RGA recasts Asia leadership as Tuomas Peltoniemi and Seamus Higgins depart

RGA, IPG's digital and brand innovation agency, is changing its structure in Asia as Tuomas Peltoniemi, EVP managing director APAC, and Seamus Higgins, chief creative officer APAC, leave in July. The shop will operate as two regions: Asia (Indonesia, China, Singapore, Tokyo) and Australia (Sydney and Melbourne).

Effective July 1, Dorothy Peng has been promoted to SVP, managing director, Asia and will oversee RGA’s Singapore, Indonesia, China, and Tokyo offices. Michael Titshall was recently promoted to SVP, managing director of Australia, and will continue to oversee Australia’s business, including its product and service offering, and the shop’s Brand Design and Consulting (BDC) practice.

In other organisational changes, starting in July, Ben Miles will assume a new leadership role as VP, executive creative director. He will report to Titshall and will continue to lead the BDC practice. Peng, Titshall and Miles are stepping into leadership roles currently held by Peltoniemi and Higgins.

Both Peng and Titshall will report to global chief Executive Officer Sean Lyons. Peng, who is currently managing director of the Singapore office, will work with the office’s leadership team to name her replacement and support the expansion of the company’s mobile practice.

Outgoing APAC MD Tuomas Peltoniemi (L) & CCO Seamus Higgins (R).

Peltoniemi joined RGA as managing director in November 2018 from TBWA. Seamus Higgins took on a newly created role as RGA's VP and APAC chief creative officer, starting in April 2019, after previously serving as ECD at Host/Havas.

“Asia and Australia have been through a transformation over the past three years, led by Tuomas and Seamus and it's important for us to continue these efforts with a renewed focus,” Lyons noted. The agency’s creative leadership will remain in place with Masaya Nakade leading Tokyo, Irisy Wang leading China and Ed Cheong and Joschka Wolf in Singapore. Executive creative director Claire Waring will continue overseeing Australia’s creative work and Ben Miles as well as BDC’s output.