Publicis Media Malaysia announces new leadership appoints for Kristine Ong and Sujith Rao

Publicis Media Malaysia has announced two new leadership appointments as it prepares for acceleration of growth in 2025. Effective 2nd January 2025, Kristine Ong will take on the Chief Executive Officer role at Publicis Media Malaysia and Sujith Rao’s will assume the Managing Director role of Performics Malaysia.

Ong (pictured left) will report to Ian Loon, Chief Transformation Officer and CEO of Media & Digital at Publicis Groupe Singapore / Southeast Asia.

With over three decades of experience in Malaysia’s media and business sectors, Ong brings a wealth of expertise and a proven track record of leadership to this position. A respected veteran in the industry, she served as General Manager of Starcom Malaysia in 2006 and has held several leadership roles since then, including Managing Director at Initiative, Chief Strategy and Planning Officer at Astro, and, most recently, Chief Client Officer at Mindshare Malaysia. Her return to Publicis Groupe demonstrates a commitment to further strengthening the agency’s leadership.

Under Ong’s guidance, Publicis Media Malaysia is well-positioned to build on its recognition as the #1 Media Agency Group in Malaysia, ranked by RECMA. Her strategic vision, combined with a focus on collaboration and innovation, will drive the agency’s continued success and solidify Malaysia’s status as a strategic business hub for Southeast Asia.

Rao (pictured right) has a proven track record in performance marketing and leadership, and he will be responsible for scaling Performics’ capabilities to provide data-driven, commerce-focused solutions for clients.

Since joining Publicis Groupe in 2022, Rao has played a vital role in enhancing the Groupe’s commerce capabilities. His appointment underscores Publicis Media Malaysia’s commitment to delivering connected growth and cross-border performance marketing solutions, positioning Malaysia as a regional hub for Southeast Asian clients.

These changes take place as Interim CEO and Advisor, Ranganathan Somanathan concludes his tenure on December 31, 2024. Ranga joined Publicis Media Malaysia with a mission to maintain stability, nurture leadership, and drive growth. Under his guidance, the agency has achieved remarkable success with a few recent wins.

“Strong leadership has resulted in three years of acceleration to become the largest media agency group in Malaysia,” said Ian Loon, Chief Transformation Officer and CEO, Media & Digital, Publicis Groupe Singapore/Southeast Asia. “It is a growing hub for regional clients in specific sectors and a core digital delivery centre for many cross-border clients between Malaysia, Singapore, and the rest of Southeast Asia. Kristine and Sujith, along with many established leaders and rising stars in our Malaysia office, have lots to be proud of and excited about. Our clients’ growth remains our priority as we look to jointly nurture and shape the Malaysian media and marketing industry with our peers.”