"Jonathan fits the bill perfectly for the task at hand in Singapore," said Mark Patterson, CEO of GroupM Asia-Pacific. "We have known him for some time so I am very happy he is now joining the leadership team, bringing his expertise and experience to bear for our clients and people."
Patterson said GroupM recognized Thurlow's talent when Thurlow was senior vice-president and deputy regional director for UM from 2001 to 2008. "He will get stuck in straight away, and I am sure will make an impression very quickly indeed."
Hayward, a former CNBC sales executive, resigned in November after taking the reins in 2010.
Thurlow said he is excited to be joining GroupM due to its unique depth of talent, structure, scale, and capabilities.
Thurlow has almost 30 years experience in the industry, the majority of that in Singapore and the region. For the last four years he has been running his own consulting business and other related media interests.