Hootsuite appoints Rich Meiklejohn as APAC general manager, continues hiring boom
Hootsuite has appointed Rich Meiklejohn as its new general manager of Asia Pacific in support of the company’s goal of “significant growth in Australia and New Zealand”.
The announcement:
Hootsuite Names Rich Meiklejohn as General Manager of Asia Pacific
New Leadership Role Reflects Hootsuite’s Significant Growth in Asia-Pacific and a Heightened Commitment to Guiding the Region’s Brands Through Digital Transformation
Australia and New Zealand – October 27, 2016 – Hootsuite, the most widely used platform for managing social media, has announced Rich Meiklejohn as its first general manager of Asia-Pacific (APAC).
The newly established role reflects Hootsuite’s rapid growth in APAC over the past year including adding 50 percent more people to their team in 2016. Hootsuite APAC now supports more than 2.6 million users at companies such as Woolworths, OCBC Bank, ANZ Bank, Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad and Telekom Malaysia Berhad. The company has deepened relationships with best-of-breed partners including Brandwatch, Kenshoo, Microsoft, LiftMetrix and Tata Consulting Services to help APAC-based organisations drive their digital transformation.
Meiklejohn brings 25 years of Asia and Australia experience in software, media and consulting to Hootsuite. Prior to joining Hootsuite, Meiklejohn managed key partnerships for Cognos, a leading business intelligence and performance management software company. He also helped grow the APAC region of the pioneering web-based customer service company, eGain. Meiklejohn has also served as the CEO of Zafin Asia Pacific, a provider of relationship banking software solutions, and was a partner at one of the world’s top professional services firm, Heidrick & Struggles, where he advised c-suite clients on leadership, talent management and strategy.
“Brands, agencies, and governments are shifting to a different kind of interaction, as social media enables a new way for people to communicate,” said Rich Meiklejohn, general manager of Hootsuite APAC. “APAC has always been a vibrant, dynamic region, and today it continues to evolve as the world’s biggest growth market for social media. Hootsuite is the leader in this space and I’m very excited to take the helm as we expand our operations in APAC.”
As general manager of Hootsuite APAC, Meiklejohn will be responsible for growth strategy and overall performance in the region, and will report to Hootsuite’s senior vice president of sales, Bob Elliott.
“Social, real-time and mobile are coming together to transform how people communicate with each other, and with their favourite brands,” said Bob Elliott, senior vice president sales, Hootsuite. “We are excited to welcome Rich to the team. His experience advising the region’s leaders, experience in setting up strategic partnerships, and familiarity with the underlying platforms and technology will be invaluable to Hootsuite and our clients. I’m excited to work with Rich on empowering brands looking to harness the potential of social in APAC.”
Hootsuite will be expanding into a new larger Sydney office space to accommodate its growing operations, and will hire additional staff across the region, including Singapore.
