Soon quits XM, joins Iris

• Soon quits XM APAC
• Joins Iris as MD, APAC
•  Remit to grow digital business
  

Regional - Continuing with its hiring spree, integrated marketing agency Iris has recruited XM Asia Pacific's managing director Paul Soon as managing director of its digital operation across Asia Pacific.

Soon, is a well-known figure in  the region's digital industry, having held managerial positions in agencies such as Saatchi & Saatchi, Arc Worldwide and AKQA during the past nine years.

In his new role, Soon will be tasked to head Iris' digital operations for its offices across the region, that including markets like Singapore, India and Sydney, with offices to launch in Dubai, China and Indonesia among others in 2009. He will report to Richard Bleasdale, Iris' regional CEO for Asia Pacific.

"Digital marketing already represents a significant amount of our business across our Singapore, Sydney and Delhi offices - Paul will play a key role in shaping our client's digital strategies and attracting more world-class digital talent to the iris network across the region," Bleasdale said.

The appointments of Soon, comes close on the heels of Iris naming Craig Mapleston as managing director of its Singapore office this year and Bleasdale as regional CEO last year.

Soon starts this May and will advise Iris' regional clients, which include Sony Ericsson, Adidas and Diageo.