Staff Reporters
Jan 15, 2024

Move and win roundup: Week of January 15, 2024

All the latest moves and wins from Havas, Marriott International, Integral Ad Science, TTC, Teneo, Ogilvy, TBWA, HKTB, LePub, Ivy+Partners, McCann, Foodpanda, and more.

Campaign compiles a new 'Move and win roundup' as each week progresses. 
This edition will cover 15 January through 19 January, 2024. 
Catch up on past people moves and business wins
 
Havas has appointed David Shulman as CEO of its global CX network. Shulman becomes the network’s inaugural CEO for the network, and will manage an 1,800-person group that sits across 26 Havas Villages, in more than 19 countries around the world including India and China in APAC. Shulman’s resume includes being CEO of Omnicom Group’s Organic, president at Wunderman, and, most recently, chief experience officer for VML. Shulman began his career on the client side in brand strategy at Jaguar. He will be based in New York and report to Donna Murphy, Global CEO of Havas Creative Network and Havas Health & You.  

Since 2020, Havas has been integrating and aligning the CX capabilities of its specialty shops such as BETC Fullsix, Langoor (digital engagement), Think Design (user experience) and Gate One (a digital and transformation consultancy) among others. 
 
Marriott International has announced a series of internally elevated roles and new appointments to complete its Consumer Operations team in Asia Pacific, excluding China (APEC):
  • Jason Nuell will become vice president, customer experience and food & beverage design services, APEC. Relocating from Marriott International’s HQ, Jason was the global senior vice president of premium brands.
  • Ramesh Daryanani, who joined Marriott International in 2007, has taken on the newly created role of vice president, global sales, loyalty operations and partnerships, APEC.
  • Tessa Rahardjo has been promoted to vice president, revenue strategy, APEC.
  • Mei Xue Ying has been promoted to vice president, marketing, APEC (excluding South Asia).
  • Khushnooma Kapadia has been promoted to vice president, marketing, South Asia.
  • Ashley Hansen has been promoted to vice president, sales & distribution, APEC (excluding South Asia), relocating from Sydney to Singapore.
  • Monisha Dewan has been promoted to vice president, sales & distribution, South Asia.
  • Wong Ching Yee, who recently joined Marriott, has been appointed as vice president, communications, APEC.
  • Jason Zhang, who joined Marriott in 2018, has been elevated to vice president, APAC Digital.
  • Mark Shrives, has been elevated to Marriott Digital Services (MDS) senior director, client services, APEC.
Havas India has elevated Jaibeer Ahmad, formerly managing partner—North at Havas Worldwide India, to the role of chief transformation & growth officer. In this newly created role, Ahmad will set transformative strategies, driving business growth through integration and collaboration across all 18 Havas India agencies. Based in Gurgaon, he brings a wealth of experience and an impeccable track record and will report to Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas India, South East Asia & North Asia (Japan & South Korea). Ahmad joined Havas Worldwide India in December 2022, with over 23 years of experience in advertising and marketing brand-building. Before joining Havas, he worked for Cheil Worldwide as senior vice president. He also worked at agencies such as JWT and Saatchi & Saatchi. 
 
The Travel Corporation (TTC) has appointed Koo Sok Hoon as the marketing communications director for TTC Asia. In this role, she will lead the development and execution of TTC Asia’s marketing and communications strategy, planning and implementation of new marketing initiatives, alongside exploring and activating new partnerships. Koo brings a wealth of experience and expertise to TTC Asia, having headed various marketing roles in luxury brands from automobile, hospitality, timepieces to fashion. Before joining TTC, she was head of marketing communications at BMW Group. 
 
Ng Keng Wee has joined PropertyGuru Group as head of corporate communications. Before joining, he was director of public affairs Pacific at WeWork. Prior to that, he worked for We Communications and Bite Communications.
 
PRecious Communications has announced strategic appointments to strengthen its offerings across Southeast Asia and beyond.
  • Robin Chang, formerly serving as the vice president for brand communications and strategy, has taken on the position of senior vice president for Life (consumer brands) and INC (corporate and government practice). In his new role, he will be expanding core capabilities around Life and INC’s specialities into PRecious’ key growth markets, which include Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Vietnam.
  • Arundhati Saha, previously the director of strategic advisory, has been appointed as the vice president for strategic advisory, overseeing the Edge (technology) and Sparks (startups) teams. In her new capacity, her goal is to leverage expertise to drive innovative strategies that meet the unique challenges of the technology sector.
Integral Ad Science has expanded into Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Appointments include Sowarose Charuwatpaiboon as the country head of Thailand, Thanh Nguyen as the country head of Vietnam, Melvin Wong as the region head of Hong Kong & Taiwan and Arfitrianto Zulnaini, sales director of Indonesia, who will be stepping up as the country head of Indonesia and Malaysia. 

Teneo has announced two senior additions to its financial communications and investor relations practice to support its client base's growing capital markets needs in Asia-Pacific. Katherine Kim, a senior managing director, is relocating to Sydney from Teneo’s New York office to drive financial situations work in Australia and across APAC. Kim will advise clients on strategic communications and investor engagement, specialising in transformational transactions and financial situations such as M&A, IPOs, spin-offs, private equity and shareholder activism. Lloyd Xu joins Teneo as a senior vice president. He will play a key role in Teneo’s financial communications and investor relations advisory for companies in the Hong Kong SAR and Mainland China markets. Xu joins Teneo from Ping An Group, where he served as co-head of Investor Relations.

Ogilvy Network ANZ has confirmed that Ogilvy Sydney’s chief strategy officer, Ryan O’Connell, has resigned and is leaving the business this month. O’Connell has been with the agency for more than 11 years, during which time he has worked across almost all of the agency’s clients. O’Connell was also named Campaign Asia’s Strategist of the Year for the past three years. As a result of O’Connell’s departure, Ogilvy is currently evaluating its strategic resources and will make an announcement about the senior structure of the strategy team in due course. Meanwhile, It’s understood an announcement will be made shortly on O’Connell’s next move, potentially heading up a new independent agency.
 
TBWA Media Arts Lab has appointed Stuart Alexander as group creative director for Australia. Alexander is expected to help create impact for Apple as TBWA Media Arts Lab is the bespoke global creative agency for the tech giant. Prior to joining the company, Alexander held leadership roles at some of Australia's most esteemed agencies, including The Monkeys, Leo Burnett, and BMF. 
 
JCDecaux has won the renewal of its exclusive advertising contracts with MTR Corporation for the operation and management of advertising across a total of eight MTR lines including Airport Express, as well as the non-exclusive rights to sell and promote MTR Mobile advertising. JCDecaux Transport has held the MTR advertising agency contract for over 40 years and the eight lines which include the main urban lines and Airport Express constitute the largest market share in transport advertising in Hong Kong. The renewed contracts are effective from 1st January 2024 to 31st December 2028 with the option for MTR to extend up to a total of 10 years.
 
electriclime have signed British filmmaker Lee J Ford for representation throughout MENA and APAC. Ford has previously worked as a creative director with agencies around the world, before taking the leap into becoming a director. Known for his atmospheric and cinematic work, since moving behind the camera he has worked on projects for clients such as BMW, Audi, Samsung, Nintendo and many more.
 
Spurwing Communications has appointed Georgina Purdy to the role of director. In the role, Purdy will work closely with Spurwing’s senior team to shape the strategic direction of the business as it enters its tenth year of operations, and expand its specialist offerings to its clients across healthcare, food and agriculture in 2024. Prior to joining Spurwing, Purdy was head of communications, international markets at Gojek, responsible for setting the strategic direction for all communications efforts across Singapore and Vietnam.
 
Havas Immerse Malaysia has now been renamed Havas Malaysia under the leadership of CEO Nizwani Shahar. This change closely follows the recent rebranding of Havas Thailand. In addition to the name change, Havas Malaysia has also expanded its team to not only bolster capabilities, but also champion female leadership. 
  • Bowie Tiong has been appointed as business director for the agency, bringing over a decade of experience from her previous role as the brand lead for prominent FMCG clients at Ogilvy. Reporting directly to Nizwani Shahar, Tiong will spearhead the development of business opportunities, cultivate client relationships, and explore avenues for new revenue streams.
  • Wendy Tan joins the team at C-Cube Studios, Havas Malaysia’s content studio and adaptation team, as associate account director.
  • Shireen Ang has taken the creative helm as creative director. With over a decade of experience in crafting award-winning campaigns, Ang, recognised for her contributions to prestigious awards such as the Cannes Lion, D&AD, One Show, Spikes, and more, will report directly to Donevan Chew, chief creative officer for Havas Malaysia.
  • Kharlal Nisha has joined as associate creative director, along with Yeo Lee Kee and Michelle Chong as the creative group heads, Jass Sin Lee as senior art director, Joanna Mak as art director, and Ain Nabilah Baharudin as senior copywriter.  Lau Suet Ling has joined as a medical writer for the Havas, Health & You practice.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has appointed Liew Chian Jia as regional director of Southeast Asia, effective 11 January 2024. In her new role, Liew will lead the development and implementation of HKTB’s marketing strategies in Southeast Asia. She joined HKTB in 2017. Prior to this appointment, Liew was the director of trade marketing for the Southeast Asia region for the HKTB. Liew succeeds Martin Gwee, who has been with the HKTB since 2016.
 
LePub APAC has made four key appointments at its Singapore headquarters.
  • Belynda Sim-Mak has joined as cultural strategist from her previous role as head of strategy, APAC at VCCP Singapore. She brings more than 20 years of experience in driving brand and communications strategy to LePub.
  • Mark Peeters and Robert Nelk have also joined as associate creative directors. They first relocated to Singapore in 2019 and joined LePub last year.
  • Sergey Mast has joined as creative director of art & technology. For over a decade, he has helped brands to find new ways to tell stories and connect advertising, technology and innovation.  
Thinking Folks has appointed Rajeev Rakshit as group CEO and managing partner. His key mandate will be to define and strengthen Thinking Folks' vision to provide clients with an integrated upstream marketing and advertising solutions platform. Having worked for and led agencies such as McCann, Leo Burnett Group, JWT, Publicis, and Euro RSCG for almost three decades, Rakshit will head Thinking Folks and its group company, Goosebumps Brand Solutions.
 
Huyen Tran has joined Ivy+Partners, a PR consulting firm in Vietnam, as communications director. With over 15 years of experience, Huyen is a seasoned communication professional with expertise in planning and implementing various communication strategies to support the sustainable growth of businesses. Prior to joining Ivy+Partners, she held positions in corporations, including Unilever, FrieslandCampina, AkzoNobel, H&M, and British American Tobacco (BAT), working across Vietnam and Singapore.
 
Chinese convenience food giant Jinmailang, has appointed McCann China as its agency of record for 2024. Founded in 1994, The Jinmailang Food Co., Ltd. is one of China’s top 500 privately-owned businesses with a wide-ranging portfolio, including instant noodles, convenience foods, and bakery products. Under this new partnership, McCann will be tasked with developing communication strategies and creating integrated marketing campaigns. McCann will also collaborate with Jinmailang’s product R&D department to help drive innovation and co-create new product concepts. McCann Worldgroup China’s Influencer Marketing Unit will also lead celebrity and KOL communication strategies.
 
Toni Ruotanen has left his position as director of advertising and partnerships APAC at Foodpanda after serving 16 months in the role. Ruotanen announced via his LinkedIn page that he will be serving garden leave and spending quality time with family and friends before beginning his next chapter in March 2024. A skilled business development executive, Ruotanen has previously worked as Group M's head of commerce for APAC and headed Lazada's strategic project management team at the Singapore office. 
 
Ogilvy Singapore has announced the promotion of Ishita Roy and Frederick Tong to joint head of strategy. Both Roy and Tong have been with Ogilvy Singapore through most of the last decade, contributing significantly to the agency’s growth, reputation and building client relationships. The promotions reflect Ogilvy's commitment to recognising top talent within its ranks.
 
Philip Chau has announced via LinkedIn he has left his position as vice president and group head of marketing at Regal Hotels International after nearly two years in the role. Chau has over 18 years of strategy and marketing experience in his CV having worked at prominent brands in his career. According to his LinkedIn post, Chau will be taking a career break before he embarks on a new adventure.

Madison Media, a unit of Madison World, has appointed Puja Rai as their chief strategy officer. She will be based in the agency's Mumbai office and will report to Vikram Sakhuja, partner and group CEO, Madison Media & OOH. Rai has previously worked for Mindshare as a partner client lead and has over 20 years of experience in marketing, strategy and analytics.
Source:
Campaign Asia

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