Dentsu Aegis Network names Duncan Pointer CEO of Vizeum Asia Pacific

Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) has appointed Duncan Pointer (pictured right) to the role of CEO of Vizeum Asia Pacific, while Kristian Barnes (pictured left) assumes the newly created role of regional chief client officer for DAN. Both appointments come into effect immediately, and they will report to Nick Waters, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific.In a statement to Marketing, DAN's spokesperson said there are currently no plans to source for Pointer's replacement.In his new role, Pointer will focus on the continued growth of Vizeum. He has worked with DAN for over six years and was previously MD, Asia Pacific at Vizeum for more than four years. In addition to his role at Vizeum, Duncan has also helped shape DAN’s programmatic and mobile offering.Prior to that, Pointer was the managing partner at Carat London for over two years, serving key clients such as eBay and Nokia Global. Before joining Carat, he was the executive director at OMD International for more than four years, where he worked with key clients such as PlayStation, Carlsberg Group and Vodafone Global. Pointer also worked at Carat Australia, Mindshare, Universal McCann and Starcom.“The business in Asia Pacific has grown exponentially. We’ve built a leadership team of specialist talent to deliver great work for our clients. As a team, we will continue to explore new technology empowered ways to communicate, leverage analytics and the creative application of media to accelerate business growth for our clients," Pointer said.As regional chief client officer, Barnes will oversee the further development of the group's client-centric approach. He was formerly the CEO of Vizeum Asia Pacific for four years and has over 25 years of experience in Asia Pacific, Australia and the UK. According to the press statement, Barnes has "a unique understanding of the communications industry". He also worked at Havas Media for more than six years as group MD.“The speed of disruption by the digital economy is accelerating, and complexity for clients growing. I am looking forward to mobilising our unique operating model and incredible people to help our clients gain competitive advantage in this complex environment," Barnes said.“We need to keep evolving our structures and service offering to keep fully focused on providing the right product and solutions to our clients from across the group. The newly created role of chief client officer is designed to strengthen the way we work with our clients, to help them grow their brands and business.  Barnes is a strong operator who will ensure we provide the right capabilities to support our clients," Waters said."Pointer has done a superb job working with Barnes to grow Vizeum. He has built a very strong regional leadership team providing high quality solutions to clients, earning this promotion, and provides excellent continuity as Barnes transitions roles," Waters added.