M&C Saatchi Performance elevates Kabeer Chaudhary to global CEO position

Kabeer Chaudhary, the managing director for Asia Pacific at M&C Saatchi Performance, has been promoted to the media agency's global chief executive officer based in Singapore. 

Chaudhary, who has been with the company since 2015, will now report to James Hilton, the CEO and founder while retaining his role as the head of APAC operations until the agency finds a replacement. Hilton will continue his role as chairman.

As global CEO, Chaudhary will oversee the agency's operations across APAC, Middle East, Europe, and the US, working closely with global leadership and country heads to refine the agency's global proposition.

Speaking to Campaign ahead of the announcement, Chaudhary says he plans to maintain and build upon the agency's reputation in the industry through events and thought leadership pieces. 

However, he stresses the need to create impactful work for the agency's clients to build a strong reputation in the industry.  

"This means we will continue to hire the best talent in the market, empower and harness their skills with a globally consistent L&D program and provide them with the trust and independence to shine in front of clients," explains Chaudhary. 

M&C Saatchi Performance was born in 2006 under Inside Mobile and has evolved over the past 17 years to offer expanded media buying services.  

The agency won Gold for Southeast Asia Performance Agency of the Year, Southeast Asia Specialist Agency of the Year and Southeast Asia Content Marketing Agency of the Year at the 2022 Campaign Asia-Pacific Agency of the Year awards.   

Noting that the agency started as a mobile marketing agency before launching the first iPhone, Chaudhary says a lot has changed since then, as has M&C Saatchi Performance's service offering.  

"The only constant in the dynamic digital advertising ecosystem is changing, and we have built a global performance marketing agency that responds to change quickly," explains Chaudhary. 

"We are constantly evaluating new trends and technologies that can impact marketing effectiveness." 

With the agency picking up a Bronze for Southeast Asia Best Culture at the 2022 Campaign Asia-Pacific Agency of the Year awards, Chaudhary wants to continue fostering a collaborative and innovative work culture by ensuring the growth and development of his team while maintaining a client-focused mindset. 

Chaudhary explains the agency will prioritise talent acquisition and retention, invest in training and upskilling programs. 

"We will continue building on the mental health support programs initiated in the past few years and increase the number of team bonding activities that enable our employees not only to create a sense of belonging but also better to understand the many cultures and ethnicities within the company," says Chaudhary. 

Looking ahead, M&C Saatchi Performance wants to drive further growth and expand its client base by focusing on industries and sectors where the agency sees critical opportunities. These opportunities include e-commerce, gaming, technology, finance and travel sectors. 

"We will leverage our expertise, industry partnerships, and thought leadership to position ourselves as a trusted partner in these sectors and proactively pursue new business opportunities," says Chaudhary. 

(This article first appeared on Campaign Asia)