dentsu elevates Merlee Jayme to APAC creative chief

Dentsu International has appointed Merlee Jayme as chief creative officer, Asia Pacific, overseeing its creative and experience agencies in the region, effective immediately. These agencies include Isobar, dentsumcgarrybowen, and creative agencies under the house of dentsu, such as dentsu One, dentsu Webchutney and Taproot dentsu. She will report to Jean Lin, global CEO, dentsu Creative and Ashish Bhasin, CEO, dentsu Asia Pacific. 

Jayme will continue as part of the core team in the global creative experience council at dentsu and sponsor of the region’s diversity, equity and inclusion programme. She joined the group through dentsu's acquisition of her creative agency, JaymeSyfu, in 2015 and was previously dentsumcgarrybowen’s global co-president when the group merged dentsu and mcgarrybowen last year. 

Jayme said: "My global role at dentsumcgarrybowen has opened my eyes to the integrated opportunities we can create to push creativity and innovation, solving our client’s problems with all creative capabilities across dentsu." She added that she is excited to be back in her home region, working hand-in-hand with her colleagues in Asia Pacific to create work that matters to clients. 

Lin said Jayme's inclusive creative leadership, Asian roots and global experience work brilliantly to deliver idea-led transformation in Asia Pacific - one of the most vibrant playgrounds for business creativity. "We have an ambitious plan for Asia Pacific and are thrilled to have Jayme focus on the region she calls home," she added.

Bhasin added that Jayme's creative ability speaks for itself and when the opportunity arose to give her a broader remit across the region, it was a no-brainer. "Her entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and innate ability to get the best out of the people she works with make her truly unique, and I am excited to see her instill further excellence across our agencies and unleash the potential of our creative business, driving deeper connections with our clients and the consumers they’re talking with," he said.

When Jayme was promoted to co-lead dentsumcgarrybowen last year, she said the team is excited about the evolution and looks forward to entering this new chapter with its teams worldwide. Meanwhile, the JaymeSyfu Group is based in the Philippines and joined forces with Dentsu Philippines in 2015 following the acquisition. Since then, it has bagged accounts including Unilever.

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