BY THE HAMMER – Mild-mannered CEO of Omnicom Media Group (OMG) Malaysia Andreas Vogiatzakis (pronunciation in our headline) is a man who loves his adopted homeland Malaysia as much as all of us. The politically correct may challenge his charm offensive when it comes to bettering things in the industry but Andreas is a man with a mission. No fly on the wall, he started his career at DMB&B in New York and a voyage that spanned three continents and six countries. In 1997, he Looked East to launch Media Vest and saw through to the establishment of the Starcom Media Vest Group in Japan. AV later moved to Taiwan to head market leader Mindshare group. 10 years ago, he joined OMG Malaysia and has not looked back since….his next stop: CEO of Havas Media Group Malaysia.
When marketingmagazine.com.my mentioned your move to Havas 3 months ago, you told us to pull the story. What happened?
Well Ham, you did the right thing.. I am not playing safe but playing sure. I want to do the right thing, and not sensationalise my forward moves. The right time is now, as the official news release has already come out from Havas. I do things out of respect and for all involved to take the necessary steps. Rocking the boat, letting rumours fly and fuelling industry talk to drive the conversation are not my style. Having said that, you were right from day one. Thank you for your patience.
Recent moves by heads of media specialist agencies have seen an exodus of senior staff and clients following them to their new postings….
I hope the OMG team will carry on the great work they have been doing. They have all the tools and all the support. And in recent years, have been sizzling on the awards circuit! Nothing will give me greater pride than to see them reach even greater heights.
After three decades in the media business, what will be new for you in this role at Havas?
I did this 20 years ago. Landing in Asia with zero local knowledge to establish Media Vest in Japan. Having the chance to create a brand new start is both sexy and exciting as I always loved the challenge of building. In Malaysia first it was OMD, and then OMG as a group.
Havas has an innovative and sophisticated approach to media. In Southeast Asia, Havas Media has evolved as one of the most interesting media agencies both in terms of offering and performance. The entrepreneur in me was itching to take on new challenges and I have found the right fit in Havas Media. I will also be responsible for the launch of our specialist brands Mobext, Socialyse, Affiperf and Easels, to deliver the Havas Village proposition in Malaysia.
You are probably the most active media practitioner in Malaysia when it comes to sharing your knowledge to budding talent in Malaysia…
This is the time we need to push more as an industry Ham, and with one voice. We are at a critical crossroad and need to make our industry desired again. I am passionate about driving change and unity. I see my role as a pure catalyst and that will be my raison d’être.
Andreas is President of the Media Specialists Association (MSA) and Chair of the Joint Industry Committee (JIC), tasked to evaluate and resolve the current TV measurement in Malaysia.
WIN the Content Marketing game
For the sixth year running, we are bringing back the famous Best of Global Digital Marketing Conference to KL with a special focus on Content Marketing this year.
Featuring the best case studies
The Best of Global Digital Marketing conference has won popularity in more than 30 cities around the world from Singapore, Moscow, Jakarta, Istanbul to Amsterdam, Johannesburg, Prague, Shanghai, Seoul, etc.
Featuring leading award-winning campaigns covering brands from Sony, Buzzfeed, Dell, BBC, The New York Times, P&G and more.
Speakers with digital domain expertise:
• Hando Sinisalu, CEO at Best Marketing International
• Xaviera Ringeling, CEO at ContentChefs
• Mathias Ihle, Founder & CEO at Makai Europe
• Bikram VaskarGangopadhyay, CEO at ibs – Interface Business Solutions
Unique case-study based learning, as our team monitors over 200 digital marketing award shows across the globe and interviews the winners. Based on this extensive work, we produce in-depth case studies.
Each case study follows the same format:
Market Background
The Challenge
The Brief
Creative/Media solution
Results
Key Takeaways
Opinions/Discussion
Date: 19 July, 2015 (Tuesday)
Venue: Eastin Hotel, PJ
Time: 8.30am – 5.00pm
Book your seats early: call Ruby on 03-77262588 or email [email protected]
Details: http://best-marketing.eu/events/my
This event is HRDF-Claimable!
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