David Blecken
Jun 11, 2018

R/GA Tokyo MD Hazui to leave the agency

Masami 'Sammy' Hazui led R/GA as it got off the ground in Japan.

Masami 'Sammy' Hazui (left) with Jim Moffatt
Masami 'Sammy' Hazui (left) with Jim Moffatt

Masami ‘Sammy’ Hazui is leaving his role as managing director of R/GA Tokyo to take on a position at a brand.

Jim Moffatt, R/GA’s EVP and managing director for Asia-Pacific, will assume Hazui’s duties until a new leader for Japan starts. In a statement to Campaign, Moffatt said he thanked Hazui for having helped launch the Tokyo office and laying the foundations for the future. 

"Sammy's legacy is a thriving business, talented team and work we're proud of," Moffatt said. "We wish him every success."

Hazui has led R/GA in Japan since January 2017. The company officially opened for business in the market last May, and now has a staff of 18.

Prior to joining R/GA, Hazui spent around seven years at Rakuten Group, where he was head of mobile strategy, among other roles. He also had a stint at Apple, and helped launch the iPhone in Japan.

R/GA has made a promising start in Japan. Google is its biggest client, but the agency has also made inroads into local brands. In February, it took on a wide-ranging brief from Shiseido, which Hazui is understood to have played a key role in winning. Other clients the office has taken on include Muji, Sony, Mori Building, Disney and Netflix.

Source:
Campaign Japan

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