Link Group taps ad vet Paul Sidharta, Iwet Ramadhan to drive brand and creative growth

Indonesia-based Link Group has appointed adland veteran Paul Sidharta (pictured right) as chief creative officer and cultural strategist Iwet Ramadhan (pictured far right) as chief operating officer, as the independent creative group enters its next phase of regional expansion and brand visibility.

The appointments signal a strategic shift for Link Group, best known for its dominance in operational media and content delivery, as it transforms into a next-generation brand and IP platform for Southeast Asia.

Sidharta, who has spent more than 30 years across agencies such as JWT, TBWA, and ADNA, brings a wealth of experience working on Unilever, Givaudan and Diageo across global and regional campaigns. He will lead Link’s creative subsidiary and drive its evolution across its media, production, digital, and branded content network.

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Joining alongside him, Ramadhan takes on the COO role with a remit spanning brand, PR, community, and IP development.

The former media executive and co-founder of content ventures such as the YOLO podcast and Dvet TikTok live show brings a deep network and proven track record in cultural content, having worked with brands such as Pantene, Sunlight, Blu, Collagena, and Bvlgari.

“Link Group stood out to me more than a name, it's a mindset about connecting people, ideas, and purpose. It represents everything the future needs: agility, humility, and a bias for action and results. What they’ve built behind the scenes is phenomenal, and now, it’s time to step forward and tell that story," said Sidharta. 

“I’ve always operated at the intersection of building brands and cultural systems that move people. What Link has built in scale, we’re now here to shape into a future-proof brand and IP value," added Iwet. 

Founded in 2014 by Irsan and Nadya Yapto, Link Group pioneered built-in marketing at scale through its flagship entity Adlink, producing thousands of brand integrations across TV, film and digital content.

The group now commands the second-highest TV media spend in Indonesia, with built-in share across national FTA and presence in Singapore, Vietnam, and a growing footprint in China.

“This marks a new chapter for Link Group,” said Irsan Yapto, co-founder and CEO.

“We’ve spent the last decade building the infrastructure and scale behind some of the region’s most successful campaigns, often without public credit," added Yapto. 

In tandem, Nadya Yapto, co-founder and CMO said “Paul and Iwet bring the kind of leadership that doesn’t just deliver campaigns; they build ecosystems — and that’s exactly what this next chapter calls for."

The appointments come as Link Group prepares to celebrate its 11th anniversary this August and amid a flurry of senior creative moves across the region. 

Earlier in July, Ogilvy Indonesia named Andrew Low as executive creative director, marking his return to the agency after nearly five years.

Low, who previously led creative at Ogilvy Beijing, takes over from Peter Hibberd and now reports to chief creative officer Patrick Knowlton. Speaking to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE earlier in July, Low said his focus is to “raise the creative bar [and] quality of Ogilvy Indonesia, as well as developing the creative talent here,” as the network sharpens its creative intent in one of Southeast Asia’s most competitive markets.

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