PHD China expands senior management team with Susan Suo and Jim Lerch

With the announcement of two key hires for its Beijing office, PHD China has expanded its senior management team. Joining the agency are Susan Suo as general manager for global business and Jim Lerch as managing partner for Volkswagen. Both Suo (pictured left) and Lerch (pictured right) will be based out of Beijing with their appointments taking effect immediately. Suo will be leading a new global media management team for PHD China’s outbound international clients and Lerch will be overseeing its VW China brand team, collaborating with partner agencies and working on integrated solutions. They will report into PHD China CEO, Anna Chitty, with their appointments taking effect immediately.Commenting on the hires, Chitty, said: “This is an exciting time of growth for PHD China. Both Susan and Jim, who very much match PHD’s culture, bring unique perspectives to our fast-growing Beijing business and I’m excited to see what we will achieve together.”Suo goes to PHD with over 18 years of experience in strategic media communications under her belt. She has previously held senior positions at Zenith Media, OMD, GroupM, and Samsung Electronics. Her experience stretches across various industries including FMCG, IT, telco and Pharmaceuticals, with previous clients including Nestle, Xi’an Johnson, Nokia, Siemens, LG, and Intel.Meanwhile, Lerch brings over 15 years of experience in multinational ad agencies with him. These include a mix of Chinese corporations, start-ups, emerging tech, government, and international organizations. Prior to PHD, Lerch served with London-based ad-tech company Mirriad as general manager for China. There he successfully launched new integrated content solutions. Lerch also possesses experience working on auto brands in China, including Ford, Skoda, and auto-financing app Tangeche.