MEC puts Caven in new regional marketing post

Tess Caven is to assume the newly-created role of regional marketing director at MEC, after leading the agency's global solutions division for the past five years.

As MEC global solutions managing partner, Caven oversaw the division's growth to 15 international staff, managing a client portfolio that includes Singapore Airlines, DHL, Sony Ericsson and Mercedes-Benz. She will now oversee MEC business development initiatives across Asia-Pacific. "After 17 years in client-facing roles, it's a good opportunity to learn more about marketing and PR," said Caven, who pointed to the agency's "pioneering" work in channel planning and implementation six years ago, well before it became a buzzword among the current crop of media agencies. MEC has also appointed Stephen Li as chief operations officer for global solutions, based in Singapore. Li joins from fellow WPP agency Batey, where he spent the past year as COO. Prior to this, Li was regional director of WPP's Team HSBC, based in Hong Kong. "The very fact that I do not come from a traditional media agency background speaks volumes for the non-traditional nature of what MEC wants to achieve," said Li.