Haynes, who was appointed GM in April last year, will return to Australia for a one-year sabbatical with his family. The agency has not named a replacement for him.
Haynes added that he looks to return to the digital industry in China following his break.
Haynes added that he looks to return to the digital industry in China following his break.
“Doing digital in China has been a tremendous trip and I feel like we are all part of a larger more important and broader digital movement that is sweeping through China and the wider world, which is also why I can't wait to come back and plunge back into the Chinese digital ecosystem,” he said. “I am staying well connected to my Chinese network and the Chinese digital and media ecosystems, and will be occasionally blogging and tweeting.”
In 2009, Haynes joined Starcom just seven months after being appointed chief digital officer of Chinese digital marketing agency SinoTech Group.
Haynes previously held positions at agencies including the Hong Kong-based Tomorrow Group, where he oversaw the agency’s interactive business. He has also worked in Australia and the UK.
At Starcom, Haynes managed the network’s digital business in China and promoted digital as a medium for each of the agency’s clients in the market.
