Ogilvy MY restructures, Nizwani Shahar vacates CEO role

Ogilvy Malaysia is restructuring under an united leadership in order to become more cost-effective. As a result of the reorganisation, the position of Ogilvy Malaysia CEO will be eliminated, and Nizwani Shahar will no longer serve as CEO of the Malaysian market.

She has held the position for around three years and is a well-known figure in Malaysia’s advertising sector, having held positions such as managing partner of Ogilvy before being appointed to the chief executive. She is also the vice president of 4As Malaysia.

As of 2021, a newly integrated leadership team will provide cross-functional operational management as part of a new organisational structure.

According to Ogilvy, the new structure was linked with a global direction in order to deliver integrated solutions for the company’s five key businesses: growth and innovation; advertising, brand, and content; PR and influence; experience; and health.

Being the youngest top executive in the Malaysian advertising industry is a difficult accomplishment. However, if anyone were to defy the odds, it would be Nizwani Shahar.

Nizwani, who possesses natural leadership characteristics, a great deal of persistence, and a guiding philosophy of placing service above self, has never allowed her age or gender to be obstacles; rather, she has utilised these qualities to her advantage.

With her expertise in strategic planning and business growth, she swiftly ascended the ranks and is now, at the age of 38, the ex-CEO of Ogilvy Malaysia, making her one of the youngest ex-CEOs in the area and one of the few female creative industry executives in Malaysia.

While others may believe Nizwani is too young for the part and may not be qualified for the job, she has transformed any negatives into great qualities.

Instead of attempting to be “one of the boys,” she has demonstrated how her empathy and intuition may encourage a better conclusion.

The perception that she was “too young to be a CEO” has made her most attuned to the interests of new consumers and helped her to be on the cutting edge of technology and innovation.

Nizwani exemplifies an empathy-driven leadership style, coupled with razor-sharp strategic planning and company growth talents, which has shown to be an irresistible combination.

Nizwani establishes a high standard for women leaders in Malaysia by pushing the limits of what is possible.

We approached Tony Savarimuthu, the first Malaysian to be made Group CEO of McCann Worldgroup in Malaysia and Singapore, IAA Hall of Famer, and former 4As Malaysia President who shared, “This is disappointing news to hear regardless of the corporate circumstances.

Nizwani is a noted talent and highly dedicated leader in the industry with a number of firsts when appointed to lead Ogilvy in Malaysia. I’m sure she will move on from here to more significant achievements in the future.”

Marketing Magazine wishes her the best of luck in her future endeavors.