IPG Media will serve as an umbrella position for Universal McCann and Initiative in both countries. The announcement follows yesterday’s news about the sudden closure of Universal McCann Jakarta, which officially shut its office doors on 1 June. However, according to a spokesperson for Universal McCann and Initiative, the brands will still exist concurrently and be led by different management.
In Malaysia, Universal has named Chew Kagee as the new GM, reporting to Bhasin, while Initiative has appointed Gurpreet Singh. Management in Indonesia has yet to be named.
“The purpose of IPG Media in both countries will be to affect a series of internal organisational changes to strengthen and sharpen IPG’s overall media capabilities,” said the spokesperson. “From the outset IPG Media will be taking collaborative steps on the progress of various businesses, while simultaneously maintaining each entity as separate and sometimes competing brands.”
