Achuthan will oversee the agency’s account man-agement team, and will also assist chief executive Jennifer Chan in the running of the agency.
“It’s a new position we have created as our business has expanded quite dramatically, and also because Michelle is very good at what she does,” said Chan.
Achuthan joined BBDO in 2003 to head the agency’s business development unit. She was promoted to client services director in 2005.
Chan added: “Michelle’s promotion is a reflection of her leadership capabilities.
In addition to building strong relationships and trust with clients, she also contributes to the development of BBDO’s talent pool, as well as the operation and management of the company.”
Before BBDO, Achuthan had a stint at Saatchi & Saatchi, where she was associate account director, managing clients such as Alliance Bank, Procter & Gamble and Nestlé.
She began her career in advertising in 1990 as a copywriter, but switched to account management a year later at the now-defunct local agency AMC.
There, she handled clients including Malaysia Airlines and Tourism Malaysia.
