Updated: Lowe China the next stop for Batey ECD

Singapore - Batey ECD, Ng Tian It will leave the agency to join Lowe China as ECD based in Shanghai and in charge of the China region including Hong Kong - Bates Asia ECD, Robert Gaxiola will replace him at Batey.

The news comes less than seven months after Ng joined Batey from McCann Erickson helping the agency stabilise after the SIA loss, and winning new business such as Mitsubishi and more recently Qatar Airways and German furnishing company, Domicil.

"The allure of China - it had never crossed my mind before but I've been very successful in Singapore and now it is timely for me to go for it. It'll be a different type of challenge from my times at McCann and Batey that's for sure. At McCann I was brought in to improve its creative profile which I did, while at Batey it was more about stability and winning new business which we have done," Ng said.

The challenge at Lowe China he says will be to make the agency a big player in the market.

"Lowe is not a big player but they want to be one, and it wont be easy - the market is tough, advertising over there isn't so sophisticated, its not primitive, but it just isn't as sophisticated yet," he said.

In his new role, which begins 1 November, Ng will report directly to Lowe China chairman and CEO, Kitty Lun and both of will be responsible for running the entire China operations servicing regional clients such as Unilever and Johnson & Johnson, as well as local clients like Reebok.

“The search for the Executive Creative Director for Lowe China was a long process. We set out to look for a Chinese with award-winning track record, respected internationally and has strong leadership. When I met Tian It, I knew we had found the right one. We need someone who has the passion for outstanding work and at the same time understand the reality of business. I know we were competing with other agencies, networks and countries for this talent. I guess it was Lowe’s sincerity, unwavering determination, as well as where we are at in our rebuilding process. Lowe has gone through a period of re-focusing our effort in reclaiming our creative quality and reputation. I certainly look forward to building greatness with Tian It and put Lowe back on the China map," Lun said.

Ng's last day at Batey is on 12 October, and although he was there for a short spell, he was more than satisfied at the job he had done, and said the recent Qatar Airways global win had "gone a long way to stabilising Batey".

In a press release statement, Batey CEO, Alan Fairnington said that after the Singapore Airlines disappointment, people thought Batey was out for the count.

"I can't think of a more exciting job in Singapore. My mission came from the very top and it's a very clear mission - to put Batey back to where it should be. Over the past ten years in Singapore, Rob has built a formidable reputation for creative excellence. I was keen to get him on board because he has an integrated communications perspective which matches Batey's strategic direction," he said.