Leo Burnett Taiwan's general manager resigns

TAIPEI - Alan Huang, general manager of Leo Burnett Taiwan, is leaving the agency after a two-year stint that brought major clients Chunghwa Telcom and China Motor Corp (CMC) - in particular its Mitsubishi-licensed models Colt Plus, Savrin and Outlander - to the agency.

The account wins helped Burnett earn the top position in external annual agency rankings last year. “I’m retiring to take a break, and I have no idea what my next move will be except for a long trip,” said Huang.

 Huang joined Leo Burnett in March 2006, coming from a seven-year run as general manager at Batey Advertising. During his tenure, Batey became one of the top 10 agencies in Taiwan.

Huang said he was hired by Leo Burnett to help woo telecom and automobile clients. Both Chunghwa Telcom and CMC were Batey clients.

Referring to Margaret Huang, Leo Burnett’s MD, Huang said: “She wanted me to develop this business. I did  very well, and now my job is done.”

Leo Burnett CEO for Greater China, Michael Wood, said that Alan Huang headed one of two client service groups within the Taipei agency, with executive vice-president AP Lin heading the other.

Neither client service group is a formal division. Instead, each is a ‘cluster of clients’ comprised of a mix of businesses grouped by synergies within the agency, according to Wood, adding that Huang “will step back in and take a deeper operational role.”