NEW YORK – Michael Houston, Worldwide CEO of Grey Group, today announced that Adam O’Conor, one of China’s most accomplished advertising industry leaders, is joining the agency as Chairman and CEO of Grey Group Greater China.
O’Conor has served most recently as President, Ogilvy & Mather Group, Asia Pacific, Hong Kong, overseeing global brand management in the region, capping a stellar two-decade-long career at the agency.
“Adam O’Conor brings a tremendous track record of success to his new role at Grey,” Michael Houston said. “As a key architect of the Ogilvy network in Asia, he has demonstrated vision and dynamism in building brands across all communications channels. He has an unparalleled grasp of what clients are looking for in a future-facing marketing partner. Most importantly, Adam is known to be a champion of creativity, which aligns perfectly with our Famously Effective ethos. His appointment is a clear signal of our ambitions to aggressively pursue growth and expand our reach and resources in China.”
“I’ve watched Grey’s transformation into a global creative powerhouse over the past decade and I’m delighted to become a part of its leadership team for the future,” Adam O’Conor said. “Working closely with Michael Houston, we intend to take Grey’s China operations to the next level as a center of innovation for our clients and growth for the network in the years to come.”
Grey Group Greater China, with 500 employees, encompasses operations in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Taipei, Taiwan. Its blue-chip client roster includes Procter & Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Intel, Volvo and HSBC. The organization includes such specialized companies as Easycom (ePR/social); Grey ArtM (activation/digital); Grey DPI (shopper marketing) and Grey Star Echo Group (marketing services). Grey Greater China has won Campaign Magazine‘s “Agency of the Year” and “Creative Agency of the Year.”
Adam O’Conor: Builder and Creative Champion
Adam O’Conor has been at the front line of the competitive marketplace that is China. He has been called a champion of creative ideas with a hands-on approach to nurturing world-class talent and delivering business solutions.
Starting as a graduate trainee at Ogilvy London in the mid-90’s, he went on to serve as a Group Account Director and moved to Ogilvy Sydney in 2001 as Regional Business Director for IBM.
O’Conor came to Ogilvy Hong Kong, the network’s regional headquarters, in 2006, was promoted to Managing Director a year later and Group CEO in 2010. Under his leadership, the office’s billings and revenue more than doubled; it was awarded Marketing Magazine’s “Agency of the Year” for five years running; and was crowned “#1 Creative Agency in Hong Kong” by Campaign Brief Asia.
Since 2016, he has led Ogilvy’s Global Brand Management Team serving a Who’s Who of more than 20 multinational brands in the region, representing a significant volume of revenue.
