Ogilvy loyalist Kent Wertime has been handed a new role as chairman of the agency’s Malaysian operation.
The network’s APAC COO is to remain based in Bangkok, but takes on a new role to drive integration at Ogilvy Group Malaysia, which includes Ogilvy & Mather Advertising, OgilvyOne Worldwide, Ogilvy Public Relations, H&O and Bates CHI & Partners.
His appointment comes shortly after Ogilvy Malaysia’s group MD Anand Badami moved to Singapore to take on a global client leadership role.
Wertime takes on a brief to create more integrated offerings tailored for Ogilvy Malaysia’s clients.
He said: “Malaysia is a key market not only in ASEAN but also the Asia-Pacific region. Given its importance, it is essential that Ogilvy Malaysia provides integrated offerings that will support clients’ growing business needs.
To ensure we remain ahead of the rapid changes in the market, we are moving quickly to consolidate and strengthen our offerings with a focus on two areas, data and content.”
“Today, we have to monitor and interpret data in real-time and make quick decisions in the moment that are aligned with clients’ long-term business needs. Equally important in this data-driven process is content. We want to create channel-agnostic content – rich content that can be translated across any channel without losing impact or relevance. In order to do so, we need to have the right expertise, insights, and technology in place,” he said.
The news emerges four months after Wertime stepped back as chairman of Ogilvy Japan after six years in the role.
He has been with Ogilvy since 1999.
