Dentsu Aegis Network has announced changes to its leadership in the Asia Pacific region, with Carat APAC boss Sean O’Brien leaving the agency to join MKTG and Posterscope.

O’Brien will become APAC chief executive of both MKTG and Posterscope, and will be replaced as Carat regional CEO by Kevin Walsh, who steps up from his current position of managing director.

This shift comes as part of Dentsu’s continued push in the region, following recent acquisitions in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

O’Brien has been with Carat since 2011 and will now oversee the digitisation of OOH agency Posterscope including the roll out of ‘Liveposter’ and expanding experiential marketing agency MKTG’s APAC presence and assets.

“It has been a privilege to help build Carat over the last six years, working with some of the best talent in the region, both agency and client side,” commented O’Brien. “The business is in great hands with Kevin, who will continue our growth and momentum and use his outstanding digital credentials to position us well for the future.

“I’m looking forward to working with the MKTG and Posterscope teams to further scale our business across the region and drive business value for our clients.”

Walsh added that with the digital economy disrupting all industries, Carat needs to remain at the forefront of convergence to help clients navigate the landscape. “I’m looking forward to stepping into the new role and continuing the rapid growth ambitions while working closely with the outstanding talent we have in the business across the region,” he added.

Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific chief executive Nick Waters said that, under O’Brien’s leadership, Carat has “delivered exceptional growth and has developed a high quality product in markets across the region”.

“Sean will now focus on the development of two agencies with outstanding growth opportunities in Asia Pacific – MKTG and Posterscope. We need strong leadership to maximise the opportunities the digital revolution is creating in both businesses. Kevin’s promotion represents the smooth execution of the Carat leadership succession plan,” added Waters.

Meanwhile, in the US, Dentsu Aegis has also acquired Leapfrog Online, a performance marketing solutions company which will become part of global digital performance agency iProspect. The acquisition is intended to enhance iProspect’s performance media capabilities and ability to deliver real-time personalized consumer experiences.

“The consumer journey is not linear or tied to a single channel, but there is always a beginning and an end,” said iProspect US president Jeremy Cornfeldt.

“This acquisition now makes it possible for us to travel the entire journey– to control the consumer experience all the way to the finish line.”changing technology will make the work we do for 300-plus global iProspect clients even more accountable and actionable,” he added.