Richard Newman is set to join Samsung Group’s Cheil agency as part of the company’s global expansion, assuming the role of Asia Pacific regional chief growth officer.

This news coincides with the recent appointments of Cat Davis in London and Wassim Daniel in Dubai to the team led by Cheil global chief growth officer Lotta Malm-Hallqvist.

“I am so excited to work with Richard again; his proven track record and approach to growth make him one of the best new business leaders in the industry,” said Malm-Hallqvist. “Richard will play a crucial role in Cheil’s Global Network growth in Asia and I am thrilled to have him on our team.”

Newman, who has worked as regional chief marketing officer at McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific since 2011, will be based in Singapore where he will report to president of international Aaron Lau and Malm-Hallqvist.

“This is a pivotal time to be joining Cheil, as the network embarks on building a truly global culture,” said Newman. “The team at Cheil is fine-tuned to tackle client problems in this brave new world of marketing.

“With a deep understanding of technology, retail, digital and above-the-line campaign engagement, Cheil has a uniquely integrated proposition – a network built for now.”

Newman will oversee regional growth and increase collaboration across Cheil’s global network of companies, including Cheil Worldwide, Iris Worldwide, Cheil Peng Tai, BMB, McKinney and The Barbarian Group.

“We are excited to have Richard on board at a time when we are enjoying fast growth in the region,” said Lau. “He will play in important part in driving Cheil’s business growth in Asia Pacific, a region which consists of four of the biggest country ad markets and one which is expected to have the biggest growth rate over the next five years.

“As an agency with roots in Asia, we are best positioned to help clients fulfil their vision in this region with our agency specialisms. Richard is integral in seeing through our aspirations for Cheil.”