VaynerMedia APAC names Tim Lindley managing director as Avery Akkineni moves to VaynerX

VaynerMedia APAC has appointed Tim Lindley (pictured left) to managing director of its APAC region, as Avery Akkineni (pictured right) relocates back to the US to take on a new role within VaynerX. The move comes two years establishing after Akkineni first set up the offices in Asia to grow the APAC operations.

Meanwhile, Lindley has been working alongside Akkineni as the head of insights and strategy at the agency, where he led the division and oversaw a range of clients, including YouTube, SK-II, Prudential, Subway, Google, Maybank, Glico, Tipco, and more. In his new role, Lindley will be responsible for overseeing client relations and business operations, as well as further driving growth for VaynerMedia APAC.

Lindley brings over 15 years of marketing leadership from client and agency roles. Prior to VaynerMedia, Lindley held several senior roles at Red Bull before joining BBH to found Black Sheep Studios, a global social, content, and entertainment division headquartered in Singapore. He began his career at Sony Music Entertainment in the UK.

“I am humbled to be appointed as VaynerMedia apac’s managing director,” said Lindley. “There is something truly special about this place. We have a brilliant team across the region who bring passion, innovation, and diversity of thinking to our work. I haven't felt this energised and on the pulse of culture since I joined Red Bull many years ago. I am so proud of what this team has achieved in a short period of time. Together, we are thrilled about the next phase of learning, growth, and the culture-defining work that we are creating in partnership with our wonderful clients,” he added.

Lindley will report to CEO and co-founder Gary Vaynerchuk and will assume his new role in July.

“Since opening up our doors in Singapore two years ago, VaynerMedia has grown exponentially in the APAC region,” said Vaynerchuk. “Lindley has been an integral part of that growth over the last seven months. He has a deep understanding of our integrated model of creative and media and has also demonstrated great leadership qualities, so it seemed natural for him to take over the role of managing director. I look forward to working closely with Lindley to continue to drive growth in the region,” he added.

Vaynerchuk also thanked Akkineni for setting up the APAC leadership team. ‘I am so thankful to Akkineni for building VaynerMedia APAC into a successful and thriving operation in such a short period of time. With a stellar APAC leadership team in place, I look forward to working with her on an exciting new opportunity,’ added Vaynerchuk.

Meanwhile, Akkineni also shared her highlights working in Asia Pacific with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE in an exclusive interview:

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What has your experience been like working in APAC?

The past 24 months in APAC have been incredible. I've had the privilege of working with leading marketers in this region, across strategic, creative, media, and production work streams. We've opened offices in Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok, Sydney, and more. Most importantly, the ultimate experience has been building a diverse regional agency culture with world-class talent. I am incredibly proud of our team, and what we've built together. It's just the beginning for VMAPAC. On a personal level, I've made some incredible friends, and met super interesting people in Singapore, and I look forward to those relationships continuing over time. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What did you set out to achieve and have you achieved it?

We set out to build the "agency for the now" in Singapore, and quickly realised we needed to broaden our view and set up regional capabilities. Our initial goal was to extend our North American relationships into APAC, but instead we have had great interest from leading global and local brands based out of Asia. We have far exceeded our expectations in terms of team size and work output, which is a testament to the outstanding talent and client partners we have here in APAC.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What can we expect next from you?

I will remain a part of the VaynerX network. Gary Vaynerchuk and I have been working on something exciting, which we will announce soon.

What have you learnt from working in APAC and what surprised you?
Working in different parts of the world creates a fresh perspective and opens your eyes to different ways of doing things. It's hard to pinpoint specific change as it's been a constant learning curve over the past two years, but I've learned so much from my clients, team members and friends here that will stay with me forever.