Publicis SG bolsters strategy team on the back of 39 new account wins in 2019

Publicis Communications Singapore has made a number of hires to boost the strength of its strategic planning group. Belinda Green has been appointed as the group planning director. She last served as the APAC head of strategy at Dentsu Aegis Singapore and Gyro. Green has 20 years of experience, as a copywriter, creative director, university lecturer, and strategist across digital, media, B2B, and creative agencies.Meanwhile, Ali Rezgui is the second group planning director the agency hires. He joins from Publicis Sapient NY where he was a strategy director. With extensive experience in the Middle East, Thailand, and the US, Rezgui  is said to havea strategic foundation in brand and communications, with experience in leading digital business transformation for clients. “This combination of strengths will make him a key catalyst as Publicis Communications Singapore continues to drive towards the most cutting-edge brand and marketing solutions for its clients,” the agency said.Grace Fung joins the strategic planning group as a planning director, coming to Singapore from Havas Worldwide NY. Fung has a strong grounding in media strategy through her work with Zenith Media and Mediaedge: CIA in NY, and more than ten years’ experience in brand and communications strategy, in both Hong Kong and NY, with JWT, Publicis, Bates 141, BBDO, and TBWA/Chiat Day. As a strategic partner for a number of key clients, Fung will play a leadership role within the agency in raising the bar on overall strategic quality and integration.Paul Yap, Christina Tien, and Ayden Koh have all become new members of the strategic planning group after recently graduating from an intensive data science program with general assembly. As junior planners and data scientists, this impressive trio represents a new approach to working with data at Publicis. While fully integrated as partners within different strategy teams, the trio will contribute to strategic development on various accounts, but will bring their specific data science skills and approach to the table for innovative use of data towards solving clients’ business and marketing challenges.In a statement to Marketing, the agency said the hires were made due to the 39 new business wins since January – including Health Promotion Board, Emirates Airlines, and Yili. “Publicis Communications is enhancing its ability to deliver an alchemy of data and creativity to aid clients in their marketing transformation. The newly strengthened strategy team is set to act as an accelerator to realise Publicis’ vision of helping its clients to become and remain leaders in their categories,” the agency said.“Off the back of an unprecedented and diverse breadth of 39 new business wins across Publicis Communications, we’ve chosen to invest in building one of the strongest  senior strategy teams in APAC, giving us an unfair advantage in helping all our clients succeed in their marketing transformation,” said Lou Dela Pena, CEO of Publicis Communications Singapore.“Simply maintaining the strongest strategy department in the Singapore market wasn’t enough because our clients are increasingly ambitious in looking to build regional and global brands. They deserve a world-class team and these  hires are a big step towards achieving this,” Ed Booty, APAC CSO, Publicis.