R/GA restructures Asia and Australia business

R /GA is restructuring its business in Asia and Australia to accelerate growth. The Asia region will comprise of Indonesia, China, Singapore, Tokyo and the Australia region Sydney and Melbourne.

With the reorganisation, Dorothy Peng (pictured) will take on the role of SVP, managing director, Asia and will oversee R/GA’s Singapore, Indonesia, China, and Tokyo offices. Currently, as the managing director of the Singapore office, she will work closely with the office’s leadership team to name her replacement and support the expansion of the company’s mobile practice.  Meanwhile, Michael Titshall, who was recently promoted to SVP, managing director of Australia, will continue to oversee Australia’s business, most notably its differentiating product and service offering, along with R/GA’s brand design and consulting (BDC) practice. Both Peng and Titshall will report directly to global chief executive officer, Sean Lyons.

Tuomas Peltoniemi, EVP managing director APAC, and Seamus Higgins, chief creative officer APAC, are moving on from R/GA in July.

From July onwards, Ben Miles will assume a new leadership role as VP, executive creative director. He will report to Michael Titshall and will continue to lead the BDC practice.

“Asia and Australia have been through a transformation over the past three years, led by Peltoniemi and Higgins and it's important for us to continue these efforts with a renewed focus. They have left R/GA a better place than when they started through their work, people and thought leadership. And they have done it with such passion and grace. I’m grateful for all they have done and wish them all the best on what’s next,” said global chief executive officer Sean Lyons.

Most recently, R/GA Singapore appointed Ed Cheong as ECD. Cheong was previously ECD at iris Singapore. At the same time, the agency has also appointed Joschka Wolf to the newly created role of group creative director, experience design. R/GA APAC also recently named Brady Ambler as executive strategy director of its brand design and consulting unit, where he will lead the unit's strategy arm as it expands into Southeast Asia. This latest remit is in addition to Ambler's existing role as head of strategy for R/GA's Singapore office. 

In November last year, R/GA expanded its mobile practice to Asia Pacific. Led out of Singapore by technology director Rollen Gomes, and augmented by its tech hub based in Indonesia, the expansion is part of the agency's growth plan to develop transformative mobile products for brands locally. It is also part of R/GA's plan to better serve markets on a global scale. At launch, R/GA said its mobile practice sets out to design and build category-defining mobile products and services through both native and hybrid technologies, and through this growth in Asia Pacific, R/GA will continue to cultivate best-in-class talent and deliver mobile experiences.

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