In the creative department, Beacon has adopted a system of two creative directors - one Japanese and one non-Japanese. Jon King has been promoted to executive creative director and will co-lead with current ECD Masahiko Yasuda.
King joined Leo Burnett in 2002 and has worked in Chicago, Rome and now in Tokyo. During his career he has worked on numerous multi-national accounts such as Starbucks, Microsoft, Philip Morris, Nokia, Allstate, Procter & Gamble, and Lenovo.
As part of the reorganisation, Beacon has combined consumer insight planning, digital and retail under a new behavioral strategy group. To head this, Antony Cundy has been promoted to executive business and strategy director and is tasked with consolidating and supervising the behavioral strategy group.
Cundy's career with beacon started in August last year as executive planning director. A specialist in communication solutions and strategy, his client portfolio includes McDonald’s, Unilever, Philips, Volkswagen, Michelin, and Johnson & Johnson.
Finally, executive account director Tetsu Ishii has been promoted to COO and is tasked with streamlining and improving the overall quality of production and technology. Ishii will oversee the operations team, including the production division and marketing services division. He is also tasked with working with management team members to unite them as 'One Team' aimed at providing comprehensive one-stop ideas and services to clients.
Ishii has been with Leo Burnett Kyodo since before it merged with D'Arcy operations in Japan and incorporated equity, talent and resources from Dentsu to form Beacon Communications. He as appointed executive account director in 2008 and has worked on global clients such as P&G, Sony and AGC Asahi Glass.