PHD promotes Michael Lee as digital GM, makes other major senior appointments

PHD has promoted Michael Lee (pictured left) to the newly-created role of general manager of digital, and appointed Lawrence Cheung (pictured right) and Rick Ying (pictured middle) as managing partner and strategy director respectively, boosting its local leadership team strength.

Lee was previously head of digital at PHD, where he transformed PHD Hong Kong's digital practice, leading to the retention of key account Unilever and the global wins of HSBC and Chanel. At his new role as digital general manager, Lee will further strengthen the agency's operation, nurture talents, and align the team with the agency's vision by delivering disproportionate growth for brands.

“As the fastest-growing agency in the market, we continue to invest in our team to drive fast growth for our clients. We look forward to the future of Hong Kong with Lee's strong knowledge and extensive experience to lead the team as general manager of digital," said James Hawkins, CEO of PHD APAC. 

To further grow the team’s strength, Cheung joins PHD as managing partner, overseeing the local Hong Kong HSBC team's business operations and client relations. With over 25 years of experience handling blue-chip international clients, including Richemont, McDonalds, UBS, and Merrill Lynch, Cheung is definitely a seasoned media veteran. His last assignment was as business director at IPG, working on Deliveroo, Carlsberg, Pfizer, and Lego.

Meanwhile, Ying returns to PHD as strategy director, where he started as a senior planner ten years ago. Ying is equipped with over 12 years of strategic planning experience across Unilever, Ferrero, and L’Oréal. Recently Ying was assistant general manager of digital marketing for K11 Concepts. 

"We are thrilled to welcome Cheung and have Ying back to the team. Both of whom have proven success in driving long-term customer results. With Cheung's solid media and client relations and Ying's dynamic strategic history, we further cement our team's strength in the marketplace," Hawkins said. 

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