The firm’s Asia Pacific president, Alan Vandermolen (pictured), explained that Zengage would essentially fulfill the same role as his predecessor, although in contrast to Pickard, who also oversaw Edelman’s activities in Korea, he would focus solely on the Japanese market.
Prior to his appointment, Zengage was senior managing director of Pacific Communicators, a high level strategic consultancy that he founded in Tokyo. Resident in Japan since 1981, Zengage also founded IBI, a PR agency he later sold to WPP, and spent three years as head of Ogilvy PR Japan.
Vandermolen said that with Zengage at the helm, the company would continue to invest heavily in technology and healthcare, as well as in the areas of corporate governance, CSR and digital.
Describing the traditional Japanese approach to PR as often archaic, Vandermolen commented that many opportunities existed in the market for agencies that offered clients real time dialogue with a digital backbone.
Established in 2005, Edelman Tokyo’s client portfolio includes Microsoft, Sanofi-Aventis, Merck-Serono, AstraZeneca, Northwest Airlines and ING.
Edelman appoints Zengage to run Japan office
TOKYO - Edelman has appointed Thomas R Zengage as executive chairman of its Japan operation, following the departure of North Asia president and representative director Robert Pickard earlier this month.
