Moves and wins roundup: Week of January 20, 2025

Virtue Asia has promoted Lesley John to CEO as part of a strategic restructure designed to accelerate regional growth. John has served as Virtue Asia's managing director since 2021, joining from MediaMonks (formerly part of S4 Capital). Her previous experience includes senior roles at VCCP, Arcade, and BBH. Under the restructure, Virtue Asia will operate independently of Vice Media Group while collaborating with the Virtue Worldwide network on proprietary research and global clients where appropriate.

FleishmanHillard has appointed Atiwat Krisintu general manager of its Bangkok office, reporting to Joanne Wong, Asia Pacific president and senior partner. Krisintu brings nearly 30 years of corporate strategy and management consulting experience, most recently as director of strategy and business design at Deloitte Consulting in Bangkok. He succeeds Sophis Kasemsahasin, who is retiring after more than 25 years in communications, including 11 years at FleishmanHillard. Kasemsahasin established the Bangkok office in 2013 and built it into a leading Thai agency.

M&C Saatchi AUNZ has announced several creative hires.

• Stephanie Allen and Andrew Torrisi join as creative directors, having previously worked as senior creatives at DDB Australia.
• Bryce Waters joins as senior creative, with prior experience at agencies including VML and Host.
• Christopher McKee, who brings global experience from McCann London, joins as creative director in Melbourne.
• Hannah Melanson, now based in Sydney, joins as creative director, having worked at Innocean, Digitas and We Are Social after living and working in various cities globally.
• Amy Morrison joins as a copywriter, following roles at DDB and Leo Burnett in Australia.
• Dan Borghesi has been promoted to creative director, having joined M&C Saatchi in 2018 after working at The Shannon Company and Ogilvy.

Redhill Communications has been appointed as the official PR agency for FWD Singapore. As part of this partnership, Redhill Communications will support FWD in strengthening its public relations efforts and enhancing its brand presence.

Danny Phan has joined APCO Worldwide. Previously, he was global chief strategy officer and Asia Pacific managing director at Wachsman, a Web3, blockchain and fintech consultancy. Phan began his career in New York before assuming leadership roles across Asia. He was named to Campaign’s 40 Under 40 in 2015. Chin Ann Ho also joins APCO as a senior director, having previously worked at Wachsman, Omnicom PR Group, AXA, and Burson-Marsteller.

Droga5 Aotearoa has appointed Rosie Grayson as general manager and executive producer for New Zealand, effective immediately. In her previous role as head of integrated production, Grayson helped to build on the foundations of The Monkeys, now Droga5, in the region. She joined The Monkeys in 2021 when she relocated from Adam&Eve DDB in the UK back to New Zealand. 

Omnicom Media Group (OMG) has named Rochelle Chhaya as CEO of Hearts & Science APAC, reporting directly to Tony Harradine, OMG APAC CEO, effective immediately. As the network’s first APAC CEO, Chhaya, who has been with OMG for over 14 years and most recently served as CEO of OMG Thailand, will oversee the continued expansion of Hearts & Science in APAC, building on the momentum the brand has established in the region since launching in Australia and New Zealand in 2019. Meanwhile, she will continue to oversee operations in Thailand, together with OMG Thailand COO Jinnarat Sampuntharat and the executive management team until her successor is named. Chhaya was named CEO of OMG Thailand in 2020. She was COO of OMD APAC from 2018 to 2020. She joined OMG Thailand in 2014 as a managing partner for its digital practice.

OMG APAC CEO Tony Harradine said on the appointment: “Expanding the Hearts & Science footprint across a region that is an epicentre for economic expansion, technological innovation, and digital commerce demands a seasoned leader who possess operational experience with a deep understanding of the modern consumer’s priorities and behaviours. Combined with the digital and data expertise needed to help brands effectively engage with their customers across an increasingly complex media ecosystem, we have found that leader in Rochelle, someone who can bring both the ‘heart’ and the ‘science’ to the business.” 

Wieden+Kennedy will enter the Australian market, setting up operations in Sydney to work on the McDonald's Australia account. The agency was onboarded as an additional creative agency partner of McDonald's Australia, beating Droga5 in a pitch. In Australia, it will share the account with incumbent DDB, and start work on Chicken and McCafe. The agency is in the process of putting in place its core team for Australia. Wieden+Kennedy also works with McDonald's in the US and Canada. An agency told Campaign Asia-Pacific, "After working with this brand for the past five plus years, it’s no secret that our love for McDonald’s runs deep. We are excited to expand this relationship to Australia, and look forward to bringing to life unique fan truths that celebrate what makes Macca’s so special to people.” 

Universal McCann (UM) has been named the media agency of record (AOR) for bottled water brand Spritzer in Malaysia. UM’s remit will encompass all media duties including strategy, planning, buying, research, and data and analytics. The news follows a competitive pitch review in November 2024.

Ebiquity has appointed Paul Murphy as its new managing director for Australia and New Zealand. Murphy will be responsible for leading Ebiquity’s strategy and business operations in the region. He  has nearly three decades of industry expertise on both the client and agency side of the business, having worked with Carlton and United Breweries, Mindshare, Cummins&Partners, and iProspect. He was most recently the founder of Kookaburra Riot.

GroupM has appointed Crisela Magpayo-Cervantes as CEO of the Philippines, effective February 2025. Her most recent role was at Globe Telecom as vice president, head of media and marketing communications. She returns to the group with an extensive history with GroupM and WPP. She spent nearly a decade leading Mindshare in Indonesia and prior to that assignment, served as director of Mindshare’s digital practice. She began her advertising career in the Philippines as an account director at Ogilvy.

Publicis Sapient, a digital business transformation company, has appointed Rajeev Singh as industry lead for transportation and mobility in EMEA and APAC. Singh joins from Deloitte, where he led the automotive and consumer industries across Asia Pacific. He brings over 27 years of experience from the likes of Deloitte, KPMG India, PwC, ECS Private Limited, and Tata Motors. In this new role, Singh, who will be based in Gurgaon, India, will be responsible for driving the strategic vision and growth of Publicis Sapient’s transportation and mobility business across EMEA and APAC.  

Nunn Media has been appointed as strategic media partner for SunRice, following a competitive pitch. Nunn Media will take the lead role in managing media planning and buying for SunRice across Australia and New Zealand. The SunRice Group is a global FMCG business and one of Australia’s leading branded food exporters. 

Australian Community Media has promoted marketing director Jarrah Petzold to chief marketing officer. Having joined ACM 18 months ago, Petzold will lead commercial strategy alongside research, creative, trade, and consumer marketing functions in this expanded role. Before ACM, he worked at News Corp Australia and The Australian. The ACM publishes close to 100 regional news mastheads, including the Newcastle Herald, The Canberra Times, Illawarra Mercury, The Examiner, The Border Mail, and The Courier. 

Airwallex has appointed Andrew Balint as vice-president of marketing for the APAC region (excluding China). With 25 years of marketing experience, Balint previously served as VP of marketing for ANZ and APAC at Afterpay, where he led various marketing initiatives. In his new role, he will oversee brand strategy, growth marketing, integrated campaigns, content, and partnerships across key markets including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. Balint’s appointment comes as Airwallex continues to expand its presence in the region.

Initiative has appointed Tom Dodd as chief strategy officer, promoting him from his previous role as national head of strategy. Based in Melbourne, Dodd will spearhead the next evolution of Initiative's strategic product nationally. With nearly two decades of experience in media planning and strategy, including his role as head of media at IAG, Dodd brings extensive expertise to the position. His appointment is effective immediately, and he is expected to announce his national strategy team soon.

FleishmanHillard has appointed Thomas Skelton as the regional lead for its research and analytics practice, True Global Intelligence (TGI), in the APAC region. Based in Singapore, Skelton will oversee the growth and operations of TGI across APAC, enhancing the agency's research and analytics capabilities to provide data-driven insights and solutions for clients throughout the region.

Jaywing has been appointed by InvoCare, a provider of funeral and cremation services in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, to enhance customer acquisition and improve digital experiences across its Australian platforms. Selected following a competitive pitch, Jaywing will manage various digital services, including web analytics, website design and development, and paid media, with a focus on InvoCare’s national brands such as White Lady Funerals, Simplicity Funerals, and Value Cremations.

Creative agency Willow & Blake has promoted Bri Nixon to the position of creative director. With a background in creative strategy and execution, Nixon will lead the agency's creative team, focusing on delivering innovative campaigns for clients. This promotion from head of brand voice to creative director reflects Nixon’s significant contributions to the agency and its commitment to enhancing its creative capabilities.