Rowden takes top Saatchi role

Regional - Former chief marketer at Wendy's International, Ian Rowden, has replaced Jim O'Mahony as chairman and chief executive officer at Saatchi & Saatchi Asia Pacific.

Based in Sydney, Rowden will report directly to Kevin Roberts, worldwide CEO at Saatchi & Saatchi. Prior to his appointment, Rowden worked as a chief marketer at Wendy's International. He stepped down for family reasons in December 2007.

The Australian native started his career at Coca-Cola in Sydney where he was responsible for Coca-Cola business in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea, eventually moving on to become vice president-director of Worldwide Advertising for the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta.

"Asia is experiencing change on a quantum scale, with progress fueled by education, hard work, timeless values and vast numbers of people. Someone with Ian's unique ability and knowledge of the region and its dynamics will be an asset in building success and strong emotional connections," Roberts said.