The Cultural Agency: Initiative Thailand – Press Release

INITIATIVE APPOINTS NEW CEO THAILAND
Mediabrands Dr. Sora Kaitkanarat appointed to lead Initiative Thailand as CEOBANGKOK – 2 AUGUST, 2021 – Initiative, the culturally-driven media agency within IPG Mediabrands, have today announced the appointment of Dr. Sora Kaitkanarat to the position of Chief Executive Officer Initiative Thailand.Joining from his prior role as Chief Strategy Officer of Mediabrands Thailand, Dr. Sora comes with more than 23 years’ specialized experience in advertising, brand consultancy, and media. Having started his career at Dentsu Young & Rubicam as a strategist before joining Lowe (Lintas) Thailand to lead strategy and business development in 2000, Dr. Sora joined Euro RSCG (HAVAS) as Managing Director, and moved to Mediabrands in 2012 as Managing Director of Strategy and Innovation, before advancing to Chief Strategy Officer of Mediabrands Thailand.

Building upon a strong performance which has seen Initiative ascend to the #1 ranked agency in Thailand for qualitive evaluation by the Research Evaluation Company for Media Agencies (RECMA) 2020 Report. In his new position of CEO Initiative Thailand, Dr. Sora will be charged with spearheading the rapid expansion of the organization’s core competencies, to cement their position as the brand business growth partner, using Cultural Velocity™ to help clients cut-through and resonate in a dynamic and disruptive era.

Leigh Terry, CEO of Mediabrands APAC and CEO of Initiative APAC, commented, “I am delighted to welcome Sora to the position of Chief Executive Officer, Initiative Thailand. Sora is both a passionate strategist and a true entrepreneurial leader who has a track record of driving business development and innovative solutions in our Thailand market.” Terry continues, “It gives me great pleasure to witness the development of our own brilliant talent and to be able to appoint this key leadership role from within our ranks. Sora has been a strategic driving force behind the strong track record of the Mediabrands Thailand network and will continue this strong forward momentum for the Initiative brand.”

Amy Armstrong, Global CEO of Initiative added, “Sora’s strategic foresight and strong business acumen make him the right fit for this leadership role. I am excited to witness his lead in steering Initiative’s next chapter of growth and success in Thailand.”

Dr. Tharaputh Charuvatana, Group CEO of Mediabrands Thailand, shared. “Dr.Sora has always been an excellent strategic consultant partner to our Mediabrands Thailand network, crafting work that delivered clients’ business growth while at the same time commercialized artistic value that won awards regionally & locally. I am confident that he will help build the third decade of Initiative Thailand’s success, following his notable predecessors Khun Wannee, and Khun Malee.”

Dr. Sora commented of his new appointment, “Progression and culture have always been the bedrocks of Initiative Thailand. I look forward to driving progressive solutions for our clients, and working even more closely with our business partners. Great work starts with a happy workforce and my overriding ambition is to lead Initiative Thailand to be the best place to work in market for our talent.”

Dr. Sora earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Communication Art from Bangkok University in 2020, specializing in Corporate Social Innovation. He is a committee of the Media Agency Association of Thailand (MAAT) and an external advisory director of various leading universities. Dr. Sora’s appointment as CEO Initiative Thailand is effective immediately. Predecessor Malee Kittipongpisal, will continue her role as the Executive Business Consultant for Mediabrands Thailand through 2021.

ABOUT INITIATIVE:
We’re a global media agency designed to grow brands through culture. Over the last three years, we’ve been named as the fastest growing media agency in the world by independent media ratings agency, RECMA. Key to our success is the fact most media agencies are built for brand awareness, with a bias for paid media. We’re a little different. We’re built for brand relevance, with a bias for Cultural Velocity. We believe the brands that succeed move and adjust with consumers at speed, showcasing their relevance and meaningfully contribute to their lives. We call this Cultural Velocity™- a measure for the speed at which a brand moves through culture to drive relevance. The faster a brand can move with culture, the more relevant they become and the greater the growth.

More Info http://ipgconnectstg.wpengine.com/cultural-agency-initiative-thailand/

ABOUT MEDIABRANDS:
IPG Mediabrands is the media and marketing solutions division of Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). Mediabrands manages approximately $40 billion in marketing investment globally on behalf of its clients and provides strategic services and solutions across its award-winning, full-service agency networks UM and Initiative and through its innovative marketing specialist companies Reprise, Magna, Orion, Rapport, Healix, Mediabrands Content Studio and the IPG Media Lab. Mediabrands clients include many of the world’s most recognizable and iconic brands from a broad portfolio of industry sectors. The company employs more than 13,000 marketing experts in more than 130 countries representing the full diversity of humanity. For more information, please visit our website: www.ipgmediabrands.com and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn , Twitter or Instagram.