Pitched at holding company level, the review saw WPP triumph over Omnicom and Interpublic, whose third network Lowe had handled the business in three major markets, including Asia-Pacific, since 1999.
It is believed that Li's previous experience on HSBC has been key to his appointment as the regional leader. Li had worked on HSBC for seven years and was an original member of the Lowe team that won portions of the brief in 1999. Appointed general manager of Batey Hong Kong in August last year, Li was managing director of Lowe Hong Kong until about a year ago. Li will now report to Toby Hoare, global leader on Team HSBC.
Jeffery Yu, regional president of Bates Asia, which has handled HSBC for 40-plus years, said WPP would draw talent from its various agency networks to create "an agency-netural" Team HSBC in Asia. "The team will bring the depth and breadth of WPP resources to the account."
Li has been tasked with getting the best work out of WPP operating units -- J. Walter Thompson, which will lead the account, Group M, Bates Asia, Batey, 141 and Landor.
Li said the difficulties of juggling the US$600 million account and agencies involved would be well above the "usual challenges". He said: "You need a common understanding on the agency side and you have to have a common strategy and single mindedness."
Sources said Asia -- which accounts for about 40 per cent of global revenue -- was given more weight, tipping the scales in WPP's favour on the back of its more comprehensive below-the-line offer.
Additional reporting by Sharon Desker Shaw
Batey's Li to helm Asia's Team HSBC
Stephen Li has emerged as the regional director of WPP's Team HSBC Asia-Pacific following one of the largest and most complex global reviews, in which Asia played a disproportionately large role.