Audrey Kuah to exit VML APAC co-CEO role, Yi-Chung Tay takes sole charge

 Audrey Kuah has stepped down as co-CEO of VML APAC, marking the end of her nearly 18-month stint leading the agency through a period of merger and transformation. Yi-Chung Tay, who previously shared the co-CEO title with Kuah, will now take over as the sole CEO.

Kuah was appointed as APAC CEO of Wunderman Thompson in September 2023, stepping into the role after the departure of Annette Male in 2021. She later became co-CEO of VML in APAC, after the creation of VML as part of WPP’s broader restructuring efforts.

Throughout her tenure, Kuah played a key role in driving creative and revenue growth across the region, drawing on her extensive experience across both agency and client-side leadership. Before joining Wunderman Thompson, she held senior roles at OCBC Bank, Dentsu International and GroupM.

VML acknowledged her contributions in an official statement: “Audrey played a critical role in the success of both Wunderman Thompson and VML during this transformative period. While we are sad to see her go, we are excited for her as she embarks on a new chapter.”

Kuah will support the transition as Tay assumes full leadership of VML APAC. Her next move has not yet been announced.

Tay, who joined VMLY&R in 2018 as co-CEO for Asia, brings extensive leadership experience to the role. Previously, he was CEO of VML-IM2.0 in China following VML’s acquisition of digital marketing agency IM2.0. Earlier in his career, he spent more than seven years at PepsiCo China, departing in 2011 as vice president of marketing. He then co-founded IM2.0, which was acquired by WPP in 2013.