Ogilvy PR Beijing imports senior vice-president from Australia

Effective immediately, Webb’s new role will span a number of Ogilvy PR’s specialty disciplines such as OgilvyEarth, the agency's sustainability communications practice. Webb will also implement the measurement of public relations effectiveness to demonstrate the value of campaigns to clients’ businesses—a regional priority for Ogilvy PR.

Webb is a communications researcher and political campaigner from Australia with more than 14 years of experience. He first came into contact with Ogilvy PR during the 2010 Shanghai World Expo while working for the Australian government.

Webb’s most recent position was as director of Parker & Partners, Ogilvy PR’s public affairs consultancy in Australia, where for the last four years his clients included Emirates, Telstra, National Australia Bank, St George Bank, McDonald’s, Nestlé, Origin Energy, Siemens, HP and AstraZeneca. Prior to that, Webb was a business director at creative agency Shannon’s Way (2007-2008) and political director of the Morgan Poll at Roy Morgan Research (2004-2006). He has also worked as an adviser in the Australian federal parliament and in International Crisis Group, a foreign policy think tank. A graduate of Oxford University in the United Kingdom, Webb speaks English and French.

"There is an art and science to effective communications, and this begins with a deep understanding of the audience group you are communicating with," said Scott Kronick, president of Ogilvy PR North Asia. "Simon's diverse skills are ripe for where China is now. China needs a strong research-based communicator."