Move and win roundup: Week of January 6, 2025

Omnicom Advertising Group (OAG) has appointed Sean Donovan as president, Asia, based in Singapore. Donovan has been president of Asia at TBWA for the past five years. Before that, he was Group CEO of TBWA\ South Africa. He also served as MD and founding partner at OpenCo - The Open Collaboration / TBWA and MD at TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris in South Africa.

Costa Coffee has appointed Natalia Oglu as head of marketing for the APAC region. Oglu was previously head of growth at MENA, based in Dubai. Oglu moved to Costa Coffee in 2020 following its acquisition by Coca-Cola in 2019. She was marketing director RTD tea for Turkey, Caucus, and Central Asia at Coca-Cola. Oglu has helped grow the Costa brand across the Middle East. In her new assignment her focus will be crafting and executing a robust marketing plan to elevate Costa’s brand equity in China while also driving the growth of the retail business.

Qualtrics has been selected by the Jollibee Group to manage its customer experience programme. The multi-year agreement will see Qualtrics consolidating customer feedback across digital and physical retail touchpoints to improve areas like case resolution and provide insights to Jollibee Group’s customer facing teams. 

Sara Pereira has joined PIABO Communications as managing director, Asia Pacific, following the South Asia expansion of the agency to lead PIABO’s growth in the region. Pereira was head of technology at APAC at WE Communications before joining PIABO. Prior to that, she was regional lead at Ogilvy.

International, independent branding and design consultancy Lonsdale has announced the promotions of Christine Wiryakartika and Katrina Crescenzo to associate creative director of the Singapore studio. Both will report to Singapore’s executive creative director, Muriel Schildknecht. Wiryakartika joined Lonsdale Asia in 2021 as senior designer. Crescenzo joined the team as senior designer in 2019.

IPG Mediabrands has appointed James Hawkins as chief client officer in a newly established role, aimed at enhancing client experiences in the rapidly changing media landscape. Hawkins, who brings two decades of experience from both media and creative agencies, most recently served as CEO of PHD Asia Pacific for six years, where he focused on advancing the agency's offerings. His previous roles include senior positions within Dentsu's network, such as managing director of Asia Pacific at Dentsu X and chief digital officer at Dentsu Media. He was also a CEO and managing director at DM2. This appointment is part of a broader leadership shift within IPG Mediabrands, which also saw Darren Yuen elevated to CEO of IPG Mediabrands Malaysia in December 2024. Leigh Terry, CEO IPG Mediabrands APAC, said: “IPG Mediabrands remain focused on delivering innovative and exceptional client experiences in a rapidly evolving media landscape. We are excited to deploy James’ in-depth knowledge and transformative experience across the Asia-Pacific region.”

Manas Lahiri joins Havas India as chief growth officer, a newly created role. Lahiri’s most recent assignment was at VML as executive growth partner for India. In his current role, his mandate is to drive growth and innovation across Havas’s 25 companies, working closely with chief strategy officers of the media and creative networks Sanchita Roy and John Thangaraj. He will be based in Mumbai and report to Rana Barua, group CEO Havas India, SEA, and North Asia (Japan and Korea). Lahiri previously worked at Havas India in various capacities, leaving as managing director of Havas Creative India.

GroupM Hong Kong has promoted Scotty Ho and Johnny Ng to the roles of vice president, strategy and growth, as part of its leadership team and executive committee, reporting directly to Michael Beecroft, CEO of North East Asia. These newly created positions aim to enhance GroupM's operations and activation leadership, providing customised solutions and strategic support to client teams in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. Ho and Ng will focus on driving growth through innovative strategies and integrated solutions, utilising their experience in digital strategy and marketing to meet the evolving needs of clients. With over 20 years in the industry, Ng previously served as the regional head of strategy and partnerships at L'Atelier, while Ho has been with GroupM since 2018, most recently as managing partner of Wavemaker APAC. 

 

Himanshu Shekhar has left his position as CEO of Southeast Asia at GroupM after two and a half decades with the company, effective this month. He held the role of CEO of Southeast Asia since May 2023. A spokesperson for GroupM expressed gratitude for Shekhar's leadership and contributions, particularly in driving growth in Indonesia, where he previously held the role of CEO for GroupM Indonesia and had significant responsibilities across Southeast Asia. Shekhar's career also includes a long tenure with Mindshare, where he led various teams and partnered with major clients like Unilever and Nestle. His departure comes amid a broader leadership reshuffle within GroupM in the Asia Pacific region, which includes new appointments aimed at enhancing business development and client leadership across its agencies.

 

Consulting-led digital marketing agency Orange Line has appointed Brian Collins as head of growth to lead the global expansion of its product offerings. Bringing 14 years’ experience in digital strategy and growth marketing, Collins will focus on identifying growth opportunities, building new business and enhancing Orange Line’s presence across international markets. Prior to moving to Australia, Collins was head of UK digital for Ogilvy in London. Since moving to Australia, Collins has worked on iconic brands like Oroton, Eckersley’s Arts & Crafts, and Charter Hall. His appointment comes as Orange Line builds on its recent successes, including client wins such as Abano Healthcare, Fantastic Furniture and Skyscanner.

L’Oréal Australia has finalised its agency roster, with social media and creative agency The Content Works being the latest addition. Following a competitive tender, The Content Works expands its existing four-year relationship with L’Oréal Corporate to now encompass L’Oréal Group’s full portfolio of 32 brands, including L’Oréal Paris, Garnier, Maybelline, NYX, Kiehl’s, La Roche-Posay, and Lancôme. Clemenger BBDO joined the roster last November, handling strategic, creative, digital, and social duties for brand and tactical campaigns, supported by its production arm, Made This. M&C Saatchi also joined in November, building on its existing relationship with Garnier. Finally, the AI-powered agency 2045 was added last October, focusing on social and campaign work.