PHD Indonesia hires Surya Soni as new managing director

PHD Indonesia has appointed Surya Soni as its new managing director. Soni brings over 22 years of media and marketing experience to his new role, including over eight years in Indonesia. Soni will be succeeding former general manager Shailesh Waingankar who helmed the role for three months, before joining Nielsen. Prior to Waingankar, Nadia Zain was PHD Indonesia’s GM, and she joined Facebook early this year.

Meanwhile, incoming managing director Soni is no stranger in the advertising and marketing industry. His previous roles spanned across several of the large agency networks in both Indonesia and India, including Mediacom, UM, Zenith Optimedia and Mindshare. He brings a wealth of experience in managing blue-chip clients, having previously led the P&G business for over four years at Mediacom Indonesia, as well as start-ups and tech platforms born in the digital economy.

According to PHD, Soni also brings invaluable knowledge of the telecom sector, having worked for the likes of Vodafone and Idea Cellular within India’s competitive mobile market. He was last with NAVA+, a Jakarta based integrated marketing communications and activations group, where he led the vertical in digital monetisation, insights and media.

Soni said that PHD’s innovative approach to comms planning, as well as the Group’s impressive Omni platform allows the agency to come up with truly out-of-the-box media thinking for its clients. “The agency’s product and talent have already earned a strong name in the Indonesian market, and I’m excited to be part of their continued success story,” he added.

Rajat Basra, CEO of Omnicom Media Group Indonesia, said Soni’s unique career history, starting from a rich media background to recently leading digital transformation and monetisation for companies of all sizes, makes him an incredible source of inspiration – for both the agency’s clients and its people. “His experience in Indonesia has provided him with strong knowledge of the local market dynamics and culture. We are excited to have him onboard as we continue to charter new directions for our clients in a rapidly changing landscape, ensuring we provide them with the best skills and leadership to future-proof their businesses,” he added.

Earlier this year in March, cosmetic manufacturer Paragon Technology & Innovation appointed PHD Indonesia to manage the digital planning and buying duties for its Emina and Make Over beauty brands. The appointment came following a pitch held in December 2019. Big Evo was the incumbent on the the digital accounts for both brands, and held the accounts for three years.

According to Paragon, PHD's digital capabilities and media creativity were cited as key drivers of its appointment. In a statement to Marketing Interactive, Amalia Sarah Santi, VP of marketing investment and digital transformation at Paragon Technology & Innovation said the company was looking for a media partner which can enhance its online presence and take its brands to the next level of success in an increasingly digital world.

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