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Maxus chief client officer Neil Stewart moving to Facebook as regional agency head

neil stewartNeil Stewart, the Singapore-based global chief client officer of GroupM media agency Maxus, is leaving the agency to join Facebook.

The Australian’s new role for the world’s largest social network is head of agency for Asia Pacific. He will continue to be based in Singapore.

Stewart moved into a global role running the network’s biggest clients in January after five years as APAC CEO.

He will be replaced by Ajit Varghese, who moves up from MD of Maxus South Asia to lead the agency regionally.

Lindsay Pattison, global CEO at Maxus, said: “Neil was a very early recruit into our family and has helped to shape the great agency we are today. He grew the Asia Pacific region at a tremendous rate, has been pivotal in our success and made many, many friends along the way. Everyone here at Maxus thanks Neil for the great work he’s done for Maxus, and we all wish him luck in his new role at Facebook.”

There are no plans to replace Stewart’s role. Pattison will work with the senior client leader community for Maxus.

Stewart commented: “It has been a fantastic six years at Maxus, and we have achieved so much, in an industry that continues to change and evolve so fast. One of the organisations that is driving that change in the way we all connect and spend our time on-line and on mobile is Facebook – so naturally I am delighted to be joining them next year.”

The former APAC marketing director of Motorola, who was named client marketer of the year by Media magazine (now Campaign Asia) during his time there in 2006, also worked client-side for Compaq/HP as customer relations manager.

The Australian started his career as a suit at ad agency Ogilvy & Mather. He talked to Mumbrella Asia about the art of managing clients in an interview last September.

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