Kaur resigned after 15 years with the company, followed by Starcom IP’s business director, Mark Newton, who left to join Qais Consulting in Singapore (Media, 30 March).
A number of other agency staffers have also left, including Lee Yew Leong, Benjamin Yeow and Ian Loon from Starcom IP.
“I’ve come in to turn things around,” said Gan. “It’s a big challenge, but it’s a great opportunity to build a changing media agency brand.”
Gan spent eight years at OMD, and 12 in total with Omnicom, after a 10-year spell at Ogilvy where he was media director. “Last year was OMD Singapore’s best ever,” Gan added. “It continues to do well, but I needed to leave my comfort zone.”
Starcom Media Group Asia CEO, D Sriram, commented: “Gan is a veteran, one of the original pillars of the media agency scene in Singapore. Along with our yet-to-be-announced head for Starcom IP, I believe we have found the people who will lead the key business units we have in Singapore to greater success.”
The move comes at a time when Starcom is undergoing a global revamp in its positioning. The agency wants to be seen as a consultancy with a less executional focus.
Starcom is also looking to move away from traditional media measures of brand awareness and likeability towards consumer intent.
