Publicis Groupe names new chief creative officer for APAC

Publicis Groupe has appointed Natalie Lam as its chief creative officer for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. In this newly-created role, Lam (pictured) will be leading Publicis Groupe's agenda across Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa when it comes to creativity, with an oversight over the creative product. She will also be managing and activating the creative community across the region. Lam will focus on driving impact for clients through "disruptive, dynamic creative offering", the agency said. She will be based across Singapore and Hong Kong, reporting to Loris Nold, CEO Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Publicis Groupe.

Lam is said to bring a "unique combination" of creative leadership, experience, craft and having worked across the US and Asia. Most recently, she was at Google in New York, leading the creative team for art, copy and code. Lam has also worked with many other agencies, taking on roles such as regional creative director with Ogilvy, creative director for the Nike brand at R/GA, as well as executive creative director at McCann Worldgroup and US creative agency Razorfish. Over the years, she has worked on many global brands including Coke, Mercedes, Spotify, Nike and Instagram. 

Lam said she is "extremely honored and excited" to be taking on the role, terming the position as a "once-in-a-lifetime dream role". "In my year-long discussion with Nold, I was impressed with the breadth and depth of the Groupe’s offerings and ambition, the region’s endless possibilities, and the incredible opportunity to work with the amazing talent pool in the network. Being a New Yorker from Hong Kong, I appreciate the beauty of diverse cultures and the changes that shape our lives everyday around the world. I’m excited to join the dynamic community in the region and create work that’s modern, relevant, touches lives in positive ways and moves brands forward," she added.

Nold also said that he is thrilled to have Lam join the network, adding that there is so much ambition for its clients, creative community and the network in the region itself. "There is no doubt in my mind that Lam is the best talent for this critical role as she brings a unique combination of global and regional experience, world class experience and craft.” Nold added. 

Lam's appointment comes just a couple of months after changes in its leadership teams across the APAC markets for Publicis Groupe. Most recently, its Malaysian market saw the exit of its CEO Tan Kien Eng, with Neil Hudspeth taking over Tan's position. Similarly in Indonesia, Publicis Groupe named Sony Nichani CEO, replacing Brian Capel. In the same region, Publicis appointed Anthony Wong to another newly-created role of chief client officer, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. Based in Singapore, Wong leads the agency's agenda for clients' transformation in the region, building new solutions for them and tapping on the agency's talents and capabilities to implement innovative products. Hudspeth, Nichani, and Wong all report to Nold in their current positions.

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