JWT's Valerie Cheng leaves agency, joins Facebook

After five years with J. Walter Thompson Singapore, including two as chief creative officer, Valerie Cheng (pcitured) is moving on to a new role as head of Creative Shop for Southeast Asia at Facebook.Victor Ng, who has been recently named ECD for J. Walter Thompson Singapore, will assume creative leadership of the agency.Facebook has been making a slew of agency hires the past year. Just last month, former Mindshare CEO Seckold was appointed as head of Facebook’s Atlas team for APAC. In December 2014, Facebook named Maxus’ global chief client officer Neil Stewart as its Asia Pacific head of agency.Cheng will stay on until mid February, working closely with Ng, the agency’s senior creatives and management team to ensure a smooth transition.“Cheng has been a wonderful creative leader and helped make J. Walter Thompson Singapore a recognised creative powerhouse, not only in Singapore but also on the global stage,” Peter Womersley, CEO of J. Walter Thompson Singapore, said.“She has built a world-class creative team who will continue to deliver superb thinking under Ng’s stewardship and although she will be a loss to the agency world, I am pleased that she will maintain a close affiliation with JWT and our clients in her new role at Facebook.”“My tenure at J. Walter Thompson has taught me so much about creativity and leadership. I had a wonderful run in recent years with many amazing clients, who have all shown me what great partnership can do. As hard as it is to leave our wonderful team, I know I am leaving the agency in safe hands with Ng. I am now ready to take on new challenges and push my capabilities in a new and exciting domain,” said Cheng.Ng is a Singaporean creative whose career spans London, China and Southeast Asia.  He has worked as Southeast Asia chief creative officer at both Havas and Euro RSCG, ECD at DDB Shanghai and creative director at Mother in London.Ng has worked on a range of brands including Coca Cola, McDonald’s, PepsiCo, DBS bank and NTUC FairPrice.