James Hawkins steps down as PHD APAC CEO | News

James Hawkins, the chief government for PHD in Asia Pacific, has resigned from his function, Marketing campaign has realized. 

Marketing campaign understands Hawkins’ departure after shut to 6 years on the company took employees without warning when he knowledgeable them this week. 

There isn’t any quick alternative for Hawkins, who Marketing campaign understands will not be serving his six-month gardening go away. Within the interim, Tony Harradine, CEO of Omnicom Media Group APAC, will oversee PHD in APAC and work with Man Marks, the worldwide CEO of PHD. 

When reached by Marketing campaign, OMG confirmed Hawkins’ departure. 

“We want to thank James for his contributions in the direction of PHD’s success in Asia Pacific,” mentioned Harradine. “These achievements kind a stable basis for the company to construct upon whereas leveraging the company as a platform mannequin to chart its future on this evolving media panorama. We want James all the perfect in his endeavours.” 

Hawkins mentioned: “I really feel privileged to have contributed to the wealthy PHD legacy and achieved a lot with the model in Asia Pacific. Now we have constantly punched approach past our weight in new enterprise, world awards and stand-out shopper satisfaction.

“I’m immensely happy with what we now have achieved collectively throughout my tenure, from successful new enterprise, strengthening present shopper relationships to seeing progress throughout all key areas together with enterprise, creativity, effectiveness and DEI. It has been an unimaginable journey and I go away behind an company that’s going from power to power. I want crucial asset, the individuals, all the easiest.” 

Hawkins joined PHD in October 2018 from Dentsu the place he was chief digital officer and managing director for APAC at Dentsu X. Whereas at Dentsu, he was named in Marketing campaign’s 40 below 40 in 2014. Hawkins spent seven years at Dentsu in Singapore after becoming a member of from DGM Asia.

At PHD, Hawkins taken care of 16 markets and was assisted by Imogen Bourke, APAC technique director, Amy Donovan, APAC chief shopper officer; and Sam Piller, APAC and world shopper chief. 

In 2023, PHD gained key accounts like Visa in New Zealand and retained main shoppers like HSBC and SAIC Volkswagen. Nonetheless, the company misplaced shoppers equivalent to Unilever and Google in Australia and New Zealand.