International: PHD Indonesia has appointed Surya Soni as its new Managing Director. He will be succeeding former general manager Shailesh Waingankar who helmed the role for three months, before joining Nielsen. Soni brings over 22 years of media and marketing experience to his new role, including over eight years in Indonesia.
He is no stranger in the Advertising and Marketing industry. His previous roles spanned across several of the large agency networks in both Indonesia and India, including Mediacom, UM, Zenith Optimedia, and Mindshare.
He brings a wealth of experience in managing blue-chip clients, having previously led the P&G business for over four years at Mediacom Indonesia, as well as start-ups and tech platforms born in the digital economy.
Soni also brings invaluable knowledge of the telecom sector, having worked for the likes of Vodafone and Idea Cellular within India’s competitive mobile market. He was last with NAVA+, a Jakarta based integrated marketing communications and activations group, where he led the vertical in digital monetization, insights, and media.
Soni said that PHD’s innovative approach to comms planning, as well as the Group’s impressive Omni platform, allows the agency to come up with truly out-of-the-box media thinking for its clients. “The agency’s product and talent have already earned a strong name in the Indonesian market, and I’m excited to be part of their continued success story,” he added.
Rajat Basra, CEO of Omnicom Media Group Indonesia, said, “Soni’s unique career history, starting from a rich media background to recently leading digital transformation and monetization for companies of all sizes, makes him an incredible source of inspiration – for both the agency’s clients and its people.”
“His experience in Indonesia has provided him with strong knowledge of the local market dynamics and culture. We are excited to have him on board as we continue to charter new directions for our clients in a rapidly changing landscape, ensuring we provide them with the best skills and leadership to future-proof their businesses,” he added.
