TBWA has appointed Phannika Vogsayan, managing director and co-founder of Wolf BKK, as the new group CEO for Thailand with immediate effect.
The newly minted role fortifies TBWA’s leadership bench, which includes Veradis (Mike) Vinyaratn as chairman, Mark Petersen as chief operating officer, and Chakrit Tachanaparak, chief executive officer. Vogsayan will report to chairman Veradis (Mike) Vinyaratn and work closely with the existing executive leadership team to lead TBWA Juice as CEO. Department heads from creative, commerce, data and accounts will report to her.
She co-founded the creative boutique Wolf BKK and Torsak “Tuey” Chuenprapar in 2018. Wolf is part of the Hakuhodo family and has swiped several local and regional advertising accolades since its inception. Prior to this, Vogsayan was the group business director for Ogilvy Thailand and worked in various capacities with the creative behemoth for over 14 years. She brings over two decades of experience in building and rejuvenating local and international brands and a wealth of expertise to the role. This marks her second stint with TBWA, where she began her career as an account executive in 2002.
The news comes on the heels of the Omnicom agency announcing the appointment of Peter Khoury to the dual role of regional chief creative officer and Singapore’s chief creative officer. Khoury works in tandem with the collective’s regional creative leadership team that includes: Veradis Vinyaratn, chair of the Thailand office, Melvin Mangada, chief creative officer in the Philippines, Takahiro Hosoda at TBWA Hakuhodo and Ronnie Wu in China.
Thailand chairman Vinyaratn commented: “Phannika’s expertise will build on the agency’s foundation, further deepening our approach to fuel the creative spark, elevating our ability to create, and add ongoing sustainable value for our clients.”
He continued: “Phannika will ultimately drive the transformation of TBWA Thailand by prioritising a streamlined, flexible unit designed to provide outstanding service, exceptional agility, and profound expertise. This strategy aligns closely with Phannika’s fundamental belief in ‘operating and thinking with both the responsibilities of a custodian and the acumen of a business owner for the brand they represent’.”
Vogsayan will be tasked with driving the transformation of TBWA in Thailand by prioritising processes and moving with agility and expertise. Central to her vision is cultivating a diverse talent force within TBWA and leveraging DEI for individual growth and driving client success.
"A key principle I stand by is that success in today's competitive landscape is both an individual and team endeavour,” adds Vogsayan.
She emphasises the importance of operating with both the responsibilities of a custodian and the acumen of a business owner, aligning closely with her belief in fostering a culture of ambition, humility, and adaptability to inspire innovation and achieve outstanding results.
“I believe success in today's competitive landscape is both an individual and team endeavour,” shares Vogsayan. “Clients build relationships with individuals dedicated to their success.”
TBWA boasts of some of the best DEI practices in the industry. It already has a high female talent split (53.6%) across the region and is one of the few agencies in APAC with an equal gender split at the leadership level. Vogsayan’s appointment again indicates the agency’s commitment to strong female representation.