Ronald Barreiro elevated to CEO of both of dentsu Philippines’ creative agencies – dentsu Jayme Syfu and dentsu One Manila

Dentsu International has announced the appointment of Ronald Barreiro to CEO of dentsu Philippines Creative Service Line, and overseeing the operations of its two creative agency brands, dentsu Jayme Syfu and dentsu One Manila, effective immediately.

As part of dentsu’s broader leadership succession planning, this appointment follows the back of the promotion of Merlee Jayme, dentsu Jayme Syfu Chairmom, to Chief Creative Officer Asia Pacific.

Barreiro was most recently dentsu Jayme Syfu’s Managing Partner and General Manager. His journey in the agency started in 2009, when he first joined DM9 Jayme Syfu as General Manager and was instrumental in setting up dentsu Jayme Syfu in 2016, after the award-winning shop was acquired by Dentsu Inc.

On the very first year of formation of dentsu Jayme Syfu, Barreiro and his team successfully steered the agency to winning Gold in Campaign Asia Pacific’s Agency of the Year award. Under his leadership, he drove a steady growth path for dentsu Jayme Syfu and helped the agency win iconic multinational clients like Nescafé, Shell, and Coca-Cola. Over the past two years, the agency has managed to achieve double digit growth despite the operational challenges brought about by the global pandemic.

Barreiro has a longstanding track record in the industry and has served as Chairman of the Philippine 4As in 2015. He was also appointed by the 4As Board of Trustees as the 24th Agency of the Year Overall Chairman.

Barreiro began his career as an Account Executive in Basic/FCB in 1992 under the guidance of advertising legends, Tony Mercado and Minyong Ordonez. He then moved on to become Account Management lead in agencies like Publicis-AMA and Publicis Manila, before joining DM9 Jayme Syfu as its General Manager.

Merlee Jayme, Barreiro’s business partner of 12 years in the agency, said: “I am very lucky to have Ronald by my side all these years. Through ups and own, he has played an integral role in the overall growth and success of dentsu Jayme Syfu. He partners with clients to push business growth, collaborates with strategists to explore deeper insights and newer perspectives, supports creatives with their fresh and brave ideas, and helps everyone survive the difficulties of our work experience today with empathy and care programmes. This a well-deserved promotion and I look forward to continue working with him closely and drive the next chapter of growth.”

JC Catibog, CEO of dentsu Philippines, said: “Even before I joined dentsu Philippines, I’ve heard about Ronald’s legendary ability to build a culture of winning, growth and collaboration. And seeing him in action these past two years, and what dentsu Jayme Syfu has achieved despite the pandemic, I have no doubt in my mind that Ronald is the best person to take dentsu Philippines’ Creative agencies to greater heights.”

Vital to the succession planning, Alex Syfu will also be separately appointed as Chief Advisor of dentsu Jayme Syfu, effective January 2022. Alex transitions to this new role after partnering with Merlee Jayme in 2005 to form the Jayme Syfu group. He remains committed to key clients in the agency in his new role and will continue to support Barreiro in steering the agency to new heights.

“Ronald is not only my partner in managing the Account Servicing part of the business, he also was my buddy in the agency’s operations. His business acumen has helped the agency grow through the years, coupled with his good rapport with clients. He makes people feel that work should be fun but when it comes to numbers, that’s when he means business. With him heading the dentsu creative agencies in the Philippines, I have no doubt that Ronald will be taking the dentsu brand to a higher level of excellence. My respect and admiration for this gentleman,” added the agency’s partner and new Chief Advisor, Alex Syfu.

Barreiro said: “I’m extremely grateful to Alex, Merlee and JC for trusting me to take on the reigns of our two creative agency brands. I’m very excited for the future with our recent successes, and while the new task will not be without challenges, this pandemic has forced us to re-think our old ways. Our clients can surely expect my 100% dedication and support for their businesses. We will remain to be their partner for innovative solutions and they can count on both dentsu Jayme Syfu and dentsu One Manila to be their allies for idea-led, data-driven and tech-enabled initiatives. To my agency colleagues, I promise to take care of you like family as we go through our trials and triumphs.”