DARKHORSE expands into Asia with slew of leadership appointments

Brand experience and communications agency DARKHORSE has accelerated its growth into Asia with a series of new appointments. The agency has appointed Guilet Libby (pictured left) as group creative director and Leah O'Brien (pictured center) as director of experiential. At the same time, it promoted Kate Goddard (pictured right) to business director. 

The group's respective backgrounds - advertising, experiential, content and digital, and media, social and influencers - further fortify DARKHORSE's position as a truly integrated agency that breaks through traditional silos, according to a statement seen by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.

Libby joins DARKHORSE from distillery where he served as creative director for four years. His past experiences include senior copywriter at dentsu Creative, as well as concept creative copywriter at Leo Burnett. He has worked with global brands such as Bridgestone, Samsung, Midea and Google. 

Meanwhile, O'Brien's career included roles with Jack Morton Worldwide in Singapore as well as Seven West Media and Westfield in Perth, Australia. O'Brien also worked at Australia's largest media company George P Johnson Australia and New Zealand, and at Lux Events where she helmed the role of senior and executive producer respectively. 

Don't miss: DARKHORSE makes new hire as it looks to build up APAC footprint 

In tandem, Goddard's promotion comes after she served as an account director for over a year at DARKHORSE. Prior to this, she took on the role of account director at George P Johnson Experience Marketing and regional creative program lead, APAC for Facebook at social media giant Meta. Goddard also has experience across several agencies including M&C Saatchi World Services, R/GA, MediaMonks, Jack Morton Worldwide and Colenso BBDO. 

Together with the regional team, Libby, O'Brien and Goddard will work across DARKHORSE's portfolio of clients including Absolut, Heineken, La Mer, Louis Vuitton, Meta, Netflix, Perrier-Jouët, Sephora, Starbucks and YSL. The team has also expanded its portfolio to include Binance and Porsche following its expansion into Asia. 

For Binance, the agency’s remit involves elevating the exchange’s events and brand reputation while its work with Porsche has seen the agency produce a number of high-octane events including the launch of its all-electric vehicle at Singapore's Pasir Panjang Power Station. 

“DARKHORSE was founded thirteen years ago with ambitions of becoming a truly integrated, global agency; an intention supercharged by our 2018 acquisition by Project,” said founder and CEO Mike Hewitt.

“We’re thrilled to see the Singapore office further progress these plans through the exponential growth of our work into Asia," added Hewitt.

Chief growth officer, Asia Pacic Charles Robinson added, “these senior appointments reflect the calibre of our clients and the work that DARKHORSE delivers across the region. We are incredibly excited for the year ahead.”

These appointments come after the agency named Nicolle Jayne Sing as its business director earlier this year. Her appointment marks a key step in DARKHORSE's strategy to expand its footprint across Asia. 

In her new role, Sing will help expand and build up the agency's portfolio of clients in Asia. She will also be overseeing client relationships and ensure the delivery of integrated marketing strategies that align with client goals. 

In addition, Sing will manage cross-functional teams, drive creative development and maintain client communication. As business director, she is also tasked to identify new business opportunities, contributing to revenue growth, market positioning and long-term success. 

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