Kasper Aakerlund exits UM APAC

Kasper Aakerlund (pictured) has parted ways with Universal McCann (UM) APAC. In a statement to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Leigh Terry, CEO IPG Mediabrands APAC said "We are grateful for Aakerlund’s contributions and dedication during his tenure at IPG Mediabrands and UM. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

Aakerlund has led a distinguished career in the industry, leading consultancy, advertising, media, mobile, martech and programmatic operations. At UM, he was in charge of accelerating growth and integration for UM APAC where he served as president for just over six years, starting in August 2018. 

In 2016, he assumed the role of CEO at IPG Mediabrands, based in Hong Kong. During his two years there, Aakerlund spearheaded and transformed IPG's media and digital companies including UM, Initiative, Reprise, Cadreon and Society. Some of his key achievements include winning over 33 new clients over the first 18 months, according to his LinkedIn. 

Don't miss: IPG Mediabrands appoints James Hawkins in newly created role 

Prior to that, he was chief operating officer and chief digital information officer at GroupM, based in Vietnam and Indonesia. In those roles he cultivated partnerships with general management, digital investment and business development, relaunched GroupM's programmatic business unit, spearheaded mobile performance marketing unit and drove digital operational business amongst others. 

Aakerlund also took on numerous roles across various agencies in his career, including CEO and head of Isobar Nordic, member of the board of directors at Dentsu Aegis Network, chief digital officer at Carat, CEO at Suddenly CPH and digital planner at OMD Denmark. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Aakerlund for a statement. 

The industry has seen plenty of exits at the start of 2025, with another notable departure being GroupM SEA CEO Himanshu Shekhar who is stepping down from the role after two decades with the firm. Shekhar held the role of CEO of SEA since May 2023, in which he has proven a track record with a depth of experience and industry relationships that is second to none in the Indonesia market. 

Meanwhile, IPG Mediabrands has also named James Hawkins its chief client officer. In the newly created role, Hawkins will be focused on delivering innovative and exceptional client experiences in a rapidly evolving media landscape, Terry told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. 

Hawkins is an industry leader with two decades of experience across both media and creative agencies. Most recently, he was the CEO of PHD Asia Pacific where he helmed the role for six years. 

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