Walton lands top MindShare post as China chief

<p>HONG KONG: MindShare has promoted Chris Walton, its regional </p><p>business director, as the chief executive officer for China, taking over </p><p>from Leo Wong, who has left the agency. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Walton has moved into his Shanghai-based position with immediate effect, </p><p>with a remit to oversee MindShare's offices in Shanghai, Beijing and </p><p>Guangzhou. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Wong is one of the more high profile industry practitioners to break </p><p>away from a multinational agency to establish his own business. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He has about 15 years' experience in media, three of which were spent at </p><p>MindShare. "It is time for me to start my own business and I have been </p><p>planning this moment for half-a-year," he said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Wong's new media-buying company in Shanghai is aiming to provide media </p><p>buying services to both local and international clients. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He plans to open branch offices in Beijing and Guangzhou next. "Because </p><p>adspend in China is growing at double-digit rates and the fact that it </p><p>will continue to in the near future, there is plenty of room for people </p><p>like us," he said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Wong also predicted that after China formally becomes a member of the </p><p>World Trade Organisation, a significant number of local and </p><p>international clients will increase their advertising budgets. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>