Ogilvy announced four appointments to what it calls its Capability Leadership in the region.
The appointments, according to the agency, represent a next step in its transformation journey. The capability leaders are responsible for developing and nurturing key specialist skills to meet the changing needs of clients, Ogilvy said.
“Today, brands are facing unprecedented change and we must continue to evolve to meet their needs”, Kent Wertime, co-chief executive of Ogilvy Asia, said in a release. “This core group of leaders reflects the diversity of Ogilvy’s offering and expertise, which is brought together holistically as innovative, integrated solutions that build our clients’ brands.”
Ogilvy’s six core global capabilities are brand strategy; advertising; customer engagement and commerce; PR and influence; digital transformation; and partnerships. The agency already has capability leaders in place in the region for PR and influence (Scott Kronick), brand strategy (Benoit Wiesser), and digital transformation (Jerry Smith).
The new appointments in Asia are as follows:
- Giri Jadhav (Advertising): Currently vice president of Ogilvy Asia, Jadhav is an Ogilvy veteran who has served in India and Singapore, where he will remain based. Most recently he headed the agency’s global client portfolio in the region.
- Sheilen Rathod (Customer experience and commerce): Currently president of customer engagement, commerce and marketing technology with Ogilvy China, Rathod is also an Ogilvy veteran who worked in Hong Kong before moving to his current posting in Shanghai, where he will remain based.
- Ali Kazmi (Partnerships): Currently vice president, partnerships and strategic development with Ogilvy China, Kazmi will nurture existing partnerships and build new ones with a host of partners, particularly digital platforms. He will remain based in Shanghai.
- Andrew Thomas — PR and influence (ASEAN markets): Currently a consulting partner with Ogilvy Asia, Thomas will be taking on an increased role developing Ogilvy’s PR and Influence offerings in the ASEAN markets. He is based in Singapore and has a long history with the agency, including a stint as president for India and Southeast Asia.
Ogilvy noted that the digital-transformation capablity in Asia includes enterprise-level digital strategy and marketing automation. In addition to his capability-leader role, Smith continues to oversee Ogilvy’s specialist digital agencies, such as Verticurl, ARBA and Pennywise, on top of maintaining his chief operations officer role for Ogilvy Asia and his position as chairman of Ogilvy Consulting in Asia.
“As we look to the new year, Kent and I look forward to partnering with our renewed capability leadership team to continue to meet the changing needs of our clients while also developing a pipeline of talent with the modern marketing skills needed to take Ogilvy into the future,” added Chris Reitermann, co-chief executive.