Publicis appoints Mindshare's Jessica Zhang as Starcom CEO in China

Publicis has poached Jessica Zhang from Mindshare and handed her reigns of Starcom in China as chief executive officer to replace the departing Anna Chitty.

Previously the chief client officer for Mindshare in China, Zhang will oversee the management and business operations of Starcom in China. She will assume the role in March and report to Jane Lin-Baden, the CEO of Publicis in Asia Pacific.

Zhang, who was featured in Campaign’s 2021 Women to Watch list, will focus on driving sustainable growth for clients, promote ongoing innovation and upgrades across data and technology in the country.

“I am pleased to welcome Jessica to the Publicis Groupe family. As a business leader that traverses across the creative and media space, she has an in-depth understanding of China’s consumer ecology and also has a keen sense for areas of growth,” said APAC CEO Lin-Baden.

“I am confident that the Starcom China team will continue helping our clients achieve strong business growth under her leadership, and will also accelerate the media business transformation through a data-driven and consumer experience-centred strategy,” she added. 

According to Publicis, Chitty has made the personal decision to return to New Zealand to spend more time with her family.

Lin-Baden added: “We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Anna Chitty for her contributions over the past two years, and we wish her all the best in her future endeavours in New Zealand."