John Hadfield, who has been with BBH Singapore since 2005 and CEO since 2010, is leaving BBH and returning to the UK this coming summer. The agency has appointed another long-timer, Sid Tuli, to lead the Singapore operation.
Tuli is currently head of new business and will be promoted to managing director. The agency said it will also appoint a chairperson in due course. Charles Wigley was the chair of BBH Asia until he announced he was stepping down and returning to the UK in 2020. Shortly after, Publicis Groupe announced that the BBH offices in India and China would be formally integrated into the group.
"BBH has an incredible cohort of talent at the next level," Hadfield said in explaining why his CEO role is not being directly filled. "By creating this structure it provides greater space for this group to step up. In Sid and the new chairperson, we are creating structure that is both progressive and established in equal measure."
Tuli joined BBH in 2010 straight out of Singapore Management University and has risen through the ranks from account executive. He runs key global clients including Absolut, Nike and Riot Games. He will report to Neil Munn, global CEO of BBH. The other members of the agency's leadership team are CCO Sascha Kuntze, CFO Natasha Lindsay-Barker and CSO Jacob Wright.
Hadfield joined BBH in London in 2003. “My transfer from BBH London was scheduled to last three years," he said in a statement. "That was 16 years ago. It shows the love we have developed for Singapore: the people, the place and the agency." Hadfield said he has long planned to return to the UK for his childrens' secondary education, and that his departure has been scheduled for the past few years.
"We have achieved so much together—remarkably last year was a record year on all key measures—there is great momentum and a fantastic group of people here who I’m sure will continue to do wonderful things," he added.
Munn expressed gratitude for Hadfield's leadership and excitement over the next phase in the agency's history. "BBH Singapore is a world-class business primed to play a broader role on the global stage," he said.