SHANGHAI, CHINA — Creative agency Publicis Groupe China has appointed Jessica Zhang to the role of Chief Executive Officer of Starcom. Jessica will oversee the management and business operations of Starcom in China. She will also focus on driving sustainable growth for clients by putting people at the heart of change and promoting ongoing innovation and upgrade across data and technology.
Jessica will officially assume her new role on March 01 and will be Beijing-based. She will report directly to Jane Lin-Baden, CEO of Publicis Groupe APAC.
With a career spanning over 25 years in the advertising and media communications industries, Jessica has served in leadership positions across in-house and agency. Prior to joining Starcom, she led Mindshare China as Chief Client Officer. Her other notable previous experiences include holding senior management positions at OgilvyOne and IBM China.
Jessica’s rich experience in both creative and media agencies and client-side space enables her to bring a uniquely integrated and multi-dimensional perspective. From FMCG dominants to high-tech giants, she has partnered with major brands including Yili, Yum, Qualcomm, Master Kong Beverage, and Lincoln. Jessica is also a recognized female leader in the industry and was named Campaign’s Women to Watch in APAC in 2021.
Jessica said on her appointment, “Over the past two years, I have seen more and more brands seeking partnerships with agencies that can offer integrated services across creative, media, channels, and digital transformation. That’s why, for me, Publicis Groupe’s ‘Power of One’ strategy is so appealing as it is what the market currently needs. I am grateful for this opportunity and I look forward to working alongside the Starcom and Publicis Groupe teams to make even greater strides in delivering ongoing success for our clients as we face new marketing demands.”
Anna Chitty, the former CEO of Starcom China, has made the personal decision to return to New Zealand to spend more time with her family.
Jane said, “I am pleased to welcome Jessica to the Publicis Groupe family. As a business leader that traverses across the creative and media space, she has an in-depth understanding of China’s consumer ecology and also has a keen sense for areas of growth. I am confident that the Starcom China team will continue helping our clients achieve strong business growth under her leadership, and will also accelerate the media business transformation through a data-driven and consumer experience-centered strategy.
Starcom is a company that advocates for Human Experience. That’s why it has become a preferred media partner for many lifestyle and iconic brands. In 2022, Starcom has broadened its client base with a number of new media accounts, including Swarovski and lululemon. It has also successfully extended its long-standing partnership with AB InBev. As I look ahead, I am certain that the Starcom team will further embed our ‘Power of One’ model in 2023 by partnering even closer with Publicis Groupe’s sister agency brands. This will be key in ensuring we can continue meeting growing client demands integrated marketing communications by providing omnichannel marketing solutions aligned with future trends. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Anna Chitty for her contributions over the past two years, and we wish her all the best in her future endeavors in New Zealand.”
