| Campaign compiles a new 'Move and win roundup' as each week
progresses. This edition will cover February 16 through February 20, 2026. Catch up on past people moves and business wins. |
Taboola has appointed Krishan Bhatia as chief business officer. He will lead global sales and partnerships, focusing on revenue growth across Taboola’s full product portfolio, including the Realize performance advertising platform, publisher network, CTV performance and generative AI products. He joins from Amazon, where he served as VP, global video advertising & partnerships from April 2024 to October 2025. Prior to that, he spent 13 years at NBCUniversal, including four years as president and chief business officer, global advertising and partnerships from 2020 to 2024, and nine years as EVP, business operations & strategy from 2011 to 2020.
Marico has appointed Ankit Porwal as CEO, beauty and styling, digital. He spent more than a decade in regional leadership roles at L’Oréal, where he led initiatives across eCommerce, innovation and marketing transformation in markets including Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. He most recently served as regional director and general manager for eCommerce and marketing transformation in the SAPMENA region. Now based in Mumbai, he was previously based in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore. He announced the move on LinkedIn.
Julian Sng has joined Plaza Premium Group as associate director of marketing and communications. He will oversee the company’s marketing strategy spanning brand awareness and commercial impact. He brings 17 years of experience across brand, digital and omnichannel marketing from leading roles at Lazada, Hilton and Scoot.
Blair Alexander has been appointed CEO of OMD New Zealand, effective 2 March 2026. He will lead operations and develop future-ready capabilities to drive the agency’s next growth phase. He will report to Nikki Grafton, CEO of Omnicom Media New Zealand. With over 20 years of experience in client leadership, agency transformation, and media strategy, he previously served as CEO of IPG’s three New Zealand media brands—FCB Media, UM and Initiative. Under his leadership, the group secured major wins with brands including Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Chorus, the New Zealand Electoral Commission and One NZ. He first joined the network as managing director, UM New Zealand in 2018.
Havas Life has appointed João Camacho as chief creative officer, India & Middle East. He joins from Publicis Health, were he was executive creative director, ME, Turkey, KSA, and EM, based in Dubai. He will relocate to Mumbai for his new role. Bringing more than two decades of experience in healthcare communications, he will report to Eric Weisberg, global chief creative officer at Havas Health, and Dorelle Kulkarni, managing director at Havas Life Mumbai. He previously held creative roles with FCB and McCann.
Special has made several key appointments to strengthen its Australian leadership team. Sasha Firth has been appointed as managing director leading Special Australia nationally alongside Tori Lopez. She joined the indie creative shop in May 2024 after five years as managing partner at DDB Group Australia. In her new role, she will focus on national integration and future-fit operations including AI, technology and innovation. Christie Meischke has joined as people and culture director, a new role spearheading culture, talent development, and employee experience across Sydney and Melbourne. She previously held leadership roles at OMG Australia and Hearts & Science. Simon Gibson and Nils Eberhardt have been elevated to executive creative directors. Based in Sydney, they will provide hands-on creative leadership across brands, projects and new business.
W Communications has launched in Malaysia, tapping Kiersten Chaik as country manager to spearhead market entry and growth. She brings over 15 years of strategic communications experience, including over seven years at BCW as executive vice president and managing director. Chaik will lead a team to work closely with HelloFranses!, the agency’s creator-first consultancy, to boost creator-driven and social-first strategies across integrated campaigns. Chaik will oversee day-to-day operations, expand the local team, and partner closely with Singapore HQ and the APAC network to execute multi-market campaigns.
The Palawan Group of Companies has appointed Havas Ortega as its media agency on record. The appointment aims to integrate a data-led media strategy and trust-building with conversion-focused execution across its brands, including Palawan Pawnshop, Palawan Express Pera Padala and PalawanPay. Havas Ortega will handle end-to-end media strategy, planning and investment management, in addition to grounding decisions in consumer behaviour and business cycles.
WPP Media has appointed Kevin Kivi as managing director for its South Australian operations, where he will oversee Wavemaker’s key client portfolio, including Mitsubishi, Adelaide University, San Remo and the Government of South Australia, to drive growth and deepen partnerships amid WPP’s push into AI-driven media solutions. Bringing 25 years of experience across advertising, media and communications in markets like Melbourne, Toronto and New York, Kivi most recently led Horizon Media Canada, launching the agency in 2017 and achieving 92% business growth over three years. His prior senior roles include stints at EssenceMediacom Canada and Mindshare Melbourne.
Visa Asia Pacific has appointed veteran agency leader Alvina Seah as head of its newly created Visa Design and Creative Studio, where she will build and lead an in-house creative team to strengthen the brand and drive marketing innovation and growth across the region. She will report to Danielle Jin, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Visa Asia Pacific. Seah joins from GOVT VCCP, where she spent six years as partner and executive director, and has previously held leadership roles including managing director at BBDO Worldwide and general manager at Energy BBDO.
Independent New Zealand creative agency Multiplied has expanded internationally with a new Sydney office, led by seasoned executive Alex Edwards as partner. Founded in 2021 by Tom Roydhouse, Aaron Taylor and Troy Fuller, the agency has built a strong New Zealand client base including Heineken, Pernod Ricard, Kiwi Property and Auckland Airport. The move follows client demand and growing interest from Australian brands. Edwards, formerly of The General Store, Clemenger BBDO and Ogilvy, will head the operation to help ambitious Australian marketers drive both brand impact and commercial growth.
Edge Marketing has appointed AI and SEO specialist Luke Gosha as head of search & AI strategy to bolster its AI-led search capabilities amid evolving brand discovery across search engines and large language models. Gosha, who joins from StrategiQ in London where he served as Head of Search & AI, brings over a decade of global experience in technical SEO, commercial leadership and AI integration, and will oversee SEO strategies, embed AI methodologies for Australian clients, and mentor senior specialists.
Australian gambling and entertainment company, Tabcorp, has initiated a wide-ranging agency review across its creative, media and sponsorship arrangements, inviting major holding groups and independents to pitch as it reassesses its marketing partnerships following recent business and leadership changes. The RFP was released last week as part of a normal review process and encompasses media spend, sponsorship and creative services, with multiple agencies participating in the pitch.
Source: Campaign Asia-Pacific
