Bala Pomaleh takes on new role at Dentsu

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Dentsu has appointed Bala Pomaleh as CEO, media, dentsu Malaysia. Effective 3 March 2025, Pomaleh will report to Audrey Chong, CEO, dentsu Malaysia.

With 20 years of management experience under his belt, Pomaleh returns to dentsu after close to nine years at IPG Mediabrands, where he was pivotal in establishing the network as its CEO. Prior to that, he was with Carat Malaysia, part of dentsu media brands, for four years.

Audrey Chong, CEO, Dentsu Malaysia, said, “There is no better leader to take on this elevated role as CEO of our Media business in Malaysia than Pomaleh. As a well-respected and award-winning industry veteran, he combines acute business acumen with a grounded passion for talent development. I am therefore delighted to welcome him back to the dentsu network where he will undoubtedly be a transformational force for our clients and our people.”

Pomaleh added, "It is great to be able to come back to the familiar sense of excellence and community that make up the very essence of our dentsu network. This is a winning formula that sets dentsu Malaysia apart as we continue to innovate to impact our clients, our people and our society in an ever-changing landscape. I can’t wait to break new grounds together with our one integrated dentsu team going forward.”

According to the agency, Pomaleh’s appointment comes on the back of a strong 2025 kick off for dentsu Malaysia following a transformative year in 2024. The network is expected to further scale its journey of integration and innovation as it anchors its full leadership bench strength in the market led by Chong, and now bolstered by practice leaders such as Pomaleh, in his role as CEO, media, and Uday Desai, with his recent appointment as managing director, creative, dentsu Malaysia.

Chong added, “We are building a future-ready agency of tomorrow so that we can be the game-changing partner for our clients today. As we continue to push the boundaries of innovation and excellence, I am excited that we have a reinforced leadership team that will take dentsu Malaysia to new heights for our clients while staying committed to nurturing our talents to be the future of our industry.”

The Malaysia market has seen a fair bit of shuffle in the senior leadership teams.

Most recently, Omnicom Media Group (OMG) Malaysia named Winnie Chen-Head as its new chief executive officer. She was previously managing director, Media, dentsu Malaysia, overseeing its agency brands.

Meanwhile, Publicis Groupe appointed Amit Sutha as its Malaysia CEO. He will report to Publicis Groupe Singapore and Southeast Asia CEO, Amrita Randhawa and be fully responsible for all the operations of Publicis Groupe in the Malaysia market, from creative to media, influence, production, commerce, data, tech and clients.

Also, IPG Mediabrands named Darren Yuen, former CEO Initiative Malaysia, to the elevated role of CEO IPG Mediabrands Malaysia. Yuen is an industry leader with 27 years media experience, including eight years within the IPG Mediabrands Malaysia network.

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