CAREERS: Yates to manage Batey's STB account

Yates has been with the Australian Tourist Commission for 11 years, having worked in its Hong Kong and Japan offices. He was most recently its regional director for New Zealand and South Pacific based in Auckland.

He takes over in a more senior role from group account director Trudy Loh who left for personal reasons.

The appointment is part of Batey's broader initiative to reshape the agency by ensuring its personnel have the skills and experience required to help clients with brand strategy development and communications management.

"Previously, we employed people who had an advertising background and we looked at their experience at working for other ad agencies,

said Batey Ads senior partner, Rick Scott-Blackhall.

"But Yates has no experience working in an ad agency but, because he has worked in such a senior role on the client side, we feel he will make a big contribution to our client's business,

he added.

"He has people management skills, an understanding of the (tourism) industry and the processes in developing marketing programmes."

Scott-Blackhall said he expected Yates would make a successful transition to the agency side because the agency has "a very open relationship with the STB".

"We work with them as partners not just as a supplier, and that being the case, they value our opinion,

Scott-Blackhall said.

"Yates won't be on the receiving end of the 'do this and do that and don't ask why' attitude that some clients take when dealing with ad agencies."

According to Scott-Blackhall, Yates took the job because he wanted to relocate back to Asia, remain involved in the tourism industry and he had a high regard for how Singapore was marketing itself internationally.