BBDO names Jennifer Chan chairman emeritus; Michelle Achuthan to succeed

Chan has spent the last 14 years as CEO and later group chief executive of BBDO/Proximity, winning some of the largest accounts in the sub-region including Maxis-Hotlink, KFC, Pepsi, Fonterra, Johnson & Johnson and Mars.

During her tenure, the agency also won the Best of the Best at the Kancil, Malaysia’s Annual Creative Awards, and was named Agency of the Year. It has won Golds and Silvers at Cannes, AdFest and the Clios.

Commenting, Chris Thomas, CEO & Chairman of BBDO Asia, said, “Her commitment to the work, to talent development, and to the industry are second to none. She has built a world class BBDO agency in Malaysia. For that, we are extremely grateful and most appreciative.”

Her new role as chairman emeritus will see Chan focus on the group’s largest client, KFC, while continuing to play a key mentoring role within the agency.

Achuthan, meanwhile, has been with BBDO since 2003 first joining as business unit head, leading several businesses including Mars, Wrigley, FedEx, Fonterra, ICI and Visa. She was promoted to client services director in 2005 and subsequently became the general manager two years later.

Jean-Paul Burge, SEA regional president for BBDO, commented, “Michelle is part of our DNA in Malaysia and well-known throughout the BBDO network. She has a proven track record and possesses precisely the skills and talent we need to work with our creative and planning leadership in Malaysia to continue our run of creative excellence in that market.”