VivaKi names new helmers

Malaysia - The recent consolidation of three media brands - Starcom Worldwide, MediaVest Worldwide and Optimedia - delivered VivaKi onto the media playing field in Malaysia.

Under the VivaKi umbrella, three new leaders - Nick Drew, Jennifer Yean and Wong Pi Yee - will take on key leadership positions.

VivaKi was formed last year and is designed to improve the performance of advertisers' investments, especially in the expanding digital market.

It aims to provide a new and integrated approach towards the media, interactive, analogue and digital realms to leverage scale and technological innovation for advertisers.

Drew takes on the managing director position of Starcom Worldwide, Malaysia while Wong is his counterpart at MediaVest and Optimedia.

Yean was promoted to be Starcom Worldwide's general manager last year from the director of client service.

Drew has been on board with Starcom since 2007 and was previously the general manager in charge of the Procter & Gamble Malaysia account which he will still handle.

Wong, VivaKi's release said, has been instrumental in her six years with MediaVest in retaining some of its key clients like Petronas, Honda and Media Prima and he will be leading 20 media specialists in MediaVest and Optimedia.

Yap Chee Weng, CEO, VivaKi Malaysia said: "These promotions herald the closing of ranks within our core brands as we strengthen our senior management within Malaysia to lead charge into 2009."

Confident with the new managers' talents, Yap said their understanding of consumer motivation will enable to map the current dynamic media industry.

"I have every confidence that they will flourish in their new leadership roles as they capture the opportunities arising from the rough economic outlook of this year," he said, pledging Starcom, MediaVest and Optimedia's continuous operations independently to develop tools, partnerships and customised solutions for clients.