Publicis Media Malaysia strengthens leadership with new CEO and Performics MD

Publicis Media Malaysia has appointed Kristine Ong (pictured) as CEO, effective 2 January 2025. Ong will report directly to Ian Loon, chief transformation officer and CEO of media & digital at Publicis Groupe Singapore/Southeast Asia. Ong, a veteran with over 30 years in Malaysia's media and business sectors, has held key positions at various entities including Initiative, Starcom Worldwide, Leo Burnett and Ogilvy & Mather. 

Most recently she was the chief client officer at Mindshare. Prior to which, she was chief strategy and planning officer, Astro Media Solutions as well as vice president, Astro Media Solutions at Astro. 

Her appointment is viewed by Publicis Groupe as a strategic move to bolster the agency's leadership. 

Under Ong's leadership, the company aims to sustain its ranking and anticipate that her strategic direction will drive continued success and further position Malaysia as a vital business hub in Southeast Asia. 

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In conjunction with Ong’s new role, Sujith Rao (pictured below) has been appointed as managing director of Performics Malaysia, also effective 2 January 2025.

This move is part of a broader strategy to advance Performics' capabilities in data-driven and commerce-focused solutions. According to Publicis Media Malaysia, since joining the group in 2022, Rao has significantly contributed to enhancing its commerce capabilities.

Before joining the group, Rao held the positions of managing director at Reprise Digital and vice president - digital analytics at IPG Mediabrands, where he also served as senior director, director and associate director. According to his LinkedIn, Rao started his career as senior manager analytics at Travelguru.com and head of analaytics at CBAZAAR. 

These appointments coincide with the conclusion of Ranganathan Somanathan’s tenure as interim CEO and advisor, ending 31 December 2024. During his time, Somanathan focused on ensuring stability and promoting growth within the agency, with noted achievements along the way.

"Strong leadership has resulted in three years of acceleration, positioning us as the largest media agency group in Malaysia," said Loon.  He emphasised Malaysia's growing role as a regional client hub and a crucial digital delivery center for areas spanning Malaysia, Singapore, and Southeast Asia.

"Our clients' growth remains our priority," Loon added, highlighting the contributions of Ong, Rao, and their team in these developments.

Meanwhile, earlier in November this year, Kenvue, the consumer arm previously part of Johnson & Johnson, has concluded its APAC media pitch appointing Publicis Media as its media agency.

The pitch which was called earlier in 2024, saw the account move from IPG to Publicis Media. A+M also understands that R3 was handling the pitch. 

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