R/GA Tokyo MD Hazui to leave the agency

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.