Ogilvy Malaysia has announced its restructuring plan to streamline its operations and reduce costs, which involves the unification of its leadership team. This move means that the current Ogilvy Malaysia CEO, Nizwani Shahar, will no longer hold the position.
Shahar has been a well-known figure in Malaysia’s advertising industry, having held various leadership positions, including managing partner, before being promoted to chief executive. Additionally, she is currently the VP of 4As Malaysia. A+M has reached out to Shahar and Ogilvy for a statement regarding the matter.
The announcement follows a year after Kunal Jeswani was appointed as the new group CEO for Ogilvy Singapore and Malaysia, succeeding Chris Riley. Jeswani brings with him an extensive 17 years of experience with Ogilvy in India, where he was CEO of Ogilvy India and later the chief digital officer. Under his leadership, Ogilvy India has become a leading agency in the Indian market.
The agency’s integration journey was announced last year, along with a new organisational structure. The new leadership team will provide cross-functional operational management and integrated solutions for the five core businesses: growth and innovation, advertising, brand and content, PR and influence, experience, and health. This new structure is aligned with the global direction of the agency, which is to provide integrated solutions to clients.
Notable Hires in Ogilvy Malaysia
In addition to the restructure, Ogilvy Malaysia has recently appointed several notable hires. Michelle Ong was appointed as the executive group director to drive the agency’s borderless creativity strategy, streamline internal processes, manage key department operations, and provide guidance and leadership to staff members.
With over 30 years of experience building diverse brands, Ong was previously the CEO of Dentsu One Malaysia, COO of Leo Burnett Malaysia, MD at McCann Worldgroup Indonesia, and GM of McCann Erickson Malaysia. Adrian Miller also joined as the chief creative officer. He works closely with the Singapore office to help Ogilvy’s network clients take advantage of creative opportunities.
Also read: Didi Pirinyuang Steps Down As ECD At Ensemble Worldwide Malaysia
Ogilvy Malaysia’s recent restructure and leadership unification are efforts to streamline the agency’s operations and provide integrated solutions to clients. With new leadership and high-profile hires, Ogilvy Malaysia should be able to keep giving its clients high-quality services.
