Stephen Li to replace Joost Dop as regional CEO at MEC

There will be a managed seven-month transition between the two, MEC said, with Li becoming regional CEO effective 15 December 2010.

"In seven months, the time will come for me to handover the baton. At MEC our focus and our philosophy is always ensuring clarity and effective continuity, and that is why my transition to Stephen starts now,'" said Dop.

Dop arrived at MEC in late 2008. Previously he had spent three years as CEO of MEC Netherlands, which included two years running GroupM in the market.

Li joined MEC in 2006 as COO of its global solutions division, based in Singapore. He took over the reigns for South and Southeast Asia shortly after. Li previously held senior roles with Batey and Lowe and headed up WPP's Team HSBC in the region.

"Stephen has been a key part of the MEC regional team for some years now working closely with Joost and thus has the strong relationships with his immediate team and in the markets as well as with major clients that will serve him well in 2011 and beyond to implement MEC's new vision and ambition," said Mark Patterson, CEO, Asia-Pacific at GroupM. "He will have my and the wider GroupM management teams full support of course to help him get there"

In April this year, MEC was retained by SingTel for its US$30 million media account in Singapore. MEC is also currently involved in the pitch for the Mars/Wrigley business in China, estimated to be worth up to $120 million. MEC is the incumbent on the Wrigley account.