THE PHILIPPINES, SEPTEMBER 12, 2012 (updated) – This year, Eric Yeo will shift gears yet again as Lowe Thailand appoints him Chief Creative Officer, which will see the Executive Creative Director post at Ogilvy Philippines vacant.
Peachy Pacquing, recently appointed CEO of Ogilvy Philippines, said: “Eric himself told me he’ll miss the people at Ogilvy Manila. That goes both ways. During the time he was here he inspired the creatives and tried to infect everyone with his optimism and humor. We wish him all the best in his next challenge”
Exactly a year ago, Yeo was appointed ECD, a position which took several years for Ogilvy Philippines to fill. Based on this history, the search for a replacement may not be an easy one.
"Until his replacement is appointed, we are fortunate to have a talented team of young, passionate and multi-awarded creative leads across the Ogilvy & Mather Philippines Group who will carry through our aggressive plans in the months ahead," Pacquing said.
Yeo moves to Thailand, bringing with him some 17 years of agency experience. He started his career at TBWA and worked in senior roles at Leo Burnett and Draft FCB. The majority of his career has been spent at Ogilvy in Singapore and recently in the Philippines.
Commenting on the appointment, Jeremy Hine, Lowe Thailand CEO, said: “We conducted an exhaustive search to replace Pom (Chaiyaporn) when he decided to leave to focus on social and good cause projects rather than advertising. Eric was a key target of mine from the start and securing him is fantastic. He likes to be involved with his teams and is very much a perfectionist. He has a great track record, brings real insight into Asian culture and has an international outlook and sensibility – very important at Lowe. Above all he is a great bloke and has masses of energy and passion for the work. We are very excited to welcome Eric to the Lowe family.”
Yeo sees this appointment as a “place to explore new possibilities”. He said, “As creatives we need to constantly invent, and we need a place that allows us to experiment. And Lowe is such a place. This is the beginning of an exciting journey.”
One of the most respected and awarded creatives in the Asia-Pacific, Yeo has won both local and international awards, including Cannes Lions, The One Show, Clios and Spikes. Most recently he was awarded a second D&AD Yellow Pencil for his work for Lego.
“Lowe in Thailand has always been one of our leading agencies and its such a joy to welcome Eric to the management team. Eric is a consummate professional and it’s a pleasure to have a CCO of his calibre to work alongside Jeremy in driving Lowe Thailand to even greater glory,” said Rupen Desai, Lowe Asia-Pacific regional president.
At Lowe, Yeo will oversee clients including Krunsgri, Cerebos, BJC, UL and Mercedes Benz and lead 15 creative teams. He will also have creative leadership of Lowe’s brand engagement and digital division, OPEN.