Billy Leung, GM of Kinetic Beijing, resigns to pursue a digital career change

A source close to Kinetic told Campaign Asia-Pacific that Leung plans to leave Beijing and take a brief career break. His intention is to pursue a new career with greater focus on digital marketing. Beijing’s serious air pollution also prompted Leung to leave the capital city, the source added.

During his two-year employment with the agency, Leung helped retain the Nestle account and secured the AMD project last year.

A source close to the news said when Jim Liu was president of Kinetic China, he hired Leung with an aim to bring in more holistic media planning. Liu himself, who relocated to GroupM South China last year, has also resigned, which Campaign reported last week.

Thomas Chan, who stepped up from MD of Kinetic Shanghai and Guangzhou to the president role of Kinetic China last June, will directly oversee the Beijing office.

Leung, originally from Hong Kong, has worked at 4A agencies in China for 18 years, with stints at OMD, ZenithOptimedia and Dentsu.

Beijing’s poor air quality is a significant issue within the industry. Quite a few 4A senior executives, including Eliot Lin and Lester Ng, have left the city in recent months.

According to a Wall Street Journal article, the capital’s air pollution has abated since earlier this month, but thick smog still covered parts of northern China on Monday, forcing closures of some schools, airports and highways in the region.