DDB Group SG names new strategy chief

DDB Group Singapore has appointed Siyuan Aw (pictured) as its new chief strategy officer. Aw will take on the role immediately and will work alongside the agency's CEO, Jeff Cheong, to lead the group’s strategic leadership and to grow new and existing client business. He will take over the role from David Shaw who helmed the role from 2017 to 2020.  

In his new role,  Aw will be responsible for shaping DDB Group Singapore’s multi -category, performance-minded strategic approach across all business solutions. He will join the executive team to fuel the delivery of Total Experience (TX) which is DDB’s proprietary suite of core consulting practices that help clients innovate beyond the expectations of a creative agency. 

Hailing from Singapore, Aw has 18 years of experience in the industry and was most recently the strategy chief at BBH Shanghai, where he led an award-winning team of strategists. Before this, Aw held senior strategy positions at Ogilvy London and Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore where he worked with a number of global brands across a wide range of sectors. Some of the brands he worked with include Audi, MINI, Google, Oppo, Ikea, Burberry, Martell, Guinness, Airbnb, Unilever and Philips.

Don't miss: David Tang relinquishes DDB Asia chief role, leaves agency after 25 years

“Siyuan has an impressive track record and global experience to expand our line-up of new categories of businesses. We are very excited to welcome him into the fold and double down on our strategic offering and products that upholds our reputation as one of the most effective agencies in Singapore,” said Cheong. 

DDB Group Singapore continued by saying that Aw is an avid filmmaker and painter in his spare time and that he is a big champion of sustainability in the workplace. 

“I’m delighted to be joining DDB at a time of great growth. The agency is expanding, and the energy is buzzing. I look forward to working closely with out teams and clients to roll out exciting, effective work,” said Aw.

The news comes just days after it was revealed that DDB Asia CEO David Tang will be leaving the global network. Tang has been CEO of DDB Singapore for 20 years before transitioning the role to Cheong in 2022. Together with Neil Johnson, they have built DDB Singapore to become a formidable agency. Over the last seven years, Tang has also led DDB Asia. 

Commenting on his departure, Tang said, “Once in a lifetime, passion and perseverance come together. I was at the right place, at the right time. Truly, I want to thank a generation of talent which includes clients and colleagues who have become friends. They have been great to work with and they made the work great. They were a wonderful, hardworking bunch. Now I’m moving on, with faith and hope, to the next chapter of my lifetime.”

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