ASIA-PACIFIC – AUGUST 24, 2012: AKQA announces five key appointments within the strategic planning department. This follows a time of significant growth for the Shanghai office agency with an increase in existing client work and new appointments.
Heading up the hires is Edward Wang who joins as the Planning Director for the Shanghai office. He will report directly into David Hunt, General Manager of AKQA China. The additional four Strategic Planners new to the Shanghai team are Steven Ma from MediaCom; Paris Yang and Ben Zheng joining from Wieden + Kennedy; and Lynn Lin joining from La Miu.
As Planning Director, Edward Wang will oversee the Strategic Planning and Social Media Department. Bringing with him over five years of industry experience, he specializes in helping brands understand and leverage the social activities of their consumers. Most recently he served as Digital Communication Leader at Wieden + Kennedy Shanghai, developing digital strategies as well as managing social channels for well-known global brands including Tiffany&Co, P&G, and Converse. Earlier in his career Wang spent three years at Dentsu in Tokyo, where he honed his planning skills working for clients including Suntory, Toyota, and Uniqlo to name a few.
David Hunt, General Manager of AKQA China, commented, “This year has seen phenomenal growth and we couldn’t be going through a more exciting time. We are delighted to welcome Edward Wang to the team. His addition, along with the other new talents will further expand our strategic planning and social offerings to our clients.”
The AKQA Shanghai office has grown to more than 70 employees serving clients including Unilever and Calvin Klein among others. As part of the agencies further growth plans AKQA is continuing to expand its China office, as well as its strategic offerings to clients in the region. The company expects to hire additional talent across the company in the coming months.
