SINGAPORE – September 30, 2013 – As part of the expansion of the network’s in-market planning teams, Y&R Asia president Matthew Godfrey has announced the promotion of Hari Ramanathan to Chief Strategy Officer Asia.
Ramanathan’s promotion took effect on September 1. He is now based in Singapore, and reports directly to Matthew Godfrey.
In his new role, Ramanathan will lead strategy across Asia and work with planning and office leaders in enhancing the strategic leadership and output to deliver greater value to clients.
Starting as an art director, Ramanathan has won a number of creative awards, including One Show Pencils and commendations at Cannes and Effie Golds. In his 19 years in the industry, he has worked for agencies including Draft FCB and DDB. He has also worked on multiple accounts such as DHL, Motorola, SC Johnson, Samsung, LG, Danone, Caltex, and BMW.
Commenting on the promotion, Matthew Godfrey said, “We congratulate Hari on his new role at Y&R and have full faith in his strong capabilities. From Oliver Kittipong Veerataecha in Thailand to Kaiyu Li in China, strong planning leaders have come to fore in the recent years and Y&R believes this is key to bringing value to our clients’ businesses. Hari’s promotion consolidates and continues this focus for the future.”
Ramanathan added, "Matt Godfrey, Sandy Thompson and myself have two simple beliefs, firstly to ensure that strategy isn’t just a department in the agency but a culture – from creative to account management everyone must have strategy as a key focus. The second belief is that Y&R’s core task from a strategic point of view is to be the consumer’s voice on the table, and to ensure that consumer truths are at the center of all we do with a brand."
