Grey taps ex-JWT Taiwan chief Lin for China

<P>Grey Global Group has named JWT Taiwan chairman Steve Lin as its Greater China chief. </P> <P>His appointment comes as the agency evaluates the set-up of a wholly-owned operation in China following a split with its 14-year JV partner Citic Guoan, which has announced an alliance with Omnicom's DDB. </P> <P>"We are setting up a fully-owned enterprise in the short term, but are not closed to domestic partners," said Mike Amour, Grey Global Group chairman and chief executive officer, Asia-Pacific. </P> <P>"Our JV with Citic will expire in 2007, but this brings the date forward. Over the last 14 years, there have been some introductions [to local clients] by Citic, but these have been relatively little."</P> <P>Lin - who joins Grey after nine years at JWT Taipei - replaces Dennis Wong. Wong was brought in as China head following the departure of long-serving CEO Viveca Chan, but left the agency earlier this year after just seven months in the role. </P> <P>Lin will relocate to Shanghai in September, making him the agency's first China chief to be based in the mainland. "Historically, [Grey] has been managed out of Hong Kong and this sends a signal about how serious we are about China," added Amour. </P> <P>Mark Bainbridge will lead JWT's Taiwan operation. </P> <P>At Omnicom, meanwhile, the China JV will see Citic Guoan Group's executive vice-chairman Yan Gang take the role of DDB Guoan chairman, with Dick van Motman, president and CEO of DDB China, appointed CEO. <BR>See Opinion 2, page 19</P> <P><BR> </P>