Move and win roundup: Week of March 17, 2025

 

Havas Japan has appointed Shinsuke Sawasaki (Sawa) as group executive creative director, a newly created role aimed at shaping the agency’s creative vision. With over two decades of experience at agencies like We Are Social, Publicis, and J Walter Thompson, Sawa was most recently appointed as a jury member for the Social Media category at The One Show 2025. Sawa will lead the creative strategy for Havas Japan, working closely with Masashi Kitaichi, executive director of Havas Japan and managing director of Havas Red Japan, and reporting to Darrell Nelson, CEO of Havas Japan.

Thompson Spencer and Reason, two New Zealand-based independent agencies, have announced a merger to form one of the largest independent agency groups in the country, Thompson Spencer Group. Both agencies have operated for 15 years. The newly merged business will be operated under the leadership of Melanie Spencer and Tim Pointer as co-CEOs. With a combined team of 56, the group’s Auckland offices have merged while Reason’s Wellington office remains. Thompson Spencer is a full-funnel creative and media agency founded by Wendy Thompson and Melanie Spencer. Reason is a performance agency co-founded by Tim Pointer and Matt Rowe.

 

Grab has appointed Chantsuda Thananitayaudom as the country head of Grab Thailand, effective April 1, 2025. She will succeed Worachat Luxkanalode, the brand's managing director, who has been working for over five years and will soon leave the brand. Thananitayaudom joined Grab in 2018 as the country marketing head for Grab Thailand. Prior to Grab, she held senior leadership roles in marketing and e-commerce at Unilever. Before that, she worked at Colgate-Palmolive.

 

JJ Eastwood has left Carousell to start a new venture called Willow & Jo Consulting. Eastwood who was SVP and managing director Carousell media group announced the move via a post on LinkedIn. Willow & Jo Consulting will focus on helping retailers build scale and optimise their retail media businesses. Eastwood will be relocating to Sydney, Australia from Singapore for the new assignment. Eastwood spearheaded the retail media practice at Carousell. He has previously worked with eBay, HuffPost Australia, and Rakuten.

Social commerce agency Bread Agency has appointed Emelie Jessika Lundberg as its general manager. He will work closely with its two co-founders, Amaury Treguer and Mary Proulx. Lundberg joins from The Works (part of Capgemini), where she was head of social. At Bread Agency, Lundberg will oversee operations, spearhead new business initiatives, and help elevate the agency’s creative and strategic capabilities.

 

PHD has appointed Kiron Kesav as chief strategy officer, APAC. Read more here. 
 

HiveMinds, a unit of Madison World, has secured the ecommerce marketing and retail media management mandate for Samsonite India following a multi-agency pitch. Samsonite continues to solidify its position in India with a diverse portfolio that includes Samsonite, American Tourister, and Kamiliant brands. Under this mandate, HiveMinds will manage end-to-end digital performance marketing across major ecommerce platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart focusing on driving conversions, optimising media spend and maximising brand visibility. The account will be serviced by HiveMinds’ Bangalore office.

 

Edelman has announced the appointment of Christiane Schulz as chief operating officer for APAC, effective April 1. Schulz will transition from her role as CEO of Edelman Germany, where she successfully expanded the firm's presence and its market position since joining in 2019. She will report to Rakesh Thukral, Edelman's APAC CEO, focusing on operational and client growth. Schulz's experience in leading diverse teams and fostering collaborative cultures is expected to enhance Edelman's APAC operations. 

 

Domino’s Pizza Malaysia has appointed Bastiaan de Clercq as its new president and head of marketing. De Clercq joins after more than 13 years at FrieslandCampina, where he most recently served as head of digital and media for Dutch Lady Malaysia. His experience spans brand management, global digital transformation, and business strategy across Europe and Singapore. At Domino’s, he will lead marketing efforts, focusing on strategy, innovation, and growth. His appointment follows a series of marketing leadership changes across the region, including recent moves at KFC Malaysia, KFC Singapore, and Hyundai Malaysia.

Ogilvy One APAC has promoted Jason Davey to president of growth and customer engagement, while he continues as chief experience officer of Ogilvy One AU/NZ. Genevieve Tan, previously vice president of operations, has been promoted to president of operations. Davey brings a background in digital marketing, interactive design, and marketing technology, with experience at Ogilvy One and education from Western Sydney University. Tan, with over 18 years in marketing and technology, has been with Ogilvy since 2011, leading a team of over 250 members across Asia-Pacific and specialising in helping Global Fortune 500 companies maximize their investments in marketing technologies.

Netflix has appointed Rebecca Nadilo as director of marketing partnerships creative for APAC, according to her LinkedIn post, marking her first day at the company. Nadilo was previously managing director at Iris Singapore, where she launched the agency’s social studio, secured client wins, and strengthened its leadership team. Before Iris, she was APAC strategy lead at Meta, overseeing Creative Shop’s regional vision, and chief strategy officer at Wunderman Thompson, leading global strategy for brands including Unilever’s Lux and Radiant, and HSBC.

Criteo has extended its partnership with Endeavour Group, becoming its exclusive on-site retail media solution partner. The partnership will see Criteo support Endeavour Group’s retail media onsite ad-serving platform, leveraging AI-driven solutions to optimise sponsored products and display ads. 

iNova has appointed Mediahub as its agency of record in New Zealand following a competitive pitch. Known locally as Radiant Health NZ, the company has tasked Mediahub with full-funnel strategy, planning, and media buying across all channels. The appointment extends Mediahub’s existing relationship with iNova in Australia, where it has been the media agency of record since 2018. The first campaign under the new partnership is set to launch soon.

Heckler has appointed Steven Marolho as its new managing director and executive producer, bringing over 20 years of experience in entertainment and advertising production across Australia, the UK, Greater China, and the USA. He has held senior roles at Technicolor, Moving Picture Company, and Digital Domain, with expertise spanning visual effects, post-production, live-action, and emerging technologies. Marolho’s appointment comes as Heckler continues to expand its global presence, with plans to strengthen its footprint in Asia and the Middle East. 

303 MullenLowe Perth has secured several new projects across cultural, community, and corporate sectors as it broadens its scope of work. The agency has been appointed by WA Museum to develop a campaign for a major cultural event in 2025, aiming to drive engagement and attendance. It is also working with Fremantle Arts Centre on branding and promotional material for the Fremantle International Street Arts Festival, one of the city’s most prominent annual events. Additionally, the agency is supporting the City of Albany’s bicentenary celebrations with strategic and creative input. In the education sector, EdConnect Australia has engaged 303 MullenLowe to develop a volunteer recruitment strategy to expand its network of mentors in schools nationwide. Other projects include brand design and communications for DFES, promotional work for the RAC Rescue Helicopter, and campaign strategy and media for The Push-Up Challenge 2025, Australia’s largest mental health and fitness event.

 

Dephin Lim has departed WPP after more than a decade with the company, where she held key roles at MediaCom, EssenceMediacom in Hong Kong, and ML China. Reflecting on her tenure via a LinkedIn post, Lim highlighted her work on major brands, including Shell and The Coca-Cola Company, and her involvement in various leadership programmes within WPP and GroupM. While she has yet to announce her next move, this marks the end of an over decade long stint with the agency which began when she joined Mediacom as business director in 2015. Lim has also worked at PHD Worldwide, Mindshare, and Grey.

Adrian Flores has departed Clemenger BBDO less than a year after taking on the chief creative officer role, Mumbrella reported. A Clemenger Group spokesperson confirmed his exit, thanking him for his contributions to client work and the agency’s creative structure. His departure comes as Clemenger BBDO prepares to merge with CHEP Network and Traffik at the end of March, with CHEP Network’s Gavin McLeod expected to lead creative. The agency’s new leadership structure will be announced in the coming weeks. Flores, who returned to Australia in May after a decade overseas, previously held roles at Robot, VaynerMedia, and Publicis Groupe in New York and London, besides multiple stints as a freelance creative resource.

Are Media has appointed Jocelin Abbey as general manager of its homes and lifestyle titles, a newly created role overseeing some of Australia’s most-read paid magazines, including Better Homes and Gardens, The Australian Women’s Weekly, and Australian House & Garden. Abbey will drive the omnichannel growth of these brands as Are Media expands its digital presence, following recent initiatives such as bringing The Australian Women’s Weekly online and launching digital marketplaces. She joins with a background in media transformation, having held leadership roles at Mamamia, Guardian Australia, ABC, Yahoo, and Nova Entertainment. 

The South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) is seeking a supplier to establish a Marketing Mix Model (MMM) to measure the economic impact of its marketing activities and guide future strategy. With a goal of reaching $12.8 billion in visitor expenditure and creating 16,000 jobs by 2030, SATC is developing a long-term destination brand platform to strengthen South Australia's identity. The tender closes on 4 April at 2pm, with the successful applicant to be notified in early to mid-May. 

Electriclime has signed Hopi Allard on an exclusive basis across MENA and APAC. The British filmmaker, known for blending ethereal and visceral elements in his work, has collaborated with brands such as Adidas x Stella McCartney, Prada, Marc Jacobs, Dior, and Vans, as well as high-profile figures like David Beckham, Ethan Hawke, and Michael Shannon. His directing style, shaped by early skate films and an opportunity to assist Ridley Scott. Allard has previously worked with electriclime on projects for Marina Bay Sands, One&Only, and Aldar.