president of Mediabrands APAC. She was also the top honoree in Campaign's first Women Leading Change Awards and a key driver behind DAN's Female Foundry Accelerator Programme.

Jenner said: "Ruth’s reputation precedes her. Her track record of building world-class agencies is exceptional, she’s a proven client and business leader, and her knowledge and expertise of precision marketing will be invaluable as we continue to evolve our capabilities across the EMEA region. I’m really looking forward to partnering with her and bringing the breadth and depth of our capabilities to our clients, both current and new."

Over the last year, Dentsu Aegis has seen restructuring and job cuts, along with a relatively large number of high-level departures, including longtime APAC CEO Nick Waters (who went to a UK/Ireland role with the company as Takaki Hibino became APAC executive chairman), China CEO Susana Tsui (who later joined TheAsianParent), Southeast Asia CEO Phil Teeman and North Asia CEO Rob Hughes and former Carat CEO Jonathan Chadwick.

Stubbs declined to comment for this article. Peter Huijboom, CEO of DAN Media & Performance and global clients confirmed the move, adding: "We thank Ruth for her leadership over the past nine years. She leaves iProspect as a vibrant global brand that will continue to play a critical role in our strategic growth. We wish her all the best in her future endeavours."

This article has been updated from its original publication to include confirmation and comments from Wavemaker and Dentsu Aegis Network.