WPP shifts Randy Duax to Asia to head up talent

WPP has moved its New York-based VP of executive recruitment Randy Duax to Singapore to take on the role of WPP talent director, Asia. Duax steps in to replace Jean-Michel Wu, who leaves WPP after 10 years, including five years at Ogilvy & Mather.Marketing was unable to contact Wu at press time and a WPP release did not mention any details.From 1 October, Duax will be responsible for senior talent acquisition and talent management across the Asia Pacific region, overseeing recruiting teams in Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney, and Tokyo. Duax brings strong experience in senior-level hires, including in digital and new media areas. In New York, he was responsible for senior executive recruitment across the digital assets in North America, with a particular focus on strategic digital hires.Prior to joining WPP in 2012, Randy spent eight years at The Howard-Sloan-Koller Group, a boutique executive search firm servicing the advertising and media industries. He quickly rose through the ranks at HSK to become Managing Director, overseeing the firm’s advertising and marketing practice. "As a faster-growing region, Asia is seeing increased demand for new talent and skill sets, driven by a rapidly evolving marketplace and the need to provide greater value to clients,” Duax said via a statement. “I look forward to the opportunity to help build upon the amazing work that our teams have been doing in Asia." Frances Illingworth, WPP’s Global Recruitment Director, added that at WPP in North America, Duax made an outstanding contribution, particularly in the digital space. "I believe his experience will be of enormous value to the future of our business in the Asia region,” Illingworth said. Illingworth thanked Jean-Michel for his strong contributions to establishing WPP's talent offering across the region."We wish him well in his future endeavors,” Illingworth said.