Matthew Miller
Jun 10, 2020

MullenLowe Group does away with regional lead role; Digonnet to retire

Country CEOs Paul Soon and James Hollow will jointly lead the group in APAC.

L-R: Digonnet, Hollow, Soon
L-R: Digonnet, Hollow, Soon

MullenLowe Group APAC announced that as of June 30, it will be led by Paul Soon, CEO of Singapore and China, and James Hollow, CEO of Japan and Hong Kong, following the retirement of Group CEO Vincent Digonnet.

Digonnet took up the APAC leadership role in 2017.

The company said the new leadership structure reflects MullenLowe Group’s "vision to create a more agile network built around individual and team skillsets and experience rather than geographical presence".

Last year, MullenLowe sold its operations in both Vietnam and Malaysia to local management.

“In APAC there has been a focus on our hyperbundled model to transform the network and grow collaboration and knowledge sharing within the Group," global CEO Alex Leikikh said in the release. "As we continue to develop our centres of excellence and drive specialised skillsets for each market, particularly at a time when creativity and purpose are more important than ever, I have no doubt Paul and James will successfully lead the agency to success and help brands on their own business transformation journey.”

Digonnet's ascent to APAC CEO in July 2017 followed his being named APAC CEO of MullenLowe Profero just a few months earlier. Prior to MullenLowe he spent several years leading Razorfish in the region.

“2020 has always been a hard stop for me ever since I joined MullenLowe, and key to the transformation of the region I have led in the past three years, has been the hiring and the nurturing of a management team to succeed me," Digonnet said in a statement provided to Campaign Asia-Pacific by a MullenLowe spokesperson. "I know I leave the region in extremely good hands with Paul and James.”

Soon joined MullenLowe Group in 2018 when it combined operations in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong to create MullenLowe Group Southeast Asia. Before that he served as APAC CEO of Possible, which followed his tenure as CEO of XM Asia.

Hollow has been CEO in Japan since 2017, before which he was CEO of MullenLowe Profero in Tokyo.

Source:
Campaign Asia

Related Articles

Just Published

4 hours ago

WPP strengthens Indian roots with new Chennai campus

This is the company’s third campus in the country, after Mumbai and Gurgaon, with plans to add similar facilities in Bangalore and Coimbatore over the coming years.

14 hours ago

Havas warns of ‘reputational’ risk from fossil-fuel ...

The Vivendi-owned agency group made the disclosure in its stock market prospectus.

14 hours ago

MediaSense buys R3 as it eyes global client ...

Combined business will work for brands who spend more than $60 billion on marketing and media investment.

21 hours ago

40 Under 40 2024: Hai Anh Vu, Publicis Media

Vu’s rapid and assured changes upon joining Publicis resulted in positive transformation across business and talent in just two years.