Ogilvy Thailand appoints chief executive

Ogilvy Thailand has appointed Jiravara Virayavardhana (pictured) to be its new chief executive. She will be overseeing all aspects of business performances, people management, and client relationships for the company, as well as implementing the strategic direction of creativity powered by data and technology that has an impact. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Ogilvy Thailand for more information.

Virayavardhana first joined Ogilvy Thailand in 1995 and has held various senior positions including the managing director of Ogilvy Thailand. She also held the role of managing director of Ogilvy Public Relations for eight years. According to a statement from Ogilvy, she has experience in handling various blue chip international and local clients across industries, from consumer goods, food and nutrition, retail, health, beauty, fashion, and technology, as well as cooperation with large government agencies and NGOs. 

The company also said that throughout the past 27 years that she's been with Ogilvy, Virayavardhana has "demonstrated an understanding of clients’ brands and businesses, along with the consumers’ wants and needs" while "using creativity, data, and technology to turn challenges into achievements". 

Virayavardhana said to help clients at a challenging time, moving forward Ogilvy will focus on making works that create an impact in vital areas such as: 
-Impact for people: showing how the products and services make people’s lives better and easier. Impact for Planet: demonstrating the brands’ contribution to improving our community, society, and the world we live in. 
-Impact for performance: while accelerating growth for brands and businesses sustainably. We will be the driver for positive change through this Impact Framework, and we will bring our people, our clients, and our industry forward with us.

"What I aim to do under this new role is to spread this belief to our clients and partners. Faced with today’s challenges, we could not simply rely on the same strategies and tactics to help us get by. We need to differentiate ourselves through our work and transform the ways we do our business," she said.

Virayavardhana added “I am very pleased and honoured to be at the helm of Ogilvy Thailand.To me and all Ogilvy people, what makes us different is our unique ability to use creativity to solve our clients’ problems – from the way we discover insights to the way we produce our works. So, no matter how dynamic the trends, as long as we can wield our creativity effectively, we can create great works that has real impact on real life.”

Nopadol Srikieatikajohn, Ogilvy Thailand chairman explained that throughout her time with Ogilvy, Virayavardhana has devoted herself for the growth of the company and clients’ businesses. "She immersed herself in the challenges and rose above all with effective and sustainable solutions. The works under her supervision did not only shape people’s affections, but also their thoughts and behaviours, and went on to create ripple effects that transformed our society for the better. She is a true female icon who is loved and respected not just within the Ogilvy network, but by the wider communication community. I believe that, with her new, well-deserved role, Jiravara will continue to empower her people and bring our company forward with her unmatched business and emotional intelligence,” Srikieatikajohn added. 
 
Earlier this month, Ogilvy Thailand appointed Gumpon Laksanajinda as its new chief creative officer.  Laksanajinda would provide creative leadership, strengthen and diversify Ogilvy’s creative capabilities, and empower teams across all creative functions in his new role. He would use his craftsmanship and skills to maintain Ogilvy’s standard of producing works. 

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