Hoffman Agency promotes Caroline Hsu to global role

The Hoffman Agency is tasking Caroline Hsu to help its big global clients eliminate pain points when running integrated campaigns across multiple markets worldwide.

Promoted to chief global officer, Hsu tells Campaign Asia-Pacific her main objectives will be to ensure top global clients get the best possible service, to win new global accounts and to support Hoffman's external marketing efforts worldwide. 

Hsu notes it is no longer realistic for centralised headquarters to simply push out communications and content to satellite offices anymore. “Both Western clients looking to succeed in Asia and Asian clients planning to go global see the need for an agency that is truly integrated across regions,” she said in a statement. “Business problems don’t have geographical boundaries, and neither do we. Our single P&L and collaborative culture allow us to act as a global unit. For multi-market clients, this means simplified operations, the removal of friction, and work that is internationally cohesive yet highly nuanced according to local needs.”

Hsu will remain based in Asia and will continue to serve as APAC managing director. Some regional responsibilities, however, will move to other senior leaders in the region.

The Hoffman Agency is one of a handful of independent PR consultancies with a global network. Its 15 offices across the world include Beijing, Jakarta, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore, Taipei and Tokyo in Asia as well as Berlin, London, Paris, Portland, Boston and its San Jose (California) global headquarters. 

The agency says 51% of its revenue now comes from clients supported in two or more markets and 24% comes from clients across two or more regions (US, APAC and Europe).

“There’s absolute clarity in the mission: How can we do an even better job in presenting a united front that benefits our clients across the globe?” said Lou Hoffman, CEO of the Hoffman Agency.  “We’ve avoided the individual country fiefdoms that handicap the mega shops. From this position of strength, now is the time to push the limits on what it means to be a communications consultancy with global reach.”

Last year, the agency reported 34% growth with revenue topping the $20 million mark. In APAC, under Hsu’s leadership since 2017, the operation grew nearly 80%, with fees increasing to $12.9 million last year.

In 2020, Hsu was named one of Campaign Asia's Women to Watch, who has since served on the jury of Women to Watch Greater China in 2021. 

“Our entire organization will benefit from Caroline’s smarts and tenacity,” Hoffman said.