"We have been in the market for eight years, but only now are putting the real Publicis structure in place. We need the right structure with the right talent with the right skills," said Rifaie. "New business is not a priority at the moment. We need to grow as a team and support the clients we have. Finding talent has been a real problem - and it isn't getting any easier."
Sharon Ong joins from JWT as group creative head, reporting to ECD Andy Soong. "Her arrival will help Andy focus more on improving the overall quality of our creative product," said Miguel Mercado, GM of Publicis.
Also joining are two account directors - both named Tony Khoo. 'TK' moves from Leo Burnett as group account director for HP. He replaces Victor Chen, who left to pursue a career in photography. The other, known as 'Tony' joins as group account director for L'Oreal, Cadbury and Ayam. He was previously at Grey and replaces Helen Chim.
