Move and win roundup: Week of July 1, 2024

GroupM has elevated Nicky Huang to chief client officer in Taiwan. Huang was managing director of EssenceMediacom before the promotion. She was selected into Campaign’s Women to Watch Greater China list in 2022 when she was general manager of MediaCom Taiwan. Huang joined MediaCom in 2018. Before that, she worked at Maxus and MEC in Taiwan. She started her marcomms career at Mindshare Shanghai.

Nikos Bartzoulianos will take on the role of group chief marketing officer at Electrolux Group. Bartzoulianos will also become head of sustainability for Europe and APAC MEA, reporting to Anna Ohlsson-Leijon, CEO for Europe and APAC. Alejandro Cidon will continue to act as interim head of brand and marketing and sustainability for Europe and APAC until Bartzoulianos joins on August 23, 2024. Prior to Electrolux, Bartzoulianos worked at Samsung in senior management roles for nine years. Before Samsung, he worked for Procter & Gamble and McKinsey & Company. 

Mariko Kondo has been promoted to head of the Tokyo office at I&CO. Joining I&CO in 2021 as engagement manager, Kondo was strategy director and led purpose development and activation projects with Toyota Woven City, Panasonic Connect, and the redesign of Lexus's Japanese corporate site. Norikuni Takamiya and Takashi Mazawa, former co-heads of the Tokyo office, will expand their role to oversee both the Tokyo office and the newly established Singapore office.

Watatawa, a WE Communications (WE) company, has appointed Stephen Robertson as managing director, effective immediately. Robertson will oversee Watatawa’s day-to-day operations and management of the business, while strengthening the agency’s footprint in Singapore and across Asia-Pacific. He will report to Nitin Mantri, regional executive managing director, APAC, WE. Robertson joined Watatawa in 2014. Before WE, he served as director of Southeast Asia at Edelman.

Sushi Sushi, an Australian fast-casual dining brand, has appointed Untangld as its new strategic partner. This collaboration marks the beginning of a comprehensive customer research and strategy project aimed at developing a new growth and brand strategy for Sushi Sushi. Untangld, renowned for its data-driven and customer-centric approach, will employ its expertise to gather insights that will inform the future direction of Sushi Sushi. 

Endeavour Group, the Australian drinks and hospitality business, has appointed BMF as its new creative agency. In a statement, Endeavour Group said BMF won out the process after it was “identified as the preferred agency for their strategic excellence, innovative approach to creative thinking, and their experience in retail and hospitality”. BMF has won the account and will work across its portfolio, which includes Dan Murphy’s and BWS. The incumbent creative agency is M&C Saatchi. 

Thinkerbell has made a series of promotions and new hires:

• Nick Bennett has been promoted to general manager in Melbourne
• Tom Wenborn has been promoted to chief creative tinker South
• Paul Swann to chief creative tinker North
• Jacqueline Archer has been hired to work on Thinkerbell productions
• Laura Stevenson has been hired as executive head thinker

IPG Mediabrands has hired Stephanie Foong as chief investment officer of its Malaysia office. Foong’s appointment follows the leadership transition of Fan Chen Yip, the current chief investment officer, who departs to pursue new opportunities. Effective immediately, Foong will be responsible for all legacy and new media investments within the group, with a focus on buying accountability and innovation. Foong’s role will oversee all aspects of IPG Mediabrands’ investment initiatives, focusing on maximising value for clients through data-driven insights and innovative media strategies. 

Market research and integrated marketing services company StrategINK has appointed Rajnish Arora as its chief research officer and country business head of Singapore. Arora was most recently at IDC Asia Pacific, where he spent more than two decades building IDC’s Digital Infrastructure research practice in the region.

Tribes Communication has appointed Deep Sanyal as the group chief financial officer (CFO). Sanyal joins from Madison OOH media group, where he served as the finance director for 13 years.