ad:tech Singapore 2009 Conference Advisors

Hélène Blanchette is presently responsible for the Go-to-Market strategy of the international division of Fuji Xerox. In her executive role, Helene overviews the market strategy for 12 countries of Asia Pacific, including China. Mrs. Blanchette arrived in Singapore in July 2007 with a baggage of experience as National Industry & Marketing Director of Xerox Canada, where she received the President’s Leadership Award for her outstanding innovations.

In July 2005 she was identified by Print Action Magazine as one of the top 50 most influential people of Canada in the Communication Industry. She is the Founder of the Xerox 1to1 lab that has gained worldwide recognitions and won numerous marketing innovation awards. This strategic concept was implemented in several countries of the world. In April of 2009, Helene received the Woman of Distinction Award, a prestigious international merit given by OutputLink media.

Over the years, Mrs. Blanchette has published more than 100 articles and columns for several industry related magazines. Known for her talent as a great communicator, she is frequently invited to deliver conferences throughout Asia, Europe, Canada and USA.

Greg joined Intel’s marketing team in 1996 and currently leads advertising, media and marketing services in Asia-Pacific. He’s also responsible for digital strategy, creative strategy, brand identity, and marcom for retail, events and product launches. In addition, he oversees all regional agency relationships.

He brings an extensive history of developing integrated marketing campaigns including holistic communication plans and creative strategies intended to increase brand awareness, sales and market share.

Richard launched his marketing career in 1991 in the US with leading direct marketing company, Affinity Group, where he was Director of Marketing.

In 1999 co-founded eGybe – a full service digital marketing agency based in Los Angeles Which he ran until it sold in 2002.
He then returned to his native New Zealand and established Conduit Marketing – a digital and CRM marketing consultancy with clients in the telecommunication, tourism, and wine industries.

In 2004 Richard was appointed Planning Director at AIM Proximity where he developed award winning digital and CRM strategies for core Clients such as Telecom NZ, Xtra, and Toyota and played a key role in winning the NZ Post, IAG, and Kiwibank accounts.

In 2006 he was appointed National Planning Director leading the NZ wide Planning team, expanding his Client focus to include Air New Zealand, Vodafone, Yellow Pages, Westpac, TVNZ, New Balance, and Frucor.

Consistently ranked by the WON report in the top 10 direct marketing agencies globally during his tenure, Aim Proximity was #2 in the world when he left in 2008.

Richard is currently Proximity’s Regional Managing Director for Asia. He is responsible for leading and developing the Proximity Network in the Asia region. He focuses on key regional Clients including Pepsi, Nestle, Citibank, P&G, Aviva, Fonterra, Mercedes, HP and Friendster.

Erik Ingvoldstad is the Regional Creative Director of MRM Worldwide Asia Pacific and the ECD of MRM Singapore. He drives the creative vision for MRM in the region and has a strong focus on true digital innovation. Erik has been with MRM/McCann Worldgroup for 10 years, the first seven years with McCann Norway, and the past three years with MRM and McCann Sydney where he was the ECD, before moving to Singapore at the end of last year. He works in all aspects of digital creative solutions; delivering Customer Utility through web, mobile, social media, video, applications, search etc.

Erik has won accolades in prestigious award shows such as Cannes Lions Direct, The Epica Awards, The International ECHO Awards, The Midas Awards, The Max Marketing Mix, ADMA and others. He has also served as a jury member at Cannes, the ECHO’s, Midas Awards, and several local competitions.

Throughout his career, Erik has worked with many of the world’s largest companies, to create award winning digital and direct marketing campaigns. In Singapore he works across all MRM clients, as well as supporting the local creative teams throughout the APAC region.

You can follow Erik at twitter.com/ingvoldSTAR

Mark is the general manager of the Microsoft Online Services Group in Southeast Asia. In this role, Mark is responsible for managing the overall online business portfolio, leading the Windows Live, MSN and Microsoft Advertising teams across the six major markets within the region – Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam.

Mark is a recent addition to the Microsoft team, having joined in March 2009. He moves from China, where he was previously the CEO of China Cascade Interactive, Inc., a start-up company which he founded in 2006. During this time, he built China’s leading user-generated-content travel planning site, www.yiqilai.com.cn. Prior to this, Mark was the Chief Product Officer at eBay China and served at Yahoo! for five years, including stints as Vice President of Search, Asia-Pacific; General Manager, Canada; and Director of International Operations.

An engineer by training, he started his career at Hewlett Packard in 1988 before spending three years as a strategic consultant at Bain & Company.

Mark holds a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Stanford University, as well as Bachelor of Science in Engineering Sciences from Dartmouth College.

He speaks Chinese, French and German, having studied at the Beijing Foreign Languages Institute, and has lived in North America, Europe and Asia.

David Ketchum specializes in off- and on-line corporate and marketing communications for companies expanding their business in Asia Pacific.

He is President, Asia Pacific of Bite Communications, Chairman of the Asia Digital Marketing Association, and Deputy Chairman of the Council of Public Relations Firms in Hong Kong. David is the author of BIG M, little m Marketing: New Strategies for a New Asia.

He was previously senior vice president, marketing and communications for Calvin Klein, Inc., and also held senior positions with Burson-Marsteller and Hill and Knowlton internationally.

In the late 1990’s Jason founded the Interactive division of TBWA\Chiat\Day, as well as helped launch the TBWA\ network’s worldwide Interactive initiative called Digerati. Under Jason’s leadership the Interactive division grew with expertise in web development, Interactive marketing, email marketing, as well as the use of convergent media vehicles.

Until 2005, Jason served as the group’s the Director of Operations, managing the day-to-day operations of the 120+ person LA office across all of its disciplines. In 2006 Jason returned to his Interactive roots to focus on Interactive and online brand content in order to best leverage the group’s success in these two rapidly growing areas.
In January of 2007, Jason left TEQUILA\ to join another TBWA\ company, Agency.com. Based in Shanghai, he became the Managing Director of the China operations for the world-class digital agency. He built out the digital offering for the TBWA\China group growing Interactive revenues 250% and doubling the client base of the agency.
In the beginning of 2008 Jason moved to a new role within the Omnicom Group to serve as the Asia Pacific, India, Middle East, and Africa (APIMA) region’s Vice President of Omnicom Digital. In this role he works with all the divisions of Omnicom continue to build their digital capabilities and profiles. His responsibilities include recruiting top digital talent to the region, training and general evangelism, capability development, and strategic acquisitions.

“Our approach of focusing on organic development of Interactive capabilities has given our agency networks a leadership position to deliver integrated campaigns across multiple media channels for our clients. The goal now is to bring even greater attention to the digital discipline’s contribution to the region and help our digital agencies grow with the exponentially accelerating new media market in Asia”, says Jason.

Francesco Lagutaine is Chief Marketing Officer for Citi in Asia Pacific responsible for Citi’s Marketing and Customer Experience and Loyalty efforts in the region.

Prior to his current appointment in June 2009, Francesco was based in New York as Citi’s Vice President, Global Marketing responsible for Strategic Communication for all markets outside the U.S.

Most recently, he led the development and market launch of Citi’s new global banking offering. This included the development of a product positioning strategy, specific customer driven product solutions, an on-line product delivery channel and a 360 marketing communications platform. The marketing launch covered 16 markets, 10 of which are in Asia Pacific.

Francesco joined Citi in January 2005 and he was part of the core team that led the development and roll out of Citi’s brand re-launch across 43 markets in 2007.

Fresh out of law school, Francesco started his career at Lowe & Partners a top advertising agency in Frankfurt, Germany. He then moved to Saatchi & Saatchi in Germany first and then, in 1994, in London, where he worked on pan European accounts, Procter & Gamble and HP.

Looking to further hone his creative skills, Francesco moved to HHCL + P in 1998 where his key career highlight was the repositioning of Guinness to appeal to a younger market segment. He led a team that made the much loved and revered Guinness brand in the Irish market a toast with the younger generation.

In 1999, Francesco moved to San Francisco as Global Account Director for Pepsi for Goodby, Silverstein & Partners (GSP). He helped GSP develop advertising outside the US for the first time and expand their skills and understanding of the international markets. On the back of this success, the agency won the global business from HP and Francesco lead the launch of the “+ HP anything is possible” campaign across 15 markets.

In 2003, Francesco moved to Ogilvy & Mather in New York as Senior Partner, Global Account Director. At O&M, Francesco was responsible for the American Express account for all international markets and worked on the development of their most recent “My Life, My Card” campaign.

Rosemary Lising is Managing Director of GroupM Search Asia Pacific. She is responsible for developing and growing the search business practice across Asia Pacific. This includes business planning and operations, business development, agency integration and training development.

Ms. Lising has been a leading Search Marketing expert since the early days of this field. She has 13+ years of experience focused on search & digital marketing. Ms. Lising has led teams in the areas of business strategy, search marketing (SEM/SEO), online advertising and integrated marketing

Prior to joining GroupM, Ms. Lising established the Search Marketing & Online Media practice for Blue Interactive Marketing – now a WPP acquired company. On the Search front, Ms. Lising developed the search practice and secured global and Asia-wide search business with Hewlett Packard, eBay, Lufthansa, BEA, and Polycom.

Recognized as a digital and search marketing industry leader, Ms Lising speaks at industry conferences and produces globally recognized best practices in marketing.

From 1999 – 2002, Ms. Lising was as General Manager of the DoubleClick operations in South East Asia launching the Singapore office and satellite operations in South East Asia.

From 1991 to 1998, Rosemary was involved in strategic media planning for firms such as Foote Cone Belding, Zenith Media and Ogilvy & Mather.

Mr. Loh spent the last 4 years in the mobile media marketing industry, focusing on mobile content delivery strategies. Prior to that, Mr Loh worked in StarHub under the Global IP Backbone Business, International Division. He was responsible of product marketing StarHub’s Global IP Products and Services together with their global partner, NTT Communications of Japan. Mr Loh holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Aberdeen and a Professional Diploma in Asia Pacific Marketing from National University of Singapore/Marketing Institute of Singapore.

Beginning his career in consumer market research in Toronto Canada where winters were long and summers short, Ken packed his bags for Asia and joined the Bangkok office of Shandwick Public Relations in 1994.

Since then he has held senior advertising management positions across the Asia Pacific region with Bates, 141 Worldwide & Ogilvy & Mather. In 1999 he was appointed CEO & Regional Director of XM Asia Pacific (now part of JWT). Over a 6 year period he built XM Asia Pacific into one of the regions leading digital agencies. In January of 2006, Ken joined Ogilvy Asia Pacific as the founding CEO of Neo@Ogilvy and Vice President of OgilvyOne covering 11 markets.
While at Ogilvy, Ken built Neo@Ogivly into a regional force by growing the digital media network from scratch to over 200 staff in just 16 months. He also helped lead OgilvyOne to two consecutive Regional Agency of Year titles and was the founder of the multi award winning Ogilvy Digital Innovation Lab responsible for break through mobile marketing innovations for American Express, Diageo and Nokia Mobile Phones.

Ken joined Yahoo! in January 2008 as Vice-President & Managing Director of SE Asia. He is tasked with taking Yahoo! to the next stage of growth with management responsibility for internet giant’s entire operations in SE Asia.

Ken completed his Asia-Pacific Management Post-Baccalaureate Program at Capilano College, Vancouver, Canada and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Psychology from McGill University in Montreal. A new media veteran and frequent industry spokesperson, he currently serves as the Interactive Sub-Committee Chairman of the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents and sits on the board of the Mobile Marketing Association.

Adrian Moss, CEO, Asia Digital Holdings

Adrian Moss is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Deal Group Media plc a quoted online advertising and marketing group that is in its tenth year of delivering ROI focused marketing solutions. The group operates through three distinct businesses:

DGM - a provider of online direct response solutions including display advertising, affiliate marketing, search engine marketing servicing both agencies and clients direct

AKTIV - advertising sales network selling ad inventory for online media owners to agencies and advertisers

Deploy Digital - A Digital Communications Planning and Implementation Agency.

Moss launched the first affiliate network in the UK in 1999 and advertisers were offered the single strategy of affiliate marketing to deliver results on a pay for performance basis. Nine years later additional strategies are used to deliver superior results including search engine marketing, display advertising, email marketing and partnership/affinity marketing.

The Groups services are facilitated by a mix of external and in-house technology that allows for the delivery of advertising creative across relevant channels, the monitoring of results facilitates the delivery of real ROI from individual campaigns and provides a sound basis for superior planning for future periods.

Adrian is recognised as a pioneer and authority in the digital advertising industry, and is committed to the continual evolution of strategies to deliver incremental ROI for advertisers.

Joe Nguyen is the Vice President, South East Asia at comScore, Inc. - a Global Internet Information Provider. He looks after comScore's business in the region, particularly Media Metrix Local Market Reporting. comScore reports on market-specific measurement of Internet usage for over 10 Asian countries and are rapidly adding other markets.

Prior to comScore, Joe was Regional Manager, SEA for Omniture - bringing market leading online business optimization software and web analytic solutions to the region. Previous to Omniture, Joe was the Director of Global e-Commerce for Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc. Joe's responsibilities there extended from the global brand website to online marketing campaigns to web analytics and reporting. His role also included enhancing current online functionality and the development of new capabilities to optimize market reach in M&C's key source markets.

Before M&C, Joe was Chief Operating Officer of Open World Ltd which offers IT and Management Consultancy Services to the hospitality industry. In 2000, Joe was a core member of the startup team at Interactive Audience Measurement Asia (iamasia.com)- an internet market research firm- as Director of Technology. This internet startup took him away from his job at Discovery Channel Asia.
Joe graduated with a Bachelor of Science and Engineering Degree from Princeton University in New Jersey, USA.

Nirvik Singh, Grey Group Asia Pacific’s Chairman & CEO is a 20-year veteran of the agency. At the age of 26, he was appointed to lead Grey Kolkata which grew to become the city’s second largest, producing some of India’s most path-breaking campaigns and winning Agency of the Year four consecutive times.

Singh became the head of Grey India at 33 and under his leadership, Grey India became a profitable, high-profile total communications company and extended its reach to Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, New Delhi, Chennai as well as Kolkata. Today, Grey is one of the top 5 agencies in India and its re-engineering is a B-school case study in success.

He also led the agency’s expansion into Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Vietnam, and has been instrumental in its growth and resurgence in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

Singh has made major strides in building the G2 network, spearheading acquisitions like Star Echo in China and RAMS in India to achieve significant growth. Grey Group Asia Pacific’s total communications offering, led by Grey and G2, is delivering best-in-class communications across channels and breaking new ground in brand experience and building relationships.

Nirvik was listed as one of the 25 young rising stars in India by Business Today and honoured with the title of National Agency Head of the Year by Media magazine in 2003. He has also received the Bharat Nirman Rattan Award for outstanding individual achievements and distinguished services to India by the National Integration and Economic Council.

Indra Suharjono, EVP & MD Southeast Asia & Greater China, MTV Networks Asia

Ms. Indra Suharjono is Executive Vice President/Managing Director for MTVN North and Southeast Asia. Based in Singapore, Suharjono reports directly to Bob Bakish, President of MTV Networks International (MTVNI).

Suharjono leads the growth, strategic direction and management of MTV Networks Southeast Asia and MTV Networks Greater China, MTV Networks Japan and MTV Networks Korea.

Prior to her current post, Suharjono was Executive Vice President/Managing Director for Southeast Asia and Greater China. She was Executive Producer of the first original instalment of the MTV World Stage global franchise; created ChinaToon, the first pan-regional programming platform showcasing original Chinese animation on Nickelodeon Asia; launched a Chinese-language SpongeBob SquarePants website (www.haimianbaobao.net) to complement the highly-rated CCTV telecast in China; attracted new advertisers to the business including the Philippines’ Department of Tourism and Sunway Resorts; expanded Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) into Thailand and Malaysia; and guided the new management team at MTV Networks China to deliver successful high profile initiatives such as MTV Zhen and the 2009 MTV/SMG Style Gala.

Suharjono was Senior Vice President and Managing Director International Asia, Middle East and Global Publishing, NVCP and was overseeing licensing efforts across Asia and the Middle East as well as NVCP’s global publishing business. She directed all strategic planning and business operations for these lines of business and the management of NVCP offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul and publishing teams in New York and London.

Suharjono is credited with the rapid development of NVCP’s Asia business and establishing it as a viable revenue growth area for MTV Networks. Suharjono and her team of licensing executives have grown Nickelodeon’s hit properties, SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer into iconic award-winning brands in markets such as Australia and Japan. Suharjono was responsible for spearheading some of NVCP’s most innovative creative concepts such as Hello Kitty & Blues Clues, an MTV Festival line and the Bathing Ape & SpongeBob collaboration.

Suharjono joined the company in 2005 as Vice President, NVCP and established the central Asia NVCP office. Prior to joining MTV Networks, she was Vice President and Deputy General Manager for Asia Pacific at Turner Entertainment, as well as the General Manager for Southeast Asia at Warner Bros. Consumer Products. Overall, she has more than 25 years of experience within the Asian media industry.

Ian has been involved with youth marketing all his life; first as a consumer, then a student, and then working for the likes of Coca-Cola, Ogilvy, MTV, and his own youth agency Filter, which was acquired by Aegis. Ian returned for a second stint at MTV Asia in 2006, where he ran the regional business for the MTV brand. He joined Friendster in 2009 as their Asia Head and is loving the thrill of the social media space. Ian came to Asia 18 years ago from Sydney.

Ruth Stubbs is the President of Mediabrands in Asia Pacific, overseeing nearly 1,500 employees across 17 countries in the region, ensuring growth and reinforcing IPG’s media assets to maximize the impact of clients’ marketing investment to deliver business results. Assets under her purview include the UM and Initiative networks of agencies; and Orion Trading.

Prior, Ruth was the CEO of GroupM Interaction since 2004, and grew it to be the largest digital media operation in Asia Pacific.

Ruth came to GroupM after ten years at Euro RSCG WW, where she ran their U.S. digital media operation on the back of a lengthy regional tenure, where she was the Regional Media Director based in Hong Kong.

Ruth’s background in advertising crosses media and management with over 10 years working with Blue Chip Technology brands at a global level.

Kevin Tan, Senior Vice President, International, Adify

Kevin has lived and worked in Asia for the last 17 years (based in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore) and has been part of the digital media industry since 1999.

He is currently Senior Vice-President, International at Adify, the worldwide leader in technology and services for vertical advertising networks (www.adify.com).  Adify has built and manages over 250 vertical networks worldwide for media companies as diverse as the Financial Times, Fairfax, Gourmet Ads, Autotrader, Time Warner, NBC, The Guardian, Martha Stewart, the Gay Ad Network and Forbes.  Adify was purchased by COX Enterprises in 2008.

Kevin manages the international division of Adify (Adify Media and Adify Networks) with operations in Southeast Asia, Australia, Japan, the UK, Europe and Latin America.

Previously, Kevin was Vice President at MTV Networks Asia where he managed the regional Advertising Sales / Sponsorship teams selling 360 degree solutions to global advertisers across TV, internet, print, mobile, licensing, and on the ground events.

Kevin was the founder and CEO of iamasia (Interactive Audience Measurement Asia), the internet ratings leader in Greater China and the first company to independently measure and monitor the Chinese Internet Audience. iamasia was named the ‘best new face’ at Internet World Asia in 2001.  iamasia measured panels of over 100,000 internet users in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan and had a partnership with Video-Research Netcom in Japan.  iamasia also pioneered online advertising effectiveness measurement in Asia in partnership with Doubleclick Media and tracked publisher statistics via a partnership with BPA.

As an early pioneer in market research in China, he was one of the initial members of the team at what would later become AC Nielsen China. Kevin then set up Taylor Nelson Sofres in China where as Managing Director he oversaw the growth of the company into the leader in consumer panels, TV audience measurement, advertising, and customized research.
Kevin served on the Board of Directors of the IAB in Hong Kong where he chaired the measurements and standards committee. He is a graduate of Duke University.  Kevin is one of the founders of Web Wednesday Singapore (www.webwednesday.com.sg)

Kevin can be reached at ktan@adify.com

Grant Watts, CEO, DMS Group, has over 17 years of sales, marketing and general management experience in the media and technology industries in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Middle East.

Grant is responsible for driving strategy and further developing DMS’ operations across Asia through its four operating companies – ADMAX Network, ADMAXPlus (Syndacast.com), Impaq Interactive and MediaPlus.

From 2005 until 2008, Grant was the General Manager of Microsoft’s MSN and Windows Live businesses across Southeast Asia. He was responsible for meeting the demanding challenges and complex needs of Microsoft’s Windows Live and MSN customers and partners across the region, whilst assisting them to realize their full potential with the use of Microsoft’s portfolio of software solutions.

Prior to his appointment as General Manager, Grant was Sales and Marketing Manager at Microsoft’s MSN operation. During his tenure, he transformed the business from a startup to its current position as a leader in the Southeast Asia online media industry.

Grant began his career in outdoor media based in Sweden and has held a number of executive level positions, including Sales Director for Yahoo Southeast Asia.

Jarek Ziebinski takes up the post as President of Leo Burnett & Arc Asia Pacific commencing June, 2009. 

Jarek is a 23 year veteran of the advertising and marketing industry.  He has been with Leo Burnett for 14 years.  Before coming to Asia, Jarek was Chairman and CEO of Leo Burnett Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) since 2001.  During his tenure, Jarek expanded the geographical footprint of the agency from 11 to 16 countries, employing a total of 1,400 employees. Over the last three years alone, he has increased the region’s consolidated revenue by over 60% and doubled revenue in Russia.  Under his leadership, Leo Burnett agencies in CEE were named Agency of the Year 42 times in their respective countries, garnering a total of 13 Cannes Lions and 1,451 creative awards.

Jarek was CEO of Leo Burnett Poland from 1996 to 2001.  During which, the agency had seen rapid growth and development including a 500 percent revenue increase, growth from 40 to 200 employees, and an increase to $100 million in gross billings.   It was ranked the world’s most-awarded agencies in the 2001 Gunn Report, marking the first time a Polish agency has ever been included among the top 50. 

Jarek also contributed significantly to the development of advertising industry in Central and Eastern Europe.  He was founder and the first president of the Polish Advertising Agencies Association, founder of the Polish Creative Directors Club, as well as founder and President of the Jury of Polish EFFIE Awards. 

Jarek’s successes as a manager and a personality in the advertising industry have earned him multiple awards.  He was named “Man of the Year” in the advertising industry and also “Ad Man of the Decade in Poland” by Marketing Serwis—one of Poland’s most prestigious marketing magazines.