Janet Dai joins J. Walter Thompson China as managing director of their Beijing office

J. Walter Thompson China has appointed Janet Dai, a seasoned digital leader of China’s marketing communications industry, as Managing Director of the network’s Beijing agency.

“Janet is truly rare talent in the China market.  She is a digital expert at the core of her DNA, with a proven track record in building digital capabilities and growing business in China’s rapidly-changing market,” said J. Walter Thompson China CEO Carter Chow.

Dai (pictured) joins JWT from Edelman Digital, where she has served as Managing Director for China since 2013.  Before joining Edelman Digital, she was General Manager at Soho Square, an independent digital pure play agency under the WPP Group established to deliver end-to-end digital marketing solutions for Procter & Gamble.

Dai also worked as a Business Director at OgilvyOne Worldwide, where she delivered digital marketing strategies and oversaw the strategic implementation of CRM programs for Audi and Volkswagen, and as a Regional Business Director at Grey Global Group, Hong Kong, on the agency’s Pernod Ricard account.

Prior to those roles, she worked at Yahoo! China, where she managed advertising and research programs for clients in the FMCG, automotive and finance sectors, and at Wunderman China.

Dai, who hails from Beijing, holds an MBA from Oxford’s Said Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta, in Canada.

“I think Janet has a terrific mindset; she sees opportunities others don’t. She’s a proven leader and knows how to develop and transform businesses,” said John Gutteridge, J. Walter Thompson’s Asia Pacific CEO.

Dai starts her new role with J. Walter Thompson on March 8.  She succeeds Jeffrey Yu, who is leaving the agency to pursue new opportunities.