FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DDB brings in top-class talent for its Champions Team

18 November 2016 | Singapore
As a culmination of a three-month management renewal exercise, DDB has
added three top-class talents to its leadership team.
Chris Chiu joins as Chief Creative Officer, Melvin Kuek joins as Managing
Director and Guillaume Pagnoux joins as Chief Planner to become part of the
leadership team helmed by David Tang, Neil Johnson and Jeff Cheong.
In an announcement, David Tang, CEO of DDB Group Singapore and Asia said,
Having helped set up Blk J, were bringing on the Champions Team at DDB for
the next lap. Chris, Melvin and Guillaume are the best there are in our business
and totally nice guys. They fit the talented and nice DDB style and add to the
pretty long list of top-class performers already under the DDB Group roof. It feels
like we have a dream team of creative superheroes!
The move comes closely on the heels of eight key creative hires at DDB,
including Benjamin Lee of Mr. Miyagi fame as Social Media Creative Director;
and four new creative leaders in Luis Fabra, Malhaar Rao, Josh Armstrong and
Adithya Deepan.
They add breadth, depth and weight to what is arguably the most formidable
agency team in Singapore, with an unbroken track record over the past 10 years
at the Effie, Cannes, Hall of Fame and Marketing Awards.
More importantly, it injects fresh and exciting leaders into the steady-and-ready
DDB management team to do the most cutting-edge work for its clients such as
StarHub, McDonalds, DBS Bank, Republic of Singapore Air Force, SilkAir,
Johnson & Johnson, Unilever and Whole of Government business.
The agency group has pushed the boundaries in recent years to offer highly
specialized marketing solutions with its series of T-divisions in Tribal (digital
innovation), TracyLocke (shopper marketing), Tasseologic (data-mining), Track
(portal and e-commerce), TecEstate (3D AR for property clients) and Tango5
(social good).
Recently, it also launched a global tech hub, Equator, with the support of the
Economic Development Board and opened its first satellite office in Temasek
Polytechnic. Equator will serve 200 DDB offices worldwide and groom the nextgeneration creative tech talents in Singapore.

We have been working very hard to offer innovative, specialised solutions and
deliver it with the rich diversity and the right chemistry of talents. Now, we have
a dynamic team of the top-class practitioners to help our clients do the most
effective, cutting-edge work, adds Jeff Cheong, Head of Tribal Worldwide
Singapore and Asia.
It is evident that DDB has invested in the best practitioners and especially
creatives. This echoes a saying that David Tang once made, We need more
cows, not milkmen.
David stole that line from me, but now weve made it happen. Weve turned
DDB from the best Singapore agency to become a creative powerhouse and a
global hub agency. Chris Chiu is huge for us as a creative leader and Im really
thrilled with the new talent and especially the current, proven greats - we have
with us, adds Neil Johnson, Creative Chairman of DDB Group Singapore.
DDB Group will also house and support Blk J, the four-person agency team
comprising of Rowena Bhagchandani, Joji Jacob, Khalid Osman and Lester Lee,
in an exclusive business arrangement between DDB and Blk J. It signposts a
collaborative business model in the industry of big network agencies supporting
indie shops.
-

END -

ABOUT DDB GROUP SINGAPORE

With a focus on innovative marketing, DDB Group Singapore builds brands and business with its specialised divisions:
DDB, Tribal Worldwide (digital), TracyLocke (shopper marketing), Track (e-commerce), Tasseologic (data and CRM) and
Tango5 (social for good). DDB Group Singapore is also the regional hub agency for DDB Asia. It is part of the DDB
Worldwide communications network the fourth largest communications network in the world, with more than 200 offices
in over 90 countries. DDB Worldwide is a member of Omnicom Group Inc. DDB Group Singapore was named IAS Hall of
Fame Agency of the Year 2009-2015, and has dominated the Effie Singapore Awards for twelve consecutive years.

ABOUT DDB WORLDWIDE

DDB Worldwide Communications Group Inc (www.ddb.com) ranks among the top five consolidated advertising and
marketing services global networks, according to Advertising Age. Consistently one of the most awarded networks globally
for creative excellence, DDB was Campaigns 2009 Global Network of the Year, the 2010 Spikes Asia Network of the
Year, and captured both the Cyber Grand Prix and Film Craft Grand Prix at the 2010 International Advertising Festival in
Cannes. With more than 200 offices in over 90 countries, the DDB Group helps grow the value and influence of leading
brands around the world. We believe that creativity is the most powerful force in business, allowing us to develop the
ideas that people want to play with, participate in and pass along. We call this Social Creativity. DDB Worldwide is part of
Omnicom Group Inc. (OMC).

ABOUT OMNICOM GROUP INC

Omnicom Group Inc (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com) is a leading global marketing and corporate
communications company. Omnicoms branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic
media planning, interactive, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications
services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.

PRESS CONTACT:
DDB GROUP SINGAPORE
Jolene Quek
6651 4551 / jolene.quek@sg.ddb.com