Michael Atkins appointed regional director Asia Pacific for Group IMD based in Tokyo

Michael Atkins has been appointed as Regional Director, Asia Pacific for Group IMD business.

Group IMD is a global leader in automating the workflow of video advertisements and data between advertising agencies, production companies, broadcasters and digital media. Group IMD is one of the longest established online TV commercial delivery companies in the world, having delivered TV commercials online in Europe and APAC for over fourteen years, and being renowned for innovation. The primary Group IMD services are built around IMD Cloud, the world’s fastest and most automated video advertising platform, which is now fully integrated with Japan’s TV industry.

Atkins will be based in Tokyo from Group IMD Akasaka offices. Atkins’ role will have an important initial focus on expanding the Japanese market, as well as growing the Group IMD businesses in China, Australia and the other Asia Pacific markets.

Atkins said, “This is an exciting opportunity for further growth, particularly in Japan, where the local TV commercial market opened up from October 2017 for online delivery. Until that point, TV commercial delivery had been entirely manual, couriering both HDCAM and XDCAM disks country wide to Japan’s 120+ TV stations. Group IMD Cloud based services provide their clients with faster, more accurate TV commercial delivery, which is an important step towards more flexible TV advertising and programmatic creative capabilities in Japan.

Simon Cox Global CEO, Group IMD said, “I am also pleased that Akikazu Izumiya, former Managing Director of Group IMD in Japan, will remain as an Advisor to Group IMD even though he has moved on to take a new role in a different business field.” Cox further commented that “Group IMD are very happy that Izumiya-san’s expertise will still be available to our valued clients and Japanese business.”

Atkins went on to say, “We will also be appointing a new Managing Director for our Group IMD Japan business, and we look forward to announcing that when it is settled.”

On the local market, Atkins commented that “Group IMD already have a well-established business in Japan with sales, client service and technical support teams providing full online delivery services both within Japan, and importantly, to over 100 markets globally through the Group IMD network.”

Atkins said, “Increasingly Japan based clients are looking to have access to the latest state-of-the-art cloud based software solutions for handling all their deliveries of TV

commercials, both in the Japan market, and also as they expand around the world. Along with Group IMD global clients, who operate in many markets, including increasingly in Japan and the Asia Pacific region, Group IMD is able to offer a full through the line range of services for these clients.”

With Japan’s economy now steadily expanding, the upcoming Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, as well as the Asia Pacific region being one of the fastest expanding group of economies in the world, Atkins stated that he is “very excited to join Group IMD at this particular junction, and be able to work with the respective Group IMD leadership teams in both Japan, China and the rest of the Asia Pacific region.”

Atkins added, “This locally based regional initiative will enable Group IMD to fully focus on delivering to both their local and global clients, the very best levels of high quality, cutting edge cloud based services, so that our valued clients can meet their growing market objectives.”