Ogilvy Beijing strengthens strategic planning

National - Ogilvy Group has appointed Joan Liu and Saurabh Sharma as strategic planning directors based in the Beijing office.

In her new role, Liu will be responsible for strategic planning for selected MNCs and local clients while Sharma will be responsible for key multi-national FMCG clients and agency research initiatives. Their roles include mentoring the agency's local planning staff.

"The role of planner is getting more important in this industry as it helps boost the quality of work and client services. Nowadays, planners are very rare in the market; these appointments give us the opportunity to heighten the planning team here at Ogilvy," Mickey Chak, group planning partner for Ogilvy China said.

"Joan's experience as both a creative and a planner strengthens the connection between consumer insights and creative outputs, while Saurabh has been recognized for the quality of his thought leadership initiatives. Together, they serve as mentors to our local staff and help cultivate their planning skills," Shenan Chuang, CEO for Ogilvy China and President of Ogilvy & Mather Advertising, China said.

Liu was previously in planning at a creative agency in Beijing prior to her new appointment. Her background includes being a creative and has spent 14 years in the marketing field, working in both Taiwan and Mainland China.

Sharma was previously planning director for Ogilvy Mumbai's Discovery and planning team before joining Ogilvy Beijing.