Zeno Group picks Margaret Key for new APAC CEO role

Zeno Group has appointed Margaret Key (pictured) to the newly-created position of CEO, Zeno Asia Pacific, effective today. In her new role, Key will join Zeno’s global leadership team and oversee staff in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Australia. This also includes the network of Zeno+ partners across the region. Key will be based in Seoul, Korea, for the role.She brings with her extensive industry leadership experience throughout North and South Asia, most recently as leader of AxiCom, Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW)’s global technology brand, across Asia. This was following the merger of Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe to form BCW. Prior to that, she was CEO, Asia Pacific for Burson-Marsteller, where she managed a diverse portfolio across 17 offices in eight countries.Before that, she served as MD for Edelman in Korea and Japan, and previously held communications positions with Hyundai and Hilton in Seoul, Korea. Among her major client relationships, Key has counseled and led pan-Asia communications for Huawei, Ford Motor, Delta, Bayer and LG.“We are thrilled to have someone of Key’s high profile and calibre join Zeno in Asia Pacific, a vitally important region as our business continues to expand and globalise. In addition to her deft leadership skills, Key understands the balance of local experience and global strategy.  This is especially important as more and more of our clients look to us for an integrated Asia solution," said Barby K. Siegel, CEO of Zeno Group.“Zeno’s fearless, entrepreneurial culture is the perfect place for me, and the ideal opportunity at this time given their incredible momentum globally and commitment specifically to expanding in Asia. It’s also a welcome return for me to the Daniel J. Edelman family, where my career first began,” Key said.Zeno’s client portfolio in APAC features brands such as Lenovo, Wuling Motors, Netflix, Intel, Prudential, Johnson & Johnson and Temasek.Earlier this year, Zeno Asia Pacific MD John Kerr made a return to Edelman as its vice chairman, digital and performance for its Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa markets. Confirming the move to Marketing, a Zeno Group spokesperson said that moving forward, Zeno Asia Pacific will be led by three managing directors in APAC. The individuals are Matt Collette in Singapore, David Lian in Malaysia and Papri Dev in India.