J. Walter Thompson Jakarta CEO passes baton

JAKARTA - Johan Shabudin has been promoted to managing director at J. Walter Thompson Jakarta, taking over from long-serving CEO DD 'Lulut' Asmoro, who will retire later this year.

Asmoro was the first Indonesian to head a multinational advertising agency in the country. He joined J. Walter Thompson in 2004 as chief operations officer and assumed leadership a year later. He had worked with McCann Erickson and Lowe Lintas in Jakarta and Cairo previously.

Shabudin first joined J. Walter Thompson in Kuala Lumpur as account manager in 1995, later becoming regional accont director in Kuala Lumpur and business director at J. Walter Thompson Tokyo in 2000. He then went to Y&R Indonesia in 2007, became managing partner of an architecture and interior design firm in Singapore in 2012, and returned to advertising and JWT in Jakarta in 2013 as chief account officer. 

Speaking on his retirement and succesor, Asmoro said: “In an industry like ours that’s going through rapid change and where people are the core asset, it is crucial for an agency head to come with a fresh new perspective—and be able to rally the team towards it.”

“And no one fits the bill better than Johan. He’s a great people person with strong multi-market experience. I know I’m leaving the agency in very capable hands,” he added.

Said Shabudin, “I am thankful to have had the opportunity to learn and be inspired by Lulut. He is a real legend in our industry. I’m also very much inspired by the attitude, talent and capabilities of our family at JWT Jakarta.”