Some of them are just starting to make an impact,while others have become well-established in a relatively short amount of time. But they all have certain things in common: they are young,ambitious and rising fast to the top of their respective sectors. Media took a look across the various industry sectors to find the young talent that stands out the most.
Whether planners, creatives, account managers or digital experts,the following people are the faces we believe the industry should be keeping a very close eye on over the next few years.
Adam Schokora
Strategist, Edelman Digital
Asia-Pacific
Adam Schokora began his career at Edelman less than five years ago.He recently moved on from leading the firm’s digital business in China to his current role as a strategist for Edelman Digital Asia-Pacific. Schokora provides strategic counsel and insight to staff and clients on a range of social media and digital issues,including marketing, internet word-of-mouth, internet trends,emerging web technologies, and digital lifestyles.A genuine social media insider, he is also the founder and chief editor of NeochaEDGE, a website dedicated to showcasing leading-edge creative content and emerging youth culture in China and a consultancy that helps brands and agencies understand,engage,and co-create with Chinese creative communities and youth culture opinion leaders.
What his boss thinks...
“Adam represents the new breed of digital marketer - not just aparticipator, but a creator and collaborator with the online communityin China. He is highly tuned to breaking trends and conversations - a skill all brands need to successfully navigate the complex world of Chinese social media.”
John Kerr
Regional director, Edelman Digital
James Hurman
Planning director
Colenso BBDO
New Zealand native James Hurman is the third ranked planner in the world according to the 2009 Big Won Report. This year, he made a hude impact with his work on the Yellow Pages Group’s ‘Yellow Treehouse’ campaign, which earned Colenso the Platinum award at the Asian Marketing Effectiveness (AME) awards for the most effective campaign in the region. Treehouse also won four Lions at Cannes, including the BBDO network’s first Integrated Lion. Hurman is an active participant in the advertising community, contributing regularly to trade magazines, teaching on strategic and creative programmes at AUT and AWARD School and speaking at conference events throughout the world.
He recently created a buzz in New Zealand when he became the first person to have quit smoking by selling his
habit on the internet.
What his boss thinks...
“James has been with us for more than two years as planning director. In that time,he has transformed the agency’s planning offer bringing it closer to our creative product. He is a critical part of the success at Colenso BBDO. He is a major part of our culture and shares a common passion, obsession and commitment to producing great creative work.”
Jim Moser
CEO, Clemenger Group
Andy Xu
Deputy general manager
JWT Beijing
Andy Xu joined JWT as account director in April 2004, where he led the Yili account as well as new business development. Over the last five years he has risen through the JWT ranks and in July this year was named deputy general manager of JWT Beijing and became the youngest member of Nexco, the top management-level meeting for the JWT North Asia office. Xu was recognised early on as a rising star within JWT and the agency has been actively managing his career to ensure that he has the appropriate challenges to ensure his natural growth. In 2009, Xu led seven client pitches and won 10 new brands, achieving 100 per cent pitching success.
What his boss thinks...
“Andy has a rare blend of talent. He grasps the importance of global branding standards and, at the same time, is highly attuned to the cultures and unique challenges of local Chinese enterprises. JWT has benefited from his insight and monumental ambition to forge great local brands. His energy and commitment have greatly benefited JWT China.”
Tom Doctoroff
Area director, JWT North Asia
Carlos Palacios
Digital strategy director
Carat Hong Kong
As digital strategy director at Carat Hong Kong, Carlos Palacios handles a client roster that includes adidas, Reebok, Nokia, Virgin, Nikon, Gucci and Tourism Australia.Palacios came to Asia less than two years ago,direct from the UK,where he cut his teeth at Naked communications, developing global communications strategy for the likes of Nokia, Diageo, Dyson,as well as award winning UK-based work for Boots. With mixed Thai and Peruvian parentage, though, Palacios is no stranger to the region, and spent part of his youth growing up in Bangkok. This year, he was named the Aegis regional media champion, an internal award given to the employee who inspires clients, makes things happen, collaborates and supports,and dares and challenges.
What his boss thinks...
“Carlos has made significant contribution to Carat’s business in Hong Kong and across the region. He has been responsible for lifting our digital game in Hong Kong and that has been a critical factor in winning new business. He comes from a diverse background of business consulting and innovative communications strategy which means he can talk ROI and come up with innovative ideas, two qualities we value highly.”
Will Swayne
Managing director, Carat Hong Kong
Evelyn Lim
Media manager
PHD Singapore
Evelyn Lim began her media career in 2002 with OMD Singapore, working on high profile client accounts including Apple, Drypers, ExxonMobil and Richemont Luxury. In 2005,she joined Mediawise (which was later rebranded to PHD Singapore) and has since inducted blue-chip accounts into her client roll. Her work for Republic of Singapore Airforce (RSAF) received the gold award at Effies 2008 and a bronze in 2009.Lim also brought in two silver awards for the agency at Effies 2009. Lim represented PHD Singapore at MediaWorks IV in 2008,where her team emerged the winner for their campaign.
What her boss thinks...
“Evelyn is one of the most dedicated member of our team and she lives and breathes the media business. Always one to keep finding better ways to do things, Evelyn has been instrumental in our achievements.”
Pat Lim,
Managing director,PHD Singapore
Howard Hunt
Regional business development,
The Hyperfactory
Howard Hunt has delivered some of the most successful and well known mobile campaigns seen anywhere in the world. Since joining The Hyperfactory in Auckland, New Zealand, six years ago, he has focused on bringing the mobile channel to the forefront of brand and media integration, working directly with major brand teams and their agencies of choice.The Hyperfactory Hong Kong has been his home for the past three years. Career highlights include the highly awarded Motorola ‘Say goodbye’ campaign at Hong Kong Airport, Asia’s first mobile augmented reality campaign for Nike’s T90 football boot launch, as well as global recognition for brands including Guinness and Johnson & Johnson.
What his boss thinks...
“Howard has been at the forefront of some of our industry’s most talked about and successful campaigns. But it is the work that doesn’t get the spotlight or wins awards where he really shines.”
Geoffrey Handley
Co-founder, The Hyperfactory
Linda Lee
Account supervisor
Weber Shandwick
Linda Lee saw her achievements recognised by her peers when she won the Young PR Professional of the Year award at the 2009 Asia-Pacific PR Awards.Lee’s first experience in PR came as an intern with Weber Shandwick Singapore in 2002. Later she worked at Golin Harris and in-house at Banyan Tree before moving to Shanghai with Weber Shandwick, honing her skills on the world’s largest branding opportunity, the Shanghai 2010 Expo. Most recently she transferred back to the Singapore to work on the prestigious MasterCard account.
What her boss thinks...
“Linda’s PR skills have been enriched having worked on both the client and agency side and also a stint overseas. These experiences have greatly enhanced her capabilities as an all-round PR practitioner with an international mindset. Qualities and experiences that I believe will allow her to realize her potential of one day becoming a leading player in our industry.”
Baxter Jolly
MD Weber Shandwick Singapore,
Regional MD, Southeast Asia.
Ingrid Huang
Digital media director
Neo@Ogilvy, Taiwan
Ingrid Huang has taken on a dual role for Ogilvy in Taiwan,combining digital know-how with a solid brand knowledge. Her responsibility at Neo@Ogilvy is to implement the agency’s business strategy, drive agency growth and hunt new business.
Huang is also group account director for OgilvyOne Taiwan and was also invited to be a member of the Ogilvy Digital Committee, a cross-discipline committee of senior management tasked with driving the group’s digital business. At Neo@Ogilvy, Ingrid has worked with clients such as IBM, American Express, Microsoft, L’Oreal, and Nikon. Her OgilvyOne clients include Warner Bros.,Garmin and Asus.
What her boss thinks...
“Ingrid was one of the pioneers who started Neo@Ogilvy in Asia almost four years ago.Her strengths span from deep understanding of digital media to the ability to apply digital into a 360 marketing strategy. Reflected in her work, Ingrid demonstrates the highest level of strategic thinking in both the craft and in leadership.”
Susana Tsui,
Regional president, Neo@Ogilvy
Andy DiLallo
ECD
Leo Burnett, Sydney
Andy DiLallo is one of the youngest and most highly awarded ECDs in Asia-Pacific. Early in his career, he was selected to represent Australia in the Cannes Young Lion competition,as well as winning a National Portfolio Search competition in the US, where he is originally from. DiLallo’s most notable industry contribution came this year when,along with his co-ECD partner Jay Benjamin, he launched the world’s first global election campaign on behalf of their client WWF Earth Hour, which became the world’s largest mass-participation event in history, with over one billion voters taking part.
What his boss thinks...
"Andy DiLallo is a new breed of integrated thinker.He has an insatiable appetite for this business and his work ethic is second to none. During the last few years he has grown into a world class creative director. His work for Earth Hour is testimony to his breakthroughthinking and approach to modern day communication."
Mark Tutssel
Global chief creative officer, Leo Burnett Worldwide
Om Zho
Senior creative director
Wunderman Shanghai
Om Zho represents a new breed of creative that is delivering genuinely integrated campaigns across diverse media. A graduate of the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena California, Zho launched his career in China pioneering the country’s first large-scale national pop star search competition - theWo XingWo Show - in a partnership with Universal Music Group and Shanghai Media Group in 2004 . From there, he was instrumental in creating the Pepsi Creative Challenge, hailed by Pepsi as one of the most successful and innovative online campaigns yet to date. Zho joined Wunderman Shanghai as senior CD in 2008.
What his boss thinks...
“Om’s passion is unparalleled. His non-traditional industry background and creative approach is in fact rooted in Lester Wunderman’s belief that we’re really in the business to solve our client’s problems.”
Bryce Whitwam
GM, Wunderman Shanghai
Melvin Kee
Strategic business
development manager
MobileBehaviour
Melvin Kee has placed himself firmly at the forefront of mobile marketing through his role at MobileBehavior, part of OMG. Kee focuses on go-tomarket strategies for engaging brands and creating customised mobile marketing opportunities to meet brand objectives.
With a background working at Yahoo, Kee looks to emerging technologies as ways of staying ahead of the curve. He likes to introduce himself as an evangelist and student of best mobile marketing practices. Across his career, Kee has achieved success working with brands such as Nokia Mobile, Samsung Mobile, and Motorola among others.
What his boss thinks...
“Melvin has a true passion for digital media. His knowledge of technology and ability to use it as a real business solution is unparalleled. He is one person who is truly helping define this industry.”
Chris Golier
Senior VP, MobileBehavior
