HONG KONG – Award-winning creative advertising agency DDB Group Hong Kong has appointed Keith Ho (何振鴻) as Chief Creative Officer and Managing Partner, effective 15 May. Ho will lead the agency with DDB stalwart Irene Tsui (徐艾琳), who steps up as Managing Partner from her previous role as General Manager.
The duo will provide a dynamic and distinctive Hong Kong focus to the agency group, supported by its strong management team.
Award-winning creative icon Keith Ho joins DDB after more than 11 years at Grey Group, as Executive Creative Director, Chief Creative Officer and Managing Director. Ho has led the agency to win the highly coveted Kam Fan Agency of the Year 2016, and bring home accolades from Cannes Lions and many other international and regional award shows. He has an impressive creative track record, and is well respected for his entrepreneurial drive in working with some of the biggest brands in Hong Kong, such as Hang Seng Bank, HSBC, Hong Kong Tourism Board, Wellcome Supermarket, 1010, One2Free, GSK and Microsoft. Ho has worked at leading agencies such as Bates, Ogilvy, JWT and McCann, including two years as a TVC director at production company Another Factory.
Tsui has been with DDB Group Hong Kong for 12 years, most recently as its General Manager for the past three years. Over the course of her leadership, Tsui has helped the agency bring home Grand Effie and Grand Kam Fan awards, and gold for Best Agency Culture, Creative Agency of the Year and Integrated Agency of the Year. She has been the stalwart and people champion, respected and loved within the agency.
“Keith is an award-winning creative with an entrepreneurial mind. He knows how to work with clients, especially the biggest Hong Kong clients, to create solid, cutting-edge work for a new business economy. With his many years at the forefront of creativity in Hong Kong and China, we are excited about a new renaissance of brilliant work for clients,” said David Tang, DDB Asia CEO.
Reporting into Tang, Ho and Tsui will lead Hong Kong’s growth agenda with a specific focus to boost entrepreneurship – to offer marketing solutions relevant to the new economy of business – beyond DDB Group Hong Kong as an award-winning creative agency. The duo takes over the reins from Chief Creative Officer and Managing Director Carol Lam.
Added Irene Tsui, “I’ve worked with Keith before. His unflagging creative focus has taken on an entrepreneurial business drive in recent times. He’s the only creative I know who has an eMBA degree. We will be a unique and dynamic partnership that will reinforce DDB’s reputation as the agency for big, growth-seeking clients in Hong Kong.”
Speaking of his appointment, Ho said, “DDB Group Hong Kong is a big, solid agency, now with the entrepreneurial spirit of a start-up. I cannot imagine a more inspiring environment to take on a fresh challenge, especially with Irene and a solid team by my side. I started my career with an internship at DDB, so this is a homecoming for me.”
The news follows the recent appointment of Executive Creative Director Jamal Hamidi and International Business Director Justin Bonnett at DDB Group Hong Kong to boost the agency’s global business unit, and offer international clients a launch pad into the region, out of Hong Kong.
