Valtech strengthens APMENA leadership bench with ex-Publicis and Accenture senior leaders

Business transformation agency Valtech has strengthened its leadership in the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and North Africa (APMENA) region with the strategic appointments of Ralf Zink as chief operating officer of APMENA and Shannon Dix as managing director for South East Asia (SEA) and China. 

They will join former Accenture Song SEA managing director Patrick de Moustier, now Valtech's executive vice president and regional managing director for APMENA. The agency counts the likes of L'Oréal, Audi, Capital Land, and Mars as its clients. 

Zink was most recently the chief operating officer (COO) for Publicis Sapient, where he spent 15 years in the agency based in Singapore, China and Australia. He will oversee operations across the APAC and MENA offices, emphasising transparency, collaboration, and performance. 

"Executing digital transformation at scale presents both business and people challenges. In the diverse APMENA region, where each locale has its distinct culture and working methods, having the right people with the requisite expertise and experience is paramount," Zink tells Campaign.

"We have a transparent and open communication culture, and we are committed to extending this culture to the APMENA region. This approach will ensure that we drive digital transformation while respecting the unique dynamics of each market." 

Dix also spent time at Publicis Sapient before becoming the chief executive of Wunderman, pre-merger with J. Walter Thompson. He then joined de Moustier at Accenture Song, where he was director of marketing operations, for his second stint at the consultancy.  

He will be responsible for expanding Valtech's presence, offerings, and talent pool in SEA and China. 

Dix is keen for Valtech to remain responsive and anticipatory to the fast-paced consumer behaviour changes and APAC tech adoption. 

He tells Campaign that Valtech is under no illusion that SEA and China have unique and distinct challenges. With complex regulatory landscapes, unique digital ecosystems, mixed cultural nuances, and mobile-first consumers, each market needs a unique approach, not a one-size-fits-all strategy.  

"At Valtech, we've established a unique blend of local and regional teams in both SEA and China, enabling us to closely align with our clients' individual business needs and growth ambitions at both a local and regional level," explains Dix. 

"But to stay ahead, we must focus on the future, not just the here and now. While our Future Studio team continuously experiment to create innovations that'll impact how people experience the world, we're constantly looking at ways to future-proof our clients' businesses in the region's rapidly evolving market.  

Dix adds: "Part of this stems from our change management work, where we help some of the world's biggest brands to anticipate shifts in consumer behaviour and technology adoption and adjust their regional strategies accordingly."   

Digital transformation is as much about cultural shifts as it is about technology. With clients like L'Oréal and Audi, Dix says Valtech will prioritise empowering its local on-the-ground teams with collaboration and governance by encouraging them to take calculated risks while remaining agile.   

"The same goes for the way we work with our clients. We run cross-functional training and collaboration workshops with our clients, enabling an agile and client-centric mindset. Effective stakeholder management is also central to ensuring that all parties are aligned and engaged throughout their digital transformation journey," explains Dix. 

"We have also recently appointed Suzanne Schroder as our global chief collaboration officer to facilitate trust and collaboration, both internally and externally. Collaborating closely with Suzanne, we will balance maintaining global operational standards and meeting local needs as they evolve and become increasingly intricate."