IPG Mediabrands Malaysia's chief investment officer departs

IPG Mediabrands Malaysia's chief investment officer (CIO) Stephanie Foong, has departed after six years with the company, amid the ongoing integration of the global Omnicom-IPG merger.

She made an announcement in a LinkedIn post this morning, reflecting on her chapter as CIO. "It has been an incredible journey — leading a passionate team, strengthening client partnerships, and driving new capabilities and growth opportunities across the organisation," she shared. "I’m grateful for the trust, collaboration, and shared ambition that made this role so fulfilling."

Foong also shared that she will be taking some time to reflect and reset, but remains excited about the possibilities ahead. "With over 28 years in media leadership and investment strategy, I’m looking forward to exploring new opportunities where I can continue creating meaningful impact for brands and teams," she shared. 

Don't miss: Anwer Khan to lead OMD Malaysia as Mayank Bhatnagar steps down

Foong has been the agency’s CIO since July 2024, overseeing investment strategy and performance over the past year and a half. Before that, she was the head of Orion for over four years under the IPG umbrella. 

She joined IPG Mediabrands Malaysia from Mindshare, where she was the client leadership director for two and a half years. Foong was also previously at Starcom MediaVest Group Malaysia, Optimedia, Mediaedge:cia, Initiative Media, FCB Malaysia, OMD, Batey Ads and Royal Selangor International. 

Foong's departure comes after Omnicom’s announcement of its restructure after completing its US$13.3 billion takeover on 1 December. This is also amidst other major leadership updates within Omnicom and IPG Mediabrands Malaysia, where A+M reported that Darren Yuen (former IPG Mediabrands Malaysia CEO) has been appointed as the new CEO of Omnicom Media Group (OMG) Malaysia, reporting to Eileen Ooi, who will double hat as the executive integration lead for OMG Malaysia, and president of PHD APAC.

Following which, A+M has also learned that Winnie Chen-Head, CEO of OMG Malaysia, and Mayank Bhatnagar, managing director of OMD Malaysia, have left their roles. In place, Anwer Khan has been appointed to lead OMD Malaysia. Khan joins from Initiative, where he was managing director, chief strategy officer, data, analytics, and MarTech lead.

This news also comes as Leigh Terry exits his role as CEO of IPG Mediabrands APAC as the Omnicom–IPG merger triggered a major leadership consolidation across the region. Omnicom Media APAC CEO Tony Harradine had also announced the agency's new leadership structure in an internal memo on 2 December.

Related articles:
Omnicom Media unveils new leadership structure for APAC
Darren Yuen to lead OMG Malaysia, reporting to Eileen Ooi
Omnicom to shutter longstanding agencies, cut 4,000 jobs following IPG merger