The personally-spurred departure of Asia-Pacific co-president Emma Smith after five years has resulted in Andrew Pirie heading the region ex-Japan.
Pirie likened his expanded role to that of former regional WS head Alison Clarke, who had handled Japan and was axed after last February's restructure (PRWeek, February 15, 2002). With Smith and Pirie previously sharing responsibilities for Hong Kong and China (Smith) and Singapore (Pirie), in addition to broader individual regional roles, Golin/Harris Forrest Southeast Asia MD Jeff Shultz has taken on the unique added mantle of WS Singapore MD.
"The reason this works is the nature of G/H in Singapore - it's a niche business," Pirie told PRWeek.
Firming up a Greater China strategy that has lacked locally-based senior management for the past year, ex-WS Taiwan head Lume Liao transfers to Shanghai as senior VP China, and Shanghai GM, with Nikki Lin and Belinda Ma assuming joint leadership of the Taiwan office.
In Beijing, corporate practise head David Lim adopts the GM post, while in Hong Kong, deputy MD Simon Eldridge heads operations.
Downsizing has resulted in WS Singapore financial practise head Peter Poulos losing his job amid restructuring. In Hong Kong, Eldridge has also earmarked "looking at how we can be best resourced in the current climate", with a successor to the technology practise - previously overseen by Smith - unlikely to be appointed in a standalone capacity. In the wake of regional healthcare practise head Terri Fuji departing, Jill Mortensen leads healthcare from Hong Kong.
Balancing the imminent announcement of a dedicated China head after the departure of non-executive China chairman Serge Dumont; in Hong Kong, Golin/Harris has instigated a series of strategic staff cuts.