Omnicom Media Group names Chloe Neo Singapore CEO

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Omnicom Media Group (OMG) Singapore has promoted Chloe Neo (pictured) to the role of CEO, effective immediately. According to OMG, Neo's promotion is an acknowledgement of her stellar track record for nurturing strong client relationships, elevating the agency's capabilities, and fostering a people-first culture within the agency network.

In her new role, she will be tasked with overseeing all aspects of OMG Singapore's business operations, championing the group vision, building capabilities, driving greater purpose and measurable success among its agencies in Singapore namely, OMD and PHD and the group’s data and analytics division, Annalect. She will continue to report to Tony Harradine, CEO of OMG, APAC.

Neo has been with OMG for over 14 years, most recently helming the role of chief operating officer at OMG Singapore. During her time as COO, Neo established OMG Singapore and its affiliate agencies as the national and global media business partner for notable brands such as Scoot, Income, Razer, and Poh Heng, retained major accounts such as Singtel and McDonald's in multi-year partnerships, and increased Singapore's business by 30% year-on-year.

Neo told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE in an interview that her journey with OMG started when she joined OMD Singapore. "I came home to Singapore with the intent to find a network that fulfils my personal career growth while allowing me to pursue my family plans. I’m glad and blessed that I have found it in Omnicom Media Group," she said. Neo added that OMG has celebrated her growth as a whole person and empowered her to be a positive influence within the organisation and contribute to the greater industry. Neo was also appointed the first VP of the Association of Advertising and Marketing Singapore in 2020.

Harradine said that Neo has shown her unrelenting commitment to bringing transformative momentum to OMG Singapore over the years. "She is a visionary leader, one with a strong track record of accelerating growth and expanding the agency network capabilities into one of the best in the market. Guided by empathy for her team and a passion for fostering rewarding client relationships, I am confident in Neo’s ability to steer OMG Singapore towards a new era of growth," he added.

Future initiatives

This year, Neo plans to kick off the leadership theme of being intentional where urgent operational demands will get the best of the agency's attention. She also aims to balance the intent to fly the plane to "scale greater height while it's passing through all weathers". "Being intentional is about bringing back our focus to prioritise fewer, bigger, and bolder. Be even more present for our people and create an environment for them to thrive. Be anticipating and see the opportunity for our clients to unlock their growth and our joint ambition," Neo explained.

On trends in the marketing and advertising scene, Neo said she is happy to see DEI, as well as wellness and sustainability, becoming more than a boardroom conversation. These "current world and essential themes" are now penetrating the marketing and advertising ecosystem - from brand beliefs, audience segmentation, and passion marketing to last-mile ad delivery, and how the ad is designed, produced and delivered.

Specifically, in the Singapore market, Neo is excited about the post-pandemic optimism with the liberation of safety measures and cross-border travel. She said that she is thrilled by the prospect that brands that have navigated the pandemic well, are emerging stronger with purpose than before. "I believe in brands that are conscientious in brand building and strategic advertising to build meaningful brand-consumer connections. In this post-pandemic era, purposeful advertising will be the call of the day. Brands that seek to grow stronger and prevail in the next decade should take ownership of their brand and purpose right now," she added.

Meanwhile, other trends she plans to keep an eye on include the metaverse, NFTs, the cookieless world, the expansion of commerce with livestreaming, the creator economy, responsible marketing, brand safety and governance.

Separately, OMG promoted Eileen Ooi to CEO of Malaysia in February this year, also reporting Harradine and will officially assume her role immediately. Like Neo, Ooi was previously COO of Malaysia, a role she was elevated to last February.

Meanwhile, OMG also elevated Kiron Kesav, PHD Malaysia's GM, to OMG Malaysia's chief strategy officer in January. In his new role, Kesav guides OMG’s agencies towards pushing forward its strategic planning products, business solutions for clients, and thought leadership and innovations for the network. According to the agency, his promotion will provide the agency with the expertise needed to serve its clients and create a positive impact for the agency locally and regionally.

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