But after a flurry of restructuring, is the network finally ready to make its mark in the region?
The first sign of change came with the departure of Asia-Pacific CEO D Sriram, following a three-year tenure marked by lofty rhetoric and limp returns. In his place came a dual-management structure that saw Paul Maher lead North Asia, and Ravi Kiran oversee South and Southeast Asia.
The first sign of change came with the departure of Asia-Pacific CEO D Sriram, following a three-year tenure marked by lofty rhetoric and limp returns. In his place came a dual-management structure that saw Paul Maher lead North Asia, and Ravi Kiran oversee South and Southeast Asia.
Sriram’s move was followed by the exit of global CEO Renetta McCann after 30 years with the agency. In McCann’s wake, SMG Americas CEO Laura Desmond (pictured) was named to the top job, followed by the appointment of Andrew Swinand as international president overseeing Asia-Pacific, Latin America and EMEA.
Swinand made his presence felt quickly, ending the five-month-old Maher/Kiran combination by bringing back Jeffrey Seah from Mindshare to lead Southeast Asia. Kiran saw his role revert to CEO of South Asia, along with a mandate to lead diversified services across emerging markets.
It has been a breathless few months for Starcom. And it does not appear that the network is ready to pause just yet, with Swinand noting that key appointments will also be made in China, India and Singapore imminently. But perhaps, after several years of appearing to tread water, the moves are what Starcom needs if it is to replicate the obvious success of its US operation in Asia.
“Our aim is to be number one in eight core markets in the region within three years,” says Desmond. “We need to focus on growth - do what we need to drive top-line; hiring talent, building digital and expanding assignments among existing MNC clients.”
Desmond’s tenure leading SMG Americas saw impressive growth. And her style, say many observers, marks a world of difference with McCann’s more consensual approach. “She is dynamic, young and aggressive,” says a Starcom insider. “It is very clear that Laura’s focus on driving global practices and a much better globally connected network is significantly stronger than Renetta’s. Starcom needed direction and firm leadership.”
Of all of Starcom’s decisions in 2008, nothing raised more eyebrows than the return of Jeffrey Seah after just two years at Mindshare. Seah left amid the turnover that wracked Starcom in 2006, and - for all his evident skills - can polarise opinion in the industry.
“I’ve worked extensively with Jeffrey, and think the world of him,” says Swinand. “My question is not did we move too quickly but are we moving quickly enough?”
Seah’s return, meanwhile, also fuelled the perception that Kiran had somehow been demoted. The contention is roundly dismissed by Swinand. “That would be a short-sighted perspective. The opportunities to expand diversified services are enormous. In my opinion it’s a huge promotion for Ravi.”
Kiran is understandably diplomatic. “I am happy about the focus on India as one of the key emerging markets and about the stamp of approval the network is giving on the business model in India in terms of building a compelling and robust portfolio,” he says. “But I’m a bit sad that I did not get more of an opportunity to work directly with Southeast Asia’s diverse markets.”
What is clear is that Desmond and Swinand mean business as they attempt to build Starcom into what they term “the agency of the future”. That kind of talk is nothing new at Starcom, but it seems clear that the previous focus on upstream consultancy has lost some steam, in favour of a more pragmatic build-out of the agency’s consumer intent product architecture. “That [consulting] philosophy is not at the forefront, and that makes me sad,” says the agency source. “Large cannot be a goal. Then there will be no difference between Mindshare and us.”
Which, in this part of the world, might not be a bad thing at all. “It’s not a focus on being less strategic, but an acknowledgement that we have a history of success on big and small clients globally,” adds Swinand. “From a strategic standpoint, I don’t think the global strategy has changed, I just think we are putting more emphasis on executing that global strategy.”
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