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cognitoCognito, the integrated communications specialist for the financial services and technology sectors, announced the appointment of Darrell Wright as its Regional Managing Director for Asia Pacific.

Darrell joins the firm at an exciting time in its development, as it continues to drive its business in the region, in line with consistent growth in the firm across Europe, the UK and North America. He will begin working there on December 11th, 2017.

Darrell brings with him more than 15 years of experience in communications, including a decade spent in-house in Asia at some of the world's largest financial institutions - J.P. Morgan, Barclays and The Royal Bank of Scotland. He also brings recent experience in running public relations firms in Asia and extensive knowledge of doing business in the region, where he has lived and worked for 30 years. During that time, he has spent extended periods in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.

As APAC MD, Darrell will be tasked with deepening relationships with Cognito's current client base, while aggressively adding more clients from financial institutions, technology and professional services. He will also be assessing the opportunities that exist to expand the business into new markets across Asia Pacific. Furthermore, Darrell will look to enhance the range of services currently being offered to clients in Asia, building on Cognito's established strengths in social media, content, digital marketing and stakeholder communications.

Darrell replaces Tim Williamson, who has recently left the firm to take on a new opportunity in the industry, and will be supported by the current management team for Asia that includes Prisita Menon, Charlie Morrow and Lincoln Mah.


Louis BoswellLouis Boswell has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of CASBAA.

The senior media and digital business leader will begin his tenure on 1 January 2018, succeeding outgoing CEO Christopher Slaughter.

Established in 1991, CASBAA is the principal trade association for digital multichannel TV, content, platforms, advertising and video delivery across a variety of geographic markets throughout the Asia Pacific. CASBAA’s members reach over 500 million connections within a regional footprint ranging from China to Australasia, Japan to Pakistan.

As CEO for CASBAA, Boswell will serve as the content distribution industry’s leading advocate with industry leaders and policymakers throughout Asia Pacific. In addition to driving the programs and initiatives of the Association, Boswell will work with business heads of the member organisations to shape positively the increasingly rapid evolution of the industry in the region.

Boswell’s background in Asia includes senior positions at Discovery, ESPN Star Sports, BBC, AETN All Asia Networks and, most recently, as the General Manager, Asia for Da Vinci. His experience includes leading businesses in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and all of the major markets in southeast Asia. He is an Oxford University graduate and speaks Mandarin, besides being proficient in Cantonese and Japanese.


HostingJournalist.com announced a strategic alliance agreement with OnlineTalentLab B.V. – a Dutch web development company focused on digital publishing innovation with its cross-border business operations in the Netherlands as well as Germany.

The fast-growing global daily news portal attracting targeted visitors from around the world within the cloud, hosting and data center business segment. The company’s first result of this strategic alliance with OnlineTalentLab B.V. is the re-launch of the HostingJournalist.com daily news portal, including a new logo and color schemes as well as a variety of added editorial and advertising features - with new display banner advertising as well as native advertising (content marketing) options.

Next to this new platform deployment with high levels of social media integration, the website release includes YouTube-based company video feeds. This way, HostingJournalist.com expects to further improve the overall visitor experience as well as the visitor time spent on their website. It would also provide cloud, hosting and data center industry companies the opportunity to significantly improve the visibility of their corporate videos and reach target audiences, with videos already posted on their YouTube company channels.

Founded in 2013, HostingJournalist.com is a global technology niche news portal focusing on cloud, hosting and data center services. With its daily news feed – 7 days a week, as well as in-depth interviews and opinion articles, HostingJournalist.com is aiming its highly targeted online media services at visitors around the globe. The media outlet continues to show strong readership growth across the world and has a strong geographical audience reach in the United States, Israel, and Western Europe.

The added editorial and advertising features on the re-launched HostingJournalist.com news portal further include a specific form where industry experts can upload their expert blogs; cloud, hosting and data center industry events; newsletter subscription; a searchable company directory with map visuals for data center locations (soon to launch); and more.

The strategic alliance with OnlineTalentLab B.V., part of a family of global media brands owned by international media entrepreneur Donald Wiedemeyer, enables HostingJournalist.com to instantly add a wealth of innovative publishing know-how and online development skills to bring the global operations of this daily online news portal to the next level.

The HostingJournalist.com brand is owned and operated by BRDR Media (https://brdr-media.com) - a Netherlands- based media company with global operations delivering high quality news, need-to-know content and engagement at the intersection of business and information technology. As a global publisher, BRDR Media is dedicated to building a strong worldwide network of IT news publications while attracting targeted audiences of technology buyers and decision-makers.


Punam SharrmaSingapore headquartered online media company ‘Connected to India’, founded just last year, announced that experienced journalist television veteran Punam Sharrma will join the company as co-founder and head of content.

Reporting to the Founder and CEO, Punam will lead the team of journalists and video content creators of the media platform.

Punam started her career in broadcasting with India Today Group’s flagship brand Aaj Tak and became its editor and prime time anchor. She also produced and anchored news shows and programs for ESPN Star Sports, TV Today & India Today.

Over the past few months, Punam has been working now with Connected to India on a range of varied and exciting projects like Singapore Cricket Club’s Twenty 20 tournament, Esplanade Theatre’s Indian festival of arts Kalaa Utsavam 2017, and the much-awaited ASEAN India Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to be hosted in Singapore on January 6 and 7, 2018.

Connected to India differentiates itself by creating hyper-local, relevant, useful, engaging and entertaining content for Indians living abroad. Considering its Singapore origins, 70 percent of the editorial content is currently catered for Singapore and SEA countries, while the remaining 30 percent for Dubai, US and UK.


The APAC Effie Awards has named Joanna Flint and Rupen Desai as the next two Heads of Jury for the 2018 Awards.

joannaJoanna Flint is the Managing Director of Google’s Agency Business for Asia Pacific and was formerly the Managing Director for Google Singapore. Prior to Google, she held senior leadership positions at WPP, Singapore Airlines, and British Airways’ where she led their global foray into digital- embracing digital marketing, CRM, and e-commerce. She has authored publications, including the new path to purchase, “Winning the Zero Moment of Truth – Asia". Joanna currently sits on the Boards of the IAB and the Singapore Tourism Board.

RupenRupen Desai is the Vice Chairman of Edelman across Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa. He leads Edelman’s integrated brand practice across the region covering brand communications, digital, consumer PR and social media. He is a strong advocate of the impact purpose-led business and creativity have on society, as well as profit. Prior to Edelman, Rupen spent 20 years working for Lowe + Partners. He was the network’s Asia Pacific President, during which the network became a top performer in effectiveness awards. A great supporter of APAC Effie, Rupen has served as a jury member of the awards for the last four years, and is also on the APAC Effie Committee.

The APAC Effie Awards are known globally by advertisers and agencies as the preeminent award for Marketing Effectiveness. The remaining Heads of Jury and full jury line-up will be announced progressively. Stay tuned for more updates via www.apaceffie.com


1991980 1YITU Technology, a Chinese pioneer in artificial intelligence (AI), announced its plans to set up a Research & Development (R&D) Hub in Singapore, bolstering Singapore's AI applications in the area of security and finance.

The discussion was held at a visit to YITU's Shanghai headquarters recently, represented by Singapore officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Singapore's Economic Development Board (EDB), where they witnessed its award-winning facial recognition technologies.

With much potential waiting to be harvested, AI is one of the key frontier technologies that the Singapore Government will harness and build capabilities in, positioning the Smart Nation as a regional focal point for the fast-growing industry. When YITU's R&D Hub is established in Singapore, it will be their first R&D Hub outside of China.

At the visit, the delegation also learnt about the extensive business applications of YITU's technology in sectors such as security, finance, transportation and healthcare. YITU's advanced facial recognition technology has already been adopted by China Merchants Bank at over 1,500 outlets nationwide, enabling face-authenticated cash withdrawals at ATMs. Shanghai Pudong Development Bank has also adopted YITU's technologies in its Video Teller Machines (VTM) and for online banking. YITU's technologies have also been used in sectors such as public safety, financial services, healthcare, customs and ports, and integrated marketing. YITU has formed partnerships with leading companies in these fields to provide integrated solutions.


With the 2018 Call for Entry in full swing, the Asia Pacific Effie Awards has announced the first two Heads of Jury - David Porter and Ruth Stubbs.

davidDavid Porter is the Vice President of Global Media at Unilever Asia, Africa, Middle East, Turkey & Russia. In his role at Unilever, David is responsible for one of the largest media budgets in a diverse region spanning 14 time zones.

He is responsible for driving the company’s innovation in communications channel planning with a strong focus on Unilever’s development as a major force in digital marketing in the region.

David spent 25 years in UK agencies before a 7-year stay in Asia Pacific with Mindshare where he managed the agency’s multimarket relationship with Unilever. He joined Unilever in 2010 and has managed its media operations in multiple markets including APAC.

RuthRuth Stubbs has 27 years’ experience in Advertising, Media and Digital Marketing. As the Global President of iProspect, Dentsu Aegis Network, Ruth is responsible for the global iProspect proposition, business growth strategy and brand development across 55 markets and 91 locations. Ruth joined iProspect Asia Pacific in 2011 as regional CEO.

Prior to joining Dentsu Aegis Network, Ruth held leadership roles with IPG, WPP and Havas. Ruth is based in Singapore and has lived in New York, Hong Kong and Sydney.

Ruth also serves as executive sponsor of Female Foundry, a Dentsu Aegis Network Global Accelerator Programme that recruits, mentors and provides access to funding for young, female entrepreneurs from emerging markets with a focus on technology and sustainability.

The APAC Effies Award Ideas that Work, and continue to champion marketing effectiveness in the Asia Pacific Region. The remaining Heads of Jury and full jury line-up will be announced progressively. Stay tuned for more updates via www.apaceffie.com.


qualitQualtrics announced the appointment of veteran financial leader David Faugno as Chief Financial Officer.

Faugno served as CFO for over 10 years at Barracuda Networks, a leading provider of cloud-enabled security and data protection solutions. While there, he helped take the company from 100 to 1,500 employees and approximately $20M to nearly $400M in annual billings. In addition, Faugno successfully led the acquisition of 11 companies while at Barracuda. In 2013, Faugno helped lead the company to a successful initial public offering.

In addition to his experience at Barracuda Networks, Faugno served as Senior Director of Corporate Finance – M&A at Cisco Systems, was CFO for Actona Technologies and spent 8 years at AT&T, including as CFO of the EMEA region. In 2013, he was awarded Silicon Valley Business Journal’s CFO of the Year.

Faugno will be based at the company’s Provo, Utah headquarters. He is a graduate of Rutgers University and has an MBA from Duke University.

Qualtrics has steadily increased its leadership pipeline in 2017 with the hires of:

  • John Torrey as Head of Corporate Strategy, Corporate Development, and Business Development. He was the former Chief Corporate Development Officer for SAP and prior to that, served as Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Concur Technologies
  • Mark Vozzo, previously with Google, Salesforce.com, Microsoft, as the Head of Digital, Asia Pacific and Japan, Qualtrics
  • Ammar Alammar as Head of Client Success and Implementation, Asia Pacific

5apptHuaweiOver 200 government officials, technology experts, scholars, and representatives from tech companies from all across the Asia Pacific region gathered for the third annual Huawei Asia-Pacific Innovation Day, held in Kuala Lumpur. The event was co-hosted by Malaysia's Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), the Malaysia-China Business Council, and Huawei Technologies. This year's event focused on fostering digital economy in the APAC region, with special focus on digital transformation models for emerging markets, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and core industries like services and tourism.

At the event, Huawei announced the construction of a new OpenLab in Malaysia, which will serve as an open, flexible, and secure platform for joint innovation with local partners. Huawei has built similar OpenLabs in Munich, Mexico, Dubai, Singapore, and China. Together, these labs support extensive cooperation between Huawei and over 400 solution partners globally.

At the event, Huawei's Deputy Chairman of the Board and Rotating CEO, Guo Ping, spoke about the different stages of digital transformation, and what countries can focus on at each stage of development. "We've all heard about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs," said Guo. "When a country goes digital, they experience a similar evolution of needs. I would divide this hierarchy into four layers. The first is ICT infrastructure, which is the foundation of a digital economy. The second is security, for both the physical and digital worlds. Security is necessary for further development. The third layer is developing a supportive environment for industries to go digital. Building on a solid foundation of privacy protection, the fourth and highest layer is enabling broader information sharing. More data will help cities and national governments better manage the digitization process, ultimately promoting safer cities and smarter countries."

Guo stressed that technological innovation and an open ecosystem are critical to the success of digital initiatives in the APAC region. During the event, Huawei signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the SME Corporation Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Terengganu State Government, and CyberSecurity Malaysia, expanding cooperation across a number of domains, including scientific research, innovation, talent, smart campuses, and cyber security. Together, they will promote a thriving digital economy and ensure prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.


Havas Immerse LRHavas Group is strengthening its capabilities in the growing Malaysian market with the acquisition of award-winning digital agency Immerse, which will integrate the Group’s creative operations and will be rebranded as Havas Immerse.

Taking forward Havas’ pioneering Together strategy, Havas Immerse will become an integral part of Havas Village Malaysia by adding its digital prowess and client relationships to the Group’s robust creative and media offering in the market.

Immerse was set up in 2004 as a digital agency, primarily specialising in providing strategic creative consultancy and digital marketing solutions. The 50-people agency services a diverse portfolio of client brands in Malaysia and Singapore including Volvo, Mitsubishi Motors, F&N, Wrigley and a wide range of Unilever brands such as Dove and Magnum.

Following the acquisition, Immerse’s founders Jeffrey Tang and Kerry Khoo will join forces with Andrew Lee, Managing Director of Havas Malaysia, to lead Havas Immerse reporting into Vishnu Mohan, Chairman & CEO of Havas Group Southeast Asia. Additionally, Kerry Khoo will take on the role of Chief Creative Officer for Havas Immerse.


NickAdobe has appointed Nick Boyle into the new role of Managing Director, Experience Cloud Sales – APAC, reporting to Paul Robson, President of Adobe Asia Pacific.

Boyle brings 20 years’ experience in the software, data and analytics markets across Asia Pacific. Most recently, he held the role of Managing Director, Southeast Asia and Emerging Markets at Experian where he was responsible for day-to-day operations, sales, marketing and GTM strategy.

He will be based in Adobe’s Singapore office and travel frequently to support Adobe’s operations in Australia/ New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Korea, India and Greater China.


AppNexus announced a round of senior executive promotions, including the appointment of Theresa Vu to the role of SVP, Engineering; Julie Kapsch, to the role of SVP, Professional Services; Andrew Rutledge, to the role of SVP, North American Sales & Account Management; and Joshua Zeitz, to the role of SVP, Marketing and Communications. Earlier this year, Nithya Das was appointed to the role of Chief People and Legal Officer.

Theresa Vu1. In her role as Senior Vice President of Engineering, Vu oversees teams that develop AppNexus’ platform and is also responsible for global engineering initiatives regarding quality, leadership development, and diversity & inclusion. She was the first developer hired at AppNexus and with a dedicated team of engineers, built the real-time ad serving system, now the largest independent digital advertising platform in the world. Vu formerly held the position of VP, Engineering. She will continue to report to Ben John, Chief Technology Officer, AppNexus.


kapsch2. As Senior Vice President, Services, Kapsch leads all Delivery and Customer Success teams globally. Since joining AppNexus in 2013, she has held positions on the Services team, most recently VP, Services, leading alignment on strategy, capabilities, and consumer support. Kapsch will continue to report to Ryan Christensen, Chief Operating Officer, AppNexus.


Rutledge headshot3. As Senior Vice President, North American Sales & Account Management, Rutledge oversees all commercial initiatives with AppNexus’ supply-side partners. Previously, he held the position of VP, Sales & Account Management at AppNexus and Chief Revenue Officer at Yieldex, prior to its acquisition by AppNexus in 2015.



Zeitz headshot
4. As Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Zeitz leads a global team responsible for corporate reputation and branding, and commercial marketing and field enablement. Previously, he held the role of VP, Corporate Communications. Zeitz and Rutledge continue to report to Michael Rubenstein, President, AppNexus.


AppNexus employs close to 1,000 people in 27 offices globally.


cashshieldCashShield, a global leader in online fraud detection and prevention, announced the appointment of Denise Peng and Tao Zhang to the company's Board of Advisors. The announcement follows CashShield's recent closure of their Series A round led by GGV Capital.

Peng and Zhang bring a wealth of experience from the Internet industry. Their knowledge of the market dynamics and experience with high-growth startups will help CashShield strengthen its global footprint.

Peng will be working closely with the CashShield team, providing assistance to develop CashShield's sales operations and strategy as the company focuses on global expansion in the U.S. and China markets. Formerly, Peng was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Qunar, a leading online travel platform. In 2013, Peng successfully helped to lead the Qunar IPO on NASDAQ within eight years since its inception, with a market capitalization of more than US$5 billion. Peng also co-founded PINTEC, a leading intelligent financial services group, and is a member of the board of directors.

Zhang, most notable for his role as founder and CEO of Dianping, the world's first independent consumer reviews site for local services, will help CashShield's strategic expansion globally. Dianping, sometimes referred to as the "Yelp of China", was founded in 2003 and has since grown to become one of China's largest "Online to Offline" platforms with more than 200 million accumulated users today. In 2015, Dianping merged with Meituan, a group buying website, and the merged Meituan-Dianping is now valued at US$30 billion, making it the world's fourth-most valuable startup. Since the merger, Zhang has served as the chairman of Meituan-Dianping.


Sam TamAdAsia Holdings announced the appointment of Sam Tam as Vice President, Hong Kong.

Tam was most recently Chief Marketing Officer at Russian advertising technology outfit DCA Asia Limited. Prior to that, he held leadership roles in e-commerce and ad tech companies, including Vice President, Business Development of Ensogo and Director, Global Alliance, at Japanese advertising technology firm Metaps.

Tam will lead AdAsia Holding’s operations in Hong Kong and reports to Kosuke Sogo, the company’s CEO and co-founder.