Richard Leong, most recently strategic marketing director of mobile telco Ben-Q Siemens, joins the network as chief executive officer of Carat Singapore and regional director of Singapore and Hong Kong.
Leong will replace Sony Wong, the former managing director, who left the agency in April. He will also spearhead Carat’s regional business development team, which was assembled by regional CEO Patrick Stahle in October last year.
Lee Stephens, Australasia CEO of online media buyer Emitch, joins the company as CEO of Aegis Media-Pacific.
He will oversee Carat, One-Digital and Synergy in Australia and New Zealand, and will form part of the Asia-Pacific executive board, reporting to Stahle.
In Indonesia, Yusca Ismail, the founder and chairman of Perwanal/Saatchi, joins as chairman of Aegis Media Indonesia.
Also new to the Jakarta office is Achjuman ‘Maman’ Achjadi, formerly of MindShare and Starcom, who has come on board as CEO of Carat Indonesia.
Achjadi replaces Rini Ahkdiat, who will now oversee the agency’s retail and sponsorship offering.
Completing the new line-up is Starcom IP China MD Arun Kumar, who joins Carat Singapore to head up the agency’s digital services as regional account director of Isobar. Kumar’s appointment also marks the formation of Isobar’s second Asian hub after Hong Kong. “I have been looking for people who bring with them a variety of experience, be it digital, classical advertising or from the client side,” said Stahle.
“It’s been like assembling a football team, and you can’t have all forwards. I need people who complement rather than compete for knowledge space.”
Meanwhile, Carat, which is reinventing itself as a communications planning shop, has ceased its media buying operation in Japan.
Buying duties there will now be handled by partner agencies Dentsu and Haku-hodo, while Carat will now focus on planning.
“We can’t compete with the local agencies in terms of scale in Japan,” said Stahle. “In order to be able to offer clients a good product, we have found that the best way is to collaborate with the big players and focus on what we do better - communications planning.”
In Indonesia and Thailand, Carat has ended its joint-venture relationship with the Thai-based agency Chuo Senko, and will now operate independently.
