Golin bolsters healthcare pursuits in APAC

Interpublic Group (IPG) agency Golin has recently hired Victor Joseph “VJ” Yamat as managing director to lead the firm’s healthcare pursuits in Asia Pacific. Yamat is based in Golin’s regional hub in Singapore. He reports to Neera Chaudhary, global president of healthcare. A medical doctor by training, Yamat has 16 years of agency experience across Asia, which covers public relations, medical communications, medical education, advertising, digital marketing, and patient and HCP activation. Yamat formerly led McCann Health in the Philippines where he also served as vice president for McCann Worldgroup. Prior to that, he was the first employee of Publicis Healthcare Communications Group in Greater China, where he served as senior vice president for the agency’s multiple healthcare agencies. He also previously headed Ogilvy Commonhealth Worldwide (then called Ogilvy Healthworld) in Singapore and Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide in the Philippines. Most recently, he was with Havas Health & You for six years as managing director for Asia Pacific. “Golin has been ramping up its healthcare capabilities globally with key acquisitions and strategic hires. We are confident that with Yamat’s unique specialist and business credentials, Golin will lead the way towards progressive healthcare public relations and medical education in Asia Pacific,” said Chaudhary. “Yamat is a proven business builder and is a terrific addition to the team in Singapore and across the region. We’re excited about healthcare’s potential and what progressive public relations can deliver for companies in the sector,” said Tarun Deo, regional MD Singapore and Southeast Asia of Golin. Yamat recognises that there is “no room for error and inefficiency in such a challenging and dynamic market” for healthcare clients. “My discussions with Chaudhary and Deo show that Golin is in it for the long game and committed to fielding the deepest bench available – providing access to Golin’s g4 model, and ensuring that clients win big, much like Golin’s corporate, consumer and technology clients,” he said.