IPG Mediabrands has named Carat’s Bala Pomaleh as its CEO in Malaysia.
IPG confirmed the appointment to A+M, with Henry Tajer, IPG Mediabrands Global CEO saying: “Bala is a dynamic, proven leader that’s constantly looking to redefine media. We look to him to further evolve our offering in the Malaysian market, expanding our best-in-class capabilities, scale and scope, as well as investing in top talent to fuel growth in this critical market.”
Pomaleh takes over from Prashant Kumar who is leaving the network to pursue new opportunities. Kumar resigned after 13 years with the company.
Tajer paid tribute to Kumar, saying “I would like to take this opportunity to say farewell to Prashant, and to thank him for the contribution he has made to IPG Mediabrands. We wish him all the very best in his future endeavors”.
The replacement for Kumar’s regional role remains undecided as it is understood that the agency group may be moving back towards an APAC structure as opposed to the cluster structure it currently operates in.
Pomaleh has been with Carat as CEO since 2012. With over two decades of advertising experience, starting off as a Media Research Assistant, he worked across a select few agency groups since then. He joined Aegis Media with Carat in 2006 but soon moved to lead its sister company Posterscope Malaysia. He came back in 2012 as Carat CEO.
Most recently, in his capacity as president of the Media Specialists Association in Malaysia, he is spearheading the move to a singular TV measurement which has always been an issue for the local industry.
Meanwhile, Carat Malaysia has also named its new CEO, Darren Yuen, as a replacement of Pomaleh.
Yuen had began his career at the media specialist agency 19 years ago as a rookie, moving on to focus on media planning and client account management, before rising the ranks to general manager in business operations management, the position that he last held for over three years.
Yuen will lead a team of over 100 talents within the award-winning agency, and report to Nicky Lim, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network Malaysia, of which Carat is part of.
“Darren has been with Carat since its establishment in Malaysia. Over the years, he has demonstrated brilliant commercial acumen, management and communications skills and leadership abilities. We are proud to have someone of Darren’s calibre and experience to lead Carat, and I’m confident Carat will prosper under his leadership,” Lim said.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Bala for his significant contributions to the firm. We wish him all the best in his future undertakings,” Lim added.
