Changes afoot at The Brand Union

Singapore - The Brand Union (TBU) CEO for APAC, Neil Hudspeth intends to, in the near future, make Singapore its regional SE Asian hub following the arrival of the agency's Paris MD, Ismael Ibnoulouafi to replace outgoing Singapore MD Jacqueline Thng.

Thng is currently serving notice.

Hudspeth says once Ibnoulouafi, who joins in August, settles into his new role SE Asia offices such as Malaysia and Indonesia will report to Ibnoulouafi.

"Our business has been growing about 42% this year and I have been looking to expand our team. Good talents are hard to find and it is easy to hire the wrong talent so we have been taking our time," Hudspeth said. 

Part of the plan includes GM for Blue Marlin Brand Design, Bangkok, Graham Hitchmough joining the Signapore office in June as senior client services director while in Malaysia, Balachandran C. Navaratnam joins as GM from Leo Burnett Malaysia. Navaratnam will head the office and is tasked to build the business, expand the team as well as maintain its relationship with current clients.

However, TBU Singapore looks set to lose senior consultant Angela Yeo, who leaves TBU Singapore today, but Hudspeth says a TBU return for Yeo might not be far-off. He says Yeo has been offered a position to relocate to another TBU office in the Middle East but Yeo has yet to make a decision. She could not be reached for comment.

In the interim Hudspeth will be handle the accounts previously managed by Thng and Yeo.