Robert Sawatzky
Feb 10, 2021

Publicis Media China CEO Cary Huang exits

Leader had only joined Publicis from GroupM one year ago.

Cary Huang
Cary Huang

Cary Huang, CEO of media and digital for Publicis Groupe in China, has stepped down from his role after just one year. In a statement to Campaign Asia-Pacific, the agency network confirmed that "due to family reasons" Huang "has decided to take a break and spend more time with his family." 

Jane Lin-Baden, Publicis Groupe's managing partner for APAC and CEO of North Asia, will take over Huang's responsibilities in the interim.

Huang had been brought in from GroupM in February 2020 to take up a newly created role responsible for all media, digital and commerce brands in China, including Starcom, Zenith, Spark, Performics, Digitas, Publicis Commerce and social agency Publicis WangFan. He reported to Lin-Baden, who at the time said Huang's key priorities would be to integrate and accelerate digital and commerce capabilities and services across all media brands and to better leverage group creative offerings for media clients. She had described Huang as "one of the rare Chinese senior talents who has executive experience of leading both the international and local Chinese listed media groups," experience that was "critical for our future business.”

In the meanwhile, Starcom appointed former PHD China CEO Anna Chitty as its new CEO in China. She will start her new role in March.
 
At GroupM, Huang had been named both China CEO of out-of-home specialist agency Kinectic and CEO of GroupM OOH China in 2019. Prior to that, Huang was CEO of publicly listed Chinese communication group Simei and earlier, the CEO of IPG Mediabrands in China and MD of MediaCom Shanghai.
Source:
Campaign Asia

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