General manager David Hunt said the agency expects to hire additional talent across all functions in the coming months. These new hires follow a time of significant growth for the Shanghai office, which has seen headcount increase from 40 to 70 this year thanks to an increase in work for existing clients including Unilever, Calvin Klein and Uniqlo, Hunt said.
The additional four strategic planners are Steven Ma from MediaCom, Paris Yang and Ben Zheng from Wieden + Kennedy, and Lynn Lin from La Miu.
Wang replaces Gavin Lum, who has taken another role in the agency; Wang will report directly to Hunt while overseeing the strategic planning and social media department.
Wang brings to AKQA more than five years of industry experience, most recently as digital communication leader at Wieden + Kennedy Shanghai, where he developed digital strategies and managed social channels for global brands including Tiffany&Co, P&G and Converse.
Earlier in his career, after finishing his studies in Japan, Wang spent three years at Dentsu in Tokyo working with clients including Suntory, Toyota, and Uniqlo.