Asia Pacific and Australian Offerings Strengthened with Two Senior Promotions

Weber Shandwick has announced two senior promotions that will further strengthen the agency’s service offering across the Asia Pacific region. 

Ian Rumsby, currently managing director for Australia, has been appointed to the new role of executive vice president for client strategy in Asia Pacific.  Emma-Jane (EJ) Granleese, currently senior vice president and creative director in the firm's Sydney-based Australian operation, will take over office leadership as general manager.

Ian will work closely with Andrew Pirie, president of Weber Shandwick, Asia Pacific, to enhance the firm’s service offerings for its leading global and regional clients.

Andrew commented: "A sharpened focus on major multi-market clients has been a key driver of our recent growth across Asia Pacific.  Ian's appointment will enable us to further strengthen our key client relationships and is testament to our ongoing commitment to raise the quality and depth of our client service offering.”

EJ will take on the leadership of the firm's growing Australian operation with a remit to build a broader service base in support of client needs. “In her five years with the firm, EJ has made a tremendous contribution to our business, building strong relationships with key clients such as Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Singapore Airlines and Nestle,” said Andrew.

Ian will remain in Sydney, working closely with EJ in the provision of senior advice and counsel to key Australian clients.  Ian and EJ will formally take up their new roles on 1 July 2006.

	Weber Shandwick to Sponsor First Ever "Student of the Year" Category

Who will become the first ever “Public Relations Student of the Year” in Asia Pacific?

The crème-de-la-crème of young PR talent are set to fight it out to become the first ever Asia Pacific PR Awards “Student of the Year”.

Weber Shandwick has partnered with Media magazine to sponsor the newly introduced “Student of the Year” category.  University students across the region will have the chance of winning a cash prize and a three-month paid internship with Weber Shandwick.  A similar category has been offered in the PRWeek Awards in the US for a number of years, of which Weber Shandwick has sponsored more than six consecutive times.  

As part of the criteria, students will be required to develop a PR strategy that responds to the needs of a 'real-life' mock-client experience. A shortlist of up to five candidates will then be selected to pitch their campaigns to a panel of esteemed judges, and from there a winner and a runner-up will be chosen.

All shortlisted candidates will receive two paid trips to Hong Kong: one for the judging day, one for the awards ceremony in November.  

The winning student will receive a cash prize of US$5000; a trophy; and a three-month paid internship at one of Weber Shandwick’s offices in Asia Pacific. The runner-up will receive a cash prize (US$1000); a trophy; and a three-month paid internship at Weber Shandwick as well. 

For more information, contact Katrina Foxe, at kfoxe@webershandwick.com.

	Patient Power on the Rise in Asia

Survey coverage was tracked in media in Asia and the U.S.

The healthcare survey recently conducted by Weber Shandwick in Hong Kong set out to prove the hypothesis that patients in Asia are becoming increasingly resourceful and proactive in making decisions about their personal health. 

Weber Shandwick established an objective to determine whether traditional and/or online media is influencing Asian consumers’ attitudes and behaviours towards their health.  The survey results concluded that patient power is certainly rising in Asia.  Patients in Asia want and need more health information and the better the information, the more assertive they are.  They are also asking for specific prescriptions and are getting their prescription requests, no longer relying only on doctors for reassurance. 

Extensive media in several countries covered the story.  Senior healthcare experts from around the network continue to present the results to clients and healthcare groups.

For more information about the survey, or healthcare in Asia Pacific, contact Jill Mortensen at jmortensen@websershandwick.com

	Chan to Lead Learning and Development in Asia

Patrick Chan

Patrick Chan has been appointed to the new position of learning and development director for Weber Shandwick as well as a number of other IPG brands across Asia Pacific. Patrick will be based in his native city of Hong Kong and will provide training solutions for the region.

Patrick has 17 years of learning and development experience across a variety of industries. He has developed and delivered training programs in the areas of leadership, coaching, communications, negotiations, team building and presentation skills. He previously held training positions with Sun Microsystems, Reuters China, Sino Land Company and Lucent Technologies.

Patrick has worked throughout Asia Pacific (including several years in Beijing) and is fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and English.

	View from the Top: Weber Shandwick in the U.S. and Europe

Weber Shandwick in the U.S. and Europe have been on a roll over the last few months: top marks were achieved in Paul Holmes’ Agency Report Card; six wins were presented at the U.S. SABRE Awards and five at the European SABRE Awards; and the agency was named “pre-eminent global behemoth in the PR world” by PRWeek in the U.S.

Weber Shandwick was touted as “the gold standard” in Paul Holmes’ recently-released annual Agency Report Card. The report also cited the agency’s corporate culture, with Weber Shandwick scoring the highest marks of any of the large, publicly-traded full-service agencies in the related “Best Agencies to Work For” study.  The strength of Weber Shandwick’s practice areas were another highlight: “No other firm can match the depth and breadth of Weber Shandwick’s expertise,” the report card said. 

At the SABRE Awards dinner in New York, Weber Shandwick took home six awards for outstanding client work in the corporate, consumer, technology and employee communications areas. At the European SABRE awards in Berlin, Weber Shandwick won more awards in more markets than any other agency. The five wins recognised Weber Shandwick's work in Belgium, Spain, The Netherlands and the UK.

	Taiwan Office Welcomes Lin as Director

Margaret Lin

Weber Shandwick in Taiwan has appointed Margaret Lin as director of the technology practice. Margaret has experience in strategic PR planning, account management, international business-brand management and organisational communications.

With over seven years’ PR experience, Margaret has extensive knowledge of FMCG, pharmaceutical, foreign agriculture and fruit, food and beverage, and consumer-oriented high-tech industries.

Prior joining to Weber Shandwick, Margaret served in Bozell FCB, Sunkist Growers Inc., and iAm Interactive Media Company.

	New Staff and Promotions in Hong Kong

Scott Sykes	Elizabeth Underhill

Scott Sykes joins the Weber Shandwick office in Hong Kong as the new director of the technology practice. Before joining Weber Shandwick, Scott spent almost eight years with IBM in New York. In addition, Elizabeth Underhill, who has been with Weber Shandwick in Hong Kong for more than five years, was promoted to associate director.

In these new roles, Scott and Elizabeth will continue to strengthen the corporate/finance and technology practices in Hong Kong which have undergone significant growth in the last few years.

	Millar to Lead Marketing and New Business Development in Japan

David Millar

David Millar has been appointed to the new position of marketing & new business development director in Japan. David will be responsible for developing and coordinating new business opportunities for Weber Shandwick focusing on multinational firms in Japan and Japanese firms operating around the globe.

David previously worked as the Asia Pacific marketing & communications director for Toyota. He is originally from Australia and has lived in Japan for over ten years.

	Asia Pacific Exchange Program 2006

This year’s Asia Pacific Exchange Program kicked off with the announcement of five exchanges in the region for the first half of 2006. The Exchange Program is a regional initiative that was launched last year to give Weber Shandwick employees a taste for different markets and cultures to help increase their experience, strengthen their skills and advance regional accounts.

The ‘exchangees’ are nominated by their managing directors based on business rationale and individual merit and have the opportunity to travel to another Weber Shandwick office in Asia Pacific for at least two weeks.

"The program benefits both employees and clients," said Shobha Devi, human resources director, Asia Pacific. "It helps to increase skills and the knowledge base of our service offering".  

Upon completion of their exchange and return to office, ‘exchangees’ are required to provide a "lunch and learn" session to share with their colleagues their experiences and the knowledge gained during their exchange.