Move and win roundup: Week of October 23, 2023

Madison Media has appointed Avinash Pillai as advisor on team Pinnacle for Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. He will be using the agency's Mumbai office as his operational base. With over 26 years of experience, Pillai has been at Mediacom for 12 years, where he started out as a national buying head and gradually went on to lead the P&G AOR for India and later, for the AMA (APAC, Middle East and Africa) region. Prior to Mediacom, he worked at Mindshare Fulcrum and media companies like Mid-Day, Turner International and ABP Ltd.

WPIC Marketing + Technologies has announced the opening of its new office in the heart of Shanghai’s Jing’an District. WPIC co-founder and president Joseph Cooke has relocated to Shanghai to lead the new team. Cooke’s presence in Shanghai will allow WPIC to expand the insights-driven strategic services it offers for leading international brands. The Shanghai office marks WPIC’s fourth office in mainland China, complementing its existing locations in Beijing, Nanjing, and Hangzhou. In addition to this office network, WPIC operates two logistics facilities in Nanjing.

CSM, global sport and entertainment agency, has appointed Vicky Stickland and Lesley Murphy as joint regional director for Asia. The pair will lead the team in Asia and develop the growth strategy for this market. Stickland previously ran a sports creative agency in the UK, and later set up and led an agency out of Germany. She joined CSM in 2019 as business director and she made the move to Hong Kong in 2021. Murphy has been with CSM since 2014, first leading the agency’s key account with AIA Insurance and the strategic delivery of their global partnership with Tottenham Hotspur. In 2021, she was promoted to regional director to lead on driving exposure of the agency’s service offerings and expertise.

Landor & Fitch has appointed Liz Wilson as its new group chief integration officer. Wilson will be responsible for bringing together the business’ growing group of brand specialist agencies to create unique integrated client solutions. She joins from Accenture Song Europe, where she served as managing director for growth and integration. Wilson will be joining Landor & Fitch at the beginning of November, based out of London.

Drinks99 will launch its Singapore office on 1st November. This strategic expansion reflects Drinks99's dedication to bringing exceptional range of craft beverages to the vibrant bar industry in Singapore and wider APAC. The founding duo, Simon Disler and Daniel O'Connor, will be leading the charge in Singapore, bringing their experience and passion for craft drinks to the local scene. Joining them will be Chris Peart, formerly of 28HKS, who will assume the role of general manager in Singapore, overseeing the operations and driving growth in the market.

Zeno has formed a joint venture with Qu Hong, former CEO of BCW China, to create Zeno China Consulting (operating independently from Zeno Group's China team). Qu will serve as founder and CEO of Zeno China Consulting and joins the firm's global leadership team. Headquartered in Beijing, Zeno China Consulting will focus its efforts on strategic communications, marketing and business consulting at a C-suite level. Ruby Fu will also lead Zeno’s China agency team while serving as a senior advisor to Zeno China Consulting.  

Ebiquity China has appointed Fanny Zhong to the role of director, analytics & insights. With over 26 years of experience in media investment, strategic media planning, and tactical media planning, Zhong brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her new role at Ebiquity. Prior to Ebiquity, she served as the chief investment officer and head of investment at Mindshare China for over 16 years. She was the investment lead for major brands such as L'Oréal, Nestle, and PepsiCo. She also has other leading client experience across LVMH, Nike, Dyson, Unicharm, Unilever, SVW and more.

Genero has appointed Chloe Lane as managing director for global client solutions. Lane has 20 years of experience spanning both agency and client-side in the UK and Australia, with stints at TBWA, JWT, The Engine Group and a recent post of four years as chief operating officer at Hogarth Australia. Post Hogarth, Lane embraced strategic client consultancy roles, notably with Australian supermarket giant The Woolworths Group. Genero currently helps brands like Hilton, the BBC, Meta, Google, TikTok and L’Oréal scale and streamline their creative and production capabilities.

Supermom has appointed Luke Lim as Group CEO. Lim joined Supermom as an investor in 2015 and became a co-founder of the digital platform in 2019. In his new role, Lim will report to Supermom’s board of directors and will work closely with Joan Ong, the founder of Supermom, as well as representatives of the platforms’ two VC firms: Weisheng Neo from Qualgro and Adrian Tan from AC ventures, to provide leadership and direction to the company. With a presence in six markets (Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand & Vietnam), Supermom gives brands access to its network of hundreds of millions parents’ social connections in Southeast Asia.

Goodstuph has announced its latest partnership with Prudential Singapore. After a competitive 3-way pitch, Goodstuph has been appointed as the social agency on record for a tenure of two years. With the recent inclusion of Prudential Singapore, the agency further cements its position as a paramount figure in the advertising industry across Southeast Asia. Goodstuph Thailand has also announced its momentous win: A one-year retainer with Rio Games Thailand. The addition of Riot Games showcases the agency's prowess in the competitive landscape.

Eastwest Public Relations has announced a partnership with the National University of Singapore’s Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions  (NUS CNCS) to support its global media relations and sustainability communications strategy in the lead up to COP28. Eastwest PR will work with NUS CNCS to develop a strategic global media relations campaign to support the university’s upcoming participation in COP28. The agency will also co-develop thought leadership narratives and media content with the Centre, leveraging the latter’s research expertise.

Intrepid, a leading digital solutions partner in Southeast Asia, has integrated fully with its 10 Ascential Digital Commerce sister brands, rebranding to form a single, global brand known as Flywheel. This integration marks a significant brand transformation and underscores Flywheel’s unwavering commitment to evolving with the fast-paced digital commerce landscape. Jasper Knoben, CEO of Intrepid Group Asia, has become CEO of Flywheel SEA. Duncan Painter, who was formerly CEO of Ascential Plc, has joined Flywheel as CEO.

Grow Asia has appointed Pranav Rastogi as head of communications. Rastogi will be spearheading global communications strategy and managing outreach to both public and private stakeholders. He will also serve as regional platform coordinator, Asia Pacific, for the World Economic Forum’s Food Action Alliance to steer the development and facilitation of the FAA’s regional delivery hub while forging robust partnerships and creating engaging dialogues with stakeholders throughout the Asia Pacific region.

Director Jeana Khoury has signed with The Sweetshop for representation in Asia. With a diverse portfolio that spans from light-hearted fashion to compelling beauty campaigns and visually rich food projects, Khoury has earned her reputation as a multifaceted director capable of delivering outstanding content. Her work has left a lasting impression on a wide range of notable clients, including industry giants such as KFC, Toyota, Hyundai, Environ, and Jo’Burg Ballet. Jeana's path crossed with The Sweetshop during her early days as a creative researcher, where she developed a great admiration for Founding partner and current Global co-CEO Melanie Bridge's directorial work.

Initiative has been appointed media agency of record to Finnair, the largest full-service legacy airline of Finland, effective immediately. Initiative’s appointed remit, which initially covers four markets in Asia-Pacific, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong, will encompass media strategy, planning, and buying across all digital channels. Finnair cited the Initiative’s strategic model designed around growth markets and strong performance understanding as a key differentiator. 

Andaz Singapore has appointed Martin Satow as its new executive chef and Moritz Kam as its new director of food and beverage (F&B). The German natives’ new appointments will mark their return to Singapore, having spent time in the city between 2013 and 2019. With a combined experience of 35 years, Chef Martin and Moritz will be leading the hotel’s culinary and F&B teams, respectively, to elevate guests’ dining experiences to new heights with fresh perspectives. 

Lonsdale is strengthening the Singapore management team and has appointed Nadia Romanis as managing director and Cat Murphy as creative director, following the acquisition of Why Brand Design (based in Singapore) by the Lonsdale brand design agency (based in Paris) in October 2022. Romanis brings over 20 years of experience to the role, driving brand growth for some of the world-class FMCG companies across India, China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the US and Europe. Murphy joins the creative team led by executive creative director Muriel Schildknecht. With over 20 years of experience, she has led creative teams in Beijing, Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh and Singapore.

FCB Ulka, one of India’s leading integrated marketing communications agencies, has won the creative mandate for Shoppers Stop, following a long and intense pitch process featuring multiple agencies. The agency will be responsible for developing and executing all integrated marketing campaigns for Shoppers Stop, India’s premium fashion and beauty omnichannel retailer. FCB Ulka’s winning proposal was based on its deep understanding of the Indian consumer and its ability to create effective and engaging marketing campaigns.

WhiteGrey has appointed Iona Macgregor as chief strategy officer who joins the agency’s executive leadership team and will work across the agency’s national and APAC client base. Most recently chief strategy officer at Saatchi & Saatchi Australia and previously co-founder of Marcel Sydney, Macgregor brings more than two decades of creative strategy experience for clients like Arnott’s, AXA, Cartier, Heineken, Nestlé, Ray-Ban, Tiger Beer and Vodafone. 

Eclat Media Group has added Jamie Reigle to its board of directors. Reigle has held executive roles at Manchester United, the Los Angeles Rams and most recently served as CEO for Formula E, the global electric motorsport, where he was responsible for the championship's strategic direction, operational delivery, and commercial growth.

Following a competitive multi-agency pitch, Digital Refresh Networks (DRN) has won the digital mandate of Nissin Geki Korean Noodles. The brand is the Indian subsidiary of Nissin Foods Holdings Co., the parent company of the renowned Top Ramen brand. The account will be managed creatively by the Mumbai branch of DRN, entrusted with integrated brand communication, online media strategies, comprehensive media planning and buying responsibilities.