M&C Saatchi AEIOU makes CEO change

M&C Saatchi AEIOU is appointing Chenghua "CH" Yang, formerly CEO of Publicis Shanghai and Guangzhou, as China CEO.

AEIOU co-founder Michael Liu, previously CEO and chief planning officer, will now serve as chief strategy officer. Co-founder Tony Liu continues as chairman and chief creative officer.

"Knowing when to shift leadership is of paramount importance to founders," Michael Liu said in a release. "CH will strengthen our value to our clients in China and allow us to foray into new areas.”

The two Lius founded AEIOU 16 years ago. M&C Saatchi formed the joint venture with AEIOU in 2013.

Yang joined Publicis in Guangzhou in 2002, became MD over Shanghai and Guangzhou in 2010 and was named CEO in 2012. Under his leadership the team grew from 60 people in 2007 to 200. He has more than three decades of experience starting with Ogilvy & Mather in 1987 in Taiwan, and has also worked for JWT, D’Arcy and Dentsu.

"We’re all absolutely delighted that CH is joining M&C Saatchi in China," Richard Morewood, CEO of M&C Saatchi Asia, said in a release. “His entrepreneurial spirit, a passion for spotting and developing talent, and a deep understanding of the unique China marketplace makes him stand apart from the rest.”

Yang said the future belongs to agencies like M&C Saatchi, which are fast, agile and able to understand clients’ business while respecting the value of brand and creativity.