BBDO and Proximity names new chairman and CEO for Greater China

Carol Potter, president and CEO at BBDO and Proximity Greater China for the past nine years, will leave the agency. Succeeding her will be members of the current Greater China management team, effective from 1 May.After more than a decade, BBDO and Proximity managing director Tze Kiat Tan (pictured middle) will take on the new role as Greater China CEO, reporting directly to the newly promoted BBDO Asia CEO and Chairman Jean-Paul Burge.In the creative department, ECD Leong Wai Foong (on left) will be promoted to chairman and chief creative officer in Greater China; while executive planning director Hans Lopez-Vito will become chief strategy officer in Greater China.Before joining BBDO China in early 2006, Foong was creative director at BBDO Singapore. He is also an award-winning music composer, writing songs for notable Asian stars.As an ad veteran, Potter arrived BBDO as CEO of BBDO China in 2006, before which she was global business director at WPP. In her career Potter has worked with top-tier companies and brands including Unilever, Pepsi, Visa, Kelloggs, Avis, Dunlop, Cinzano and Nivea.To the appointments, she commented: “Tze, Leong and Hans are a formidable team and inspirational leaders. I shall miss them as I will so much about my amazing experience at BBDO."Andrew Robertson, CEO, BBDO Worldwide, added: "Carol has built an incredible agency group over the past nine years – from 70 people to more than 500, from an agency that we had to make excuses for to one which makes our competitors envious and our clients proud."The only thing I am more grateful for is the fact that she didn’t do it alone – as she would be the first to tell you. We have an exceptional team already in place to succeed her. I have every confidence in their ability to continue to drive the business forward.”The reshuffle is part of a series of global promotions involving Chairman and CEO of BBDO Asia, Middle East and Africa Chris Thomas named as CEO of Americas; South East Asia president and Singapore CEO Jean-Paul Burge named BBDO Chairman and CEO of BBDO Asia; and Dani Richa, Chairman and CEO at Impact BBDO Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan, takes on additional duties to all BBDO operations in Africa.