Edelman APAC expands Studio capabilities and announces multiple senior digital hires

Edelman has made a series of senior Digital appointments across APAC markets to build on the firm’s vision for the future of communications in a post-pandemic world. This includes expanding the firm’s existing offerings in content creation and production, as well as adding talent in the areas of social commerce, paid and performance marketing, MarTech, AI, VR and 3D capabilities, among others.

These new hires will form specialist hubs in India, Greater China, Southeast Asia, Korea and Australia that will operate across geographic borders to service clients in the APAC region, working closely with Edelman’s Data & Intelligence (DxI) unit to deliver more effective integrated communications solutions in an increasingly digital engaged world.

The firm has also launched Edelman Studios in India, building on the regional studio work already performed in Singapore and Malaysia. By June 2022, Edelman will have over 60 people working in its Studio operations across the region, including a second hub in Taiwan to cater to clients operating in North Asia. Through a hub-and-spoke model, Edelman’s APAC Studio capability will deliver bespoke content solutions for clients at scale, enabling them to connect more effectively with audiences through content.

“Over the course of the pandemic, we’ve seen our clients take significant steps to accelerate their digital capabilities, knowledge and skills. With these hires, we are doubling down on specialisms across the region to match the evolving needs of our clients, helping them create more compelling content, facilitate digital transformation, and leverage the growth of eCommerce and digital storytelling,” says Stephen Kehoe, Edelman’s CEO for APAC.

Saurabh Kulkarni has been appointed as the Head of Edelman Studios in India, where he is tasked with building a regional hub for content creation. Kulkarni brings over two decades of experience from the Bollywood and Indian television industry, as well as multimedia companies such as Vice India and WPP’s content studio, Glitch. He will partner with India’s Managing Director for Digital, Kunal Arora, on leveraging AI to create data-centric content production capabilities that will serve the region.

In addition to Justin Teo joining the firm in August as Edelman’s Chief Digital Officer for China, Yuliani Setiadi has come onboard as Head of Digital for Hong Kong and Taiwan. She joins Edelman from Ogilvy, where she served as Executive Group Director in Hong Kong and Managing Director for the agency’s Social and MarTech capability in Indonesia. With her extensive experience in building shoppable eCommerce experiences across different touchpoints, Setiadi will establish Hong Kong as a B2C regional hub.

In Korea, the firm welcomed Rebekah Lee from Cheil Worldwide as its new Head of Digital earlier this year, bringing rich experience in data-driven performance marketing and web analytics that complements Edelman’s digital newsroom capability in the Korean market.

Jonathan Wong and Henry Taylor also join the teams in Malaysia and Australia respectively this October to serve as Head of Digital in those markets. Wong brings extensive technical and automation experience, as well as a proven track record for eCommerce and digital transformation. He arrives from OpenMinds, where he was Director for Digital Transformation and Advisory for Southeast Asia. Taylor joins from the World Economic Forum where, as deputy head of the award-winning digital media team, he grew audiences and engagement to industry leading levels. With a background as a data journalist, Taylor is skilled in content, SEO, newsroom and platform growth strategies.

To manage the growing team’s operations across the region, Debra Ng returned to Edelman this year to take on the role of Regional Digital Operations Manager. She is tasked with delivering Digital upskilling and competency development programs for clients.

Kehoe said: “Each of these hires brings a deep specialism to the firm, allowing our clients to benefit from the industry’s most advanced and comprehensive practices, irrespective of which market they are in. By removing the silos of markets and specialisms, we are building a more client- and solution-centric operating model, setting ourselves and our clients up for success in a post-pandemic world.”

Additionally, the firm has structured its existing Digital talent across APAC around platform communities, ensuring clients have access to talent who are fully certified in one platform or another.

Pictured (L-R): Saurabh Kulkarni, Yuliani Setiadi, Rebekah Lee, Jonathan Wong, Henry Taylor, Debra Ng.