Annette Male appointed chief executive officer at Wunderman Thompson Asia Pacific: JWT CEO John Gutteridge to return to Australia/NZ role

The newly created WPP agency Wunderman Thompson has appointed Annette Male as Chief Executive Officer for APAC, effective March 4, 2019. Male will report to Global CEO Mel Edwards and will be based in Singapore.

J Walter Thompson APAC CEO John Gutteridge is moving back to Australia to the newly created role of Chief Executive Officer for Wunderman Thompson Australia/NZ. Caspar Schlickum, APAC CEO at Wunderman, will stay on board during the transition and has decided to pursue another opportunity in the industry in the APAC region.

As a 20-year industry veteran, Male (pictured) has built a reputation for inspiring growth for clients.

Male serves as the APAC CEO at Digitas until March 1, 2019, where she is responsible for the China, India, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysian markets.

At Digitas, Male has helped the agency win Agency of the Year twice in Australia and Singapore, as well as drive double-digit growth year over year the last four years. Before Digitas, Male was the Deputy Managing Director at integrated agency Kitcatt Nohr, which is part of the Digitas family. She started her career at Mars and has also held roles at CHI & Partners, Tequila London and TBWA\GGT.

Mel Edwards, Global CEO, Wunderman Thompson said, “APAC is a key growth market for Wunderman Thompson, and we couldn’t be more delighted to have Annette leading our team there to deliver best in class work for our clients. Annette’s passion and understanding for the integration of creativity, data and technology makes her the right choice for us. We are excited for what the future holds in APAC.”

Gutteridge’s new Australia/NZ role sees him reporting to the CEO of WPP AUNZ, John Steedman.

Gutteridge (pictured right) will also be a member of the WPP AUNZ Executive Committee and will be responsible for driving innovation across the entire WPP group.

Tamara Ingram, Chairman, Wunderman Thompson added, “John has been a strong leader in APAC and brought considerable talent and new business to the region. John and I have been in discussions since last year about his need to be closer to his family in Australia and this is a great outcome for both John and Wunderman Thompson.”

John Steedman said, when Wunderman and J. Walter Thompson united last year to form Wunderman Thompson, that the search for an outstanding leader with a broad spectrum of both local and global industry experience across creative, data and technology began in earnest, and he is delighted Gutteridge wanted to return to Australia as he is a perfect fit for the role.

Says Steedman: “John was an obvious choice.  Wunderman Thompson is a formidable offering and the opportunity to lead the new agency and create a creative, data and technology powerhouse is just what John was after.

Says Gutteridge: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in APAC and there’s much to be proud of. I shall truly miss our clients, the diverse cultures and the great talent we have across the region. I am now relishing the prospect of being more intimately involved with the running of the business, the product and of course our clients, as we launch the exciting proposition of Wunderman Thompson.”

“The opportunity to play a key role and influence the future of WPP AUNZ is also tremendously exciting. I know the executive team well and look forward to working closely with them all in what will be an exciting year ahead. I can’t wait to get started.”

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