UM names Ben Crawford as new CEO for Greater China

UM, a full-service media and marketing solutions agency within IPG Mediabrands, has appointed Ben Crawford (pictured) as CEO for Greater China. Crawford will report directly to Melinda Po, CEO of IPG Mediabrands Greater China, and Kasper Aakerlund, regional president, UM APAC.

With 20 years’ experience in media and advertising, and a background spanning communications planning, media trading, and marketing and business consulting, across all aspects of the marketing funnel from brand to performance, hr has excelled in matching UM’s data driven capabilities with clients’ growth ambitions.

In his new role, Crawford will lead the Greater China team to provide clients with best-in-class integrated offerings across media, creative and consulting to help them navigate the evolving media ecosystem, and to accelerate digital transformation for UM to future-proof growth in the Greater China market.

He has been with the IPG Mediabrands network since 2016 and his previous role was chief client officer of UM APAC. 

Passionate about tailoring agency capabilities to client challenges/opportunities, Crawford is a visionary consultant for senior marketing stakeholders across the APAC region.

He has been instrumental in building advertising solutions and service models across brands in a range of key categories, and has successfully formed effective partnership throughout his journey with Mediabrands across iconic brands, such as American Express, Spotify, Dyson, Mattel, Johnson and Johnson, Shangri-La, and Netflix, according to the release. 

Melinda Po, CEO of IPG Mediabrands Greater China said: “I am delighted to introduce Crawford to UM Greater China and entrust him with the responsibility of managing this rapidly expanding market. We will make the most of his skills and vast experience in establishing fruitful collaborations with clients."

"Crawford's dedication to enhancing business growth, profound understanding of the media landscape, and enthusiasm for driving digital transformation perfectly align with our objectives of fostering growth for our clients and achieving our own business aspirations in Greater China,” Po added.

Crawford said: “I am super excited to partner with Melinda, the Mediabrands leadership team and marketers across Greater China as I bring my passion for business growth, customised marketing solutions, and digital innovation to the role."

"In this fast-moving media and marketing environment, I see significant growth opportunities for both UM Clients’ brands and the UM business. Having worked across Asia for some time, I have a strong affinity for the region and look forward to diving deep into local culture while leading and supporting our teams in navigating one of the most agile advertising environments," he added.

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