Aegis rules out a Carat and wwwins merger

The restructure of Aegis Media's senior Hong Kong management will not result in the merger of Carat and wwwins Consulting, said incoming Aegis Media Hong Kong CEO Chris Ryan.Aegis yesterday announced Ryan (pictured), head of wwwins Consulting, had been appointed to an expanded role as Aegis Media's Hong Kong CEO.From January next year Ryan will replace Will Swayne as head of Carat Media Hong Kong while keeping his current role as MD of wwwins Consulting. Swayne will relocate to the US at the end of the year to take up a new role with Carat North America.Ryan told Marketing his appointment would not result in a merger between Carat and wwwins, stressing that both companies were strong brands.Carat recently shifted its office into wwwins and both companies have been collaborating on digital projects, but he said this did not mean a merger was on the cards."There are no plans to merge the two organisations, they will remain separate brands," he said."For us it is not about a merger of companies, at all. This is about collaboration and about how the two companies will work well together," he said.With digital becoming a major focus point for clients, he said Aegis will be better equipped to tap the skills set from Carat and wwwins."From a strategic standpoint that is what we will be hoping to bring to clients.""The key thing is to work with the leadership team we have in each agency, and they already work really well together, so there's no cause for concern. We're happy with where we are."