Edelman makes senior hires across APAC to strengthen digital capabilities

Edelman has made a series of senior appointments in APAC to strengthen its digital capabilities, including two positions handling the Hong Kong and Taiwan markets, as well as the Malaysia business. 

The agency has named Yuliani Setiadi (pictured second to left) as head of digital for Hong Kong and Taiwan. Setiadi joined Edelman from Ogilvy in August, where she served as executive group director in Hong Kong and managing director for the agency’s social and martech capability in Indonesia. Edelman said with her extensive experience in building shoppable eCommerce experiences across different touchpoints, Setiadi will help establish Hong Kong as a B2C regional hub.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Wong (pictured third to right) joined the Malaysia office as head of digital in October. Wong brought extensive technical and automation experience, as well as a track record for eCommerce and digital transformation to his latest position. He arrived from OpenMinds, where he was director for digital transformation and advisory for Southeast Asia and worked for more than two years. Prior to that, he was general manager at DDB Malaysia. 

In addition, to manage the growing team’s operations across the region, Debra Ng (pictured right) returned to Edelman earlier this year to take on the role of regional digital operations manager. She is responsible for delivering digital upskilling and competency development programmes for clients.

“Each of these hires brings a deep specialism to the firm, allowing our clients to benefit from the industry’s most advanced and comprehensive practices, irrespective of which market they are in. By removing the silos of markets and specialisms, we are building a more client- and solution-centric operating model, setting ourselves and our clients up for success in a post-pandemic world,” said Stephen Kehoe, Edelman’s CEO for APAC.

The agency said these appointments work closely with its data and intelligence unit to deliver more integrated communications solutions, adding that the appointments were aimed at building on the firm’s vision for the future of communications in a post-pandemic world. This includes expanding the firm’s existing offerings in content creation and production, as well as adding talent in the areas of social commerce, paid and performance marketing, martech, AI, VR and 3D capabilities. 

Lastly, the agency will establish the second Edelman Studios in Taiwan, in addition to the one in India. 

“Over the course of the pandemic, we’ve seen our clients take significant steps to accelerate their digital capabilities, knowledge and skills. With these hires, we are doubling down on specialisms across the region to match the evolving needs of our clients, helping them create more compelling content, facilitate digital transformation, and leverage the growth of eCommerce and digital storytelling,” added Kehoe. 

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