Nicolas Menat, the Tokyo-based Asia CEO of Publicis One, is to move to Singapore next month.
Menat’s role, which he began in 2016, will remain the same. The relocation is apparently driven by convenience, given that many of the agency’s key clients have their regional headquarters in Singapore.
Jarek Ziebinski, Publicis One’s global CEO, said that Menat would work “to foster closer collaboration between Publicis Communications, Publicis Media and Publicis.Sapient”.
Menat became president of Beacon Communications, now part of Publicis One, in 2007. He was reportedly keen to remain in Japan, but the move seems to be a clear acknowledgement that Tokyo’s geographical location makes it a challenging place from which to manage regional operations.
"The potential of the ASEAN region is a growing reality and certainly something that makes sense for me to be closer to," Menat said. "Geographically, SIngapore is also more strategically located for me to travel across Asia."
Reflecting on his time spent in Japan, Menat said the country is facing similar challenges to many markets in terms of changing consumer behaviour. But he said Japan countinues to evolve to a "different beat".
"Japan is an amazingly innovative and dynamic country in so many ways, yet compared to other developed markets in the world, it tends to move a bit slow when it comes to leaving the more traditional way of advertising," he said, but noted that the "very traditional media focus" that was apparent when he first arrived in Japan is thankfully "long gone".
Floriane Tripolino assumed responsibility for Publicis One’s Japan operations in January 2017.
