Dentsu Aegis’ Nick Waters moves to London

Dentsu Aegis Network has appointed Takaki Hibino as executive chairman of Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific, as regional lead Nick Waters (pictured) moves to London to take on the role of executive chairman of Dentsu Aegis Network UK and Ireland.Both roles will be effective from February 2019.Hibino’s experience spans over 35 years at Dentsu Inc. during this time he managed major global clients such as Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Shiseido, and was appointed executive officer of Dentsu Inc. in 2014.He spent time in Singapore between 2016 and 2018 as CEO of Dentsu Brand Agencies Asia Pacific and Global Brand President of dentsu X (formerly Dentsu Media). Takaki led the rebrand of Dentsu Media to dentsu X and initiated the expansion of dentsu X to the EMEA region.Hibino said, “I’m excited to be taking on the role to lead the regional business in such a fast growing and diverse region. I travelled around Asia Pacific when I was based in Singapore and was inspired by the strong talent within the business. I look forward to working with everyone in the region to take Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific on its next journey.”While Nick Waters was CEO, the APAC business grew rapidly as a result of the acquisition of Aegis media by Dentsu and several subsequent acquisitions. During his tenure the APAC region added scale, quality and new capabilities to the company, becoming a market leading business with over 60% of revenues derived from digital activities.Waters said, “After nine years leading the business in Asia Pacific, it is time for me to do something different. To lead Dentsu Aegis Network in my home country - our second largest market globally, is a great opportunity for me. I thank all the tremendous people who have given me support over so many years. Together we have created a great business in the region, built through the hard work of an outstanding leadership team and many talented people across the business. Hibino-san has been a great colleague, is a top man, and will continue to take the company forward.”