W Communications expands into Malaysia, names new leader

Independent agency W Communications is launching in Malaysia with a dedicated Malaysia-based team, appointing Kiersten Chaik as country manager to lead the market and accelerate growth.

Chaik brings over 15 years of agency and strategic communications experience, including more than seven years at BCW, where she served as executive vice president, managing director and market lead. She has led both consumer and corporate briefs, spanning brand launches, executive visibility and reputation mandates, while coordinating multi-market delivery across international teams. She has also worked with the likes of Edelman and Team Lewis.

Under her guidance, the Malaysia team will provide senior counsel and day-to-day client support across consumer, corporate and integrated communications, partnering closely with W’s Singapore headquarters to deliver seamless regional support.

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According to the agency, this expansion reflects W’s long-term commitment to the Malaysian market, with an enhanced physical footprint being developed as the business scales across consumer and corporate communications, supported by integrated campaigns spanning earned, social and KOL partnerships.

“Malaysia is a market where reputation, culture and commercial ambition intersect in ways that demand both local acuity and regional consistency,” said Robin Chang, general manager, APAC, W Communications Asia. This launch builds on W’s experience in Malaysia and marks the next step in W’s APAC growth strategy.

“We’re seeing more regional decision-making and investment concentrate here, and clients want senior counsel that can move at speed. This expansion gives us a sharper Malaysia lens while staying tightly connected to our APAC engine in delivering integrated work across markets without friction,” Chang added.

The agency is taking a phased approach that prioritises senior leadership, speed of delivery and integrated capability from day one, while staying closely connected to W’s regional bench in Singapore. As client demand grows, W will continue to invest in Malaysia to expand capacity and deepen its presence in market.

“APAC is one of the biggest growth opportunities for W, and Malaysia will be central to how we scale in the region,” said Warren Johnson, founder and CEO, W Communications Group. “We’re here for one reason: to help clients grow. That takes clear strategic counsel, integrated execution that actually delivers, and creative solutions built for commercial impact.”

The Malaysia team will work closely with W’s specialist operators, including HelloFranses!, W Communications’ creator-first consultancy recently launched in APAC, to strengthen creator-led and social-first thinking within integrated communications. Through sharper creator strategy, influencer partnerships and content-led amplification, this collaboration will help clients build relevance and impact across earned, social and influence.

“I’m excited to take on this role and to build W Malaysia with real momentum. This is a market where consumers are quick to choose, quicker to switch, and brutally honest about what feels real. We’ll bring sharp local insight, integrated execution across earned, social and creators, and creative ideas that people actually want to talk about. The aim is simple: make brands more relevant, more loved, and ready to grow,” said Chaik.

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