Move and win roundup: Week of August 5, 2024

Campaign compiles a new 'Move and win roundup' as each week progresses.  This edition will cover August 5 through August 9, 2024.  Catch up on past people moves and business wins.

Naga DDB Tribal has appointed Vix Chandra as executive creative director. Chandra joins Naga DDB Tribal after serving over a year at On as global creative director based in Switzerland. This marks as a return to DDB since he was a senior copywriter from 2013 to 2014. With 18 years of industry experience, Chandra has worked across Austria, Singapore, and Malaysia, from creativity, content marketing, and brand strategy to pop culture, such as Pinwheel, Zenith, and Red Bull Media House.

Havas Media Network has appointed Mitchell Long as its new chief strategy officer, marking a coup for the agency. Long joins after a 12-year tenure at Omnicom Media Group's PHD, where he most recently served as National Head of Strategy, leading accounts for major brands including Google, Volkswagen, and Unilever.

The appointment follows a string of strategic moves for Havas Media Network, including Alastair Baker's promotion to chief planning officer and the recent acquisition of Melbourne-based creative shop Hotglue. 

The University of Melbourne has renewed its partnership with GroupM's Mindshare for another three years, expanding the agency's remit to include a stronger focus on digital transformation. Building on their collaboration since 2021, Mindshare will continue to provide media planning, activation, and measurement services, with Melbourne serving as the central hub for the APAC region. The extended partnership will see the university leverage Mindshare's connections planning, transformation consultancy, and GroupM's data and tech expertise to enhance student engagement and drive growth. A key focus will be supporting the university's digital transformation program, optimising course offerings, and reaching potential students more effectively.

Initiative Australia has promoted Emma Greenhalgh to national head of communications design, effective mid-October. Greenhalgh, previously head of communications design for Initiative's Sdynes unit, succeeds Ryan Haeusler and will report to national strategy director, Tom Dodd. Based in Sydney, Greenhalgh brings over a decade of experience across FMCG, entertainment, government, and financial services to her new role. Greenhalgh joined Initiative in 2021 after stints at The Brag Media, Atomic 212, and Essence Mediacom.

TLC Healthcare, a provider of integrated healthcare services in Australia, has launched a new digital platform through the digital product and user-experience agency Frank Digital. Frank Digital, a Jaywing agency, was appointed to lead the redesign of TLC’s online presence to improve customer experience, enhance web navigation, and streamline online data capture for better lead generation and customer follow-up leveraging the brand’s new HubSpot CRM platform.

Ross Monaghan has been appointed regional chair of the International Association of Business Communicators, Asia Pacific board for the 2024/25 year. Monaghan was previously CEO of Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association. He now is a lecturer at Deakin University. Founded in 1970, IABC Asia Pacific Region has chapters and communities in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Omnicom Media Group Singapore has promoted Jourdan Tan to general manager, digital capabilities and transformation. He is responsible for driving capabilities spanning SEO, programmatic, performance hub, planning, and supply. He will also oversee digital capabilities, drive best practices, and manage talent expansion and knowledge. Tan was most recently head of digital transformation and capabilities. He returned to OMG from Publicis Media in 2022.

Jules Garcia has joined Reddit as country growth lead in the Philippines. Garcia will help accelerate the platform’s growth and international expansion in the market. He was head of community management at TikTok before joining Reddit. Prior to that, he worked at GMA Network for over five years.

GWM, Great Wall Motor, a Chinese privately owned automobile brand, has appointed Revium as its new digital agency in Australia. The agency will optimise user experiences, implement new marketing technologies and explore practical uses of generative AI. Last week, GWM announced that Thinkerbell took over incumbent The Hallway as its new creative agency partner. Both Revium and Thinkerbell’s contracts will be effective from October 1, 2024.

Zoo Group has hired DDB Singapore's former veteran creative director, Joel Chin, as its creative director. Chin joines with a portfolio that includes award-winning campaigns for Heineken and work for DBS and Changi Airport. Alongside Chin, Maddie Ngai and Grace Gan join the team, bringing expertise in omni-channel marketing and social media strategy respectively. Ngai was a junior art director at both Ogilvy & Mather & Wild Advertising and then moved on to join Tribal DDB. Joining as a social media executive, prior to The Plexxie Global, Gan honed her skills and knowledge across multiple agencies from the likes of The Woof Agency. The trio’s collective experience is set to amplify the agency's client services and market reach. Chin will report to Sean Badlishah, Zoo's managing director.

Amy Bradshaw has joined TikTok Australia as its new head of partnerships. Bradshaw posted the news on LinkedIn on Monday, just a few weeks after her exit from VaynerMedia. Bradshaw joined the agency in 2017 and started as an account director in New York and London before moving to head of client partnership in the UK. She has been head of Australia since 2021.

Electriclime, a production house, has expanded into the South Korea market with the opening of a new office in Seoul. Based in Teheran-ro, in the centre of Gangnam district, the Korea team will be led by executive producer Seung Ku Lee. Seung started his career at a creative production agency, then grew his experience and expertise by producing for companies such as Hyundai, KIA, Genesis, Samsung, LG, Netflix, Dyson, K-pop brands and many more. For more than a decade, Electriclime has produced work across the globe offices in Singapore, Dubai and Australia. 

The independent agency Archibald/Williams rebrands as AW, 12 years after entering the industry. The move comes after the departure of Stuart Archibald and the newly solo leadership of Bram Williams. While AW will continue to service both new and long-term clients such as the NBA, Mastercard, News Corp and Cancer Council, they’re also introducing a series of changes that reflect this renewed vision, including a new agency position and branding, new hires, client wins, and a fresh Surry Hills office space. 

Specsavers has appointed EssenceMediacom as its media agency in Australia and New Zealand, effective from March 1, 2025, following a pitch process that lasted for four months. The account will be run out of the EssenceMediacom Melbourne and Auckland offices. EssenceMediacom, an agency that has worked with the brand in New Zealand for 14 years, won the account, taking over in Australia from Initiative, which has held the Australian account since 2016.

IKEA has appointed M&C Saatchi Performance as the integrated media agency in Indonesia.  With a shared vision to increase brand presence and drive online and offline consumer engagement, IKEA will work with M&C Saatchi Performance to build a comprehensive media strategy as a strategic move to expand IKEA's reach and impact in the Indonesian market. The agency will lead IKEA's media initiatives, including developing and executing a robust integrated media strategy to get results across online and offline media.

RF Thunder will be representing Commvault as their new public relations agency in Singapore and the APAC region. Commvault is a leading provider of cyber resilience and data protection solutions for the hybrid cloud. As their new PR representative, RF Thunder will be working closely with Commvault’s communications team.

Havas has appointed Richard Clarke as chief growth and client officer in Australia. Clarke has relocated from Havas UK, where he was managing director at PR firm Havas Red. Prior to that, he was a senior partner at Ogilvy UK. Clarke will report to Havas Creative Network ANZ group CEO James Wright and work on cross Australia's Village, new business and incubating new service-based propositions.

Brown-Forman Corporation has appointed Eveline Albarracin as senior vice president, managing director, for the newly created Brown-Forman APAC region, overseeing Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, and India, effective August 1, 2024. Albarracin will relocate to Singapore in the coming months. Albarracin joined Brown-Forman as managing director Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands (ANZPI) in January 2020. She expanded her regional responsibilities to include India, the Middle East, North Africa, and Türkiye in 2022. Before moving to the spirits and wine business, she worked for Galderma Nestle Skin Health S.A. and iNova Pharmaceuticals.

Cathay Pacific has promoted Gordon Chu to head of digital innovation. Chu will report to Aldric Chau, general manager digital; and indirectly to Lawrence Fong, director digital and IT. Chu was acting head of digital innovation. He joined Cathay Pacific in 2021 as assistant manager, digital product and technology. Prior to Cathay Pacific, he worked for Asia Miles as as assistant digital product and technology manager. 

Howatson+Company has announced a new creative leadership structure.

• Gavin Chimes has been appointed as chief creative officer. Chimes was part of the founding team at Howatson+Co and joined in 2021. Prior to Howatson+Co, he worked at Che Proximity, Clemenger BBDO, Marcel and Droga5.
• Richard Shaw has been promoted to deputy chief creative officer. Richard joined Howatson+Co in 2022 as executive creative director from CHEP. With almost 20 years of experience, he has worked across Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, TBWA and DDB.

MBCS, the media-fuelled creative content practice within the IPG Mediabrands network, has been appointed digital & social agency of record (AOR) for 100PLUS Malaysia, following a competitive pitch process. The agency will run full-service digital campaigns and provide alongside always-on social media management for 100PLUS, Malaysia’s leading isotonic drink.

Unilever elevates Anuradha Razdan to chief human resource officer, beauty and wellbeing and global equity, diversity & inclusion officer for Unilever. Razdan was the executive director and CHRO, Hindustan Unilever and Unilever, South Asia. She joined Unilever in 1999 and held various roles over the decades. She also led a key Global HR Transformation project to raise the strategic contribution of the HR function to the business.  Razdan who worked at Unilever’s headquarters in London for six years, moves from Mumbai to London again.