Ben Christie returns to NFP space as Senior Comms Advisor

Jonty Summers (pictured) will start a new role at Burson as Head of Corporate Affairs in Dubai at the end of June. He joins from Hanover, where he spent ten years as Regional Managing Director, establishing and running Hanover's advisory business in the Middle East.

“We are thrilled to welcome a leader of Jonty’s calibre to our team,” said Fouad Bou Mansour, CEO, MENAT, Burson.

“In a region as dynamic and fast-paced as the Middle East, clients require senior counsellors who combine a deep, nuanced understanding of the region with a proven track record of delivering results. Jonty embodies this. He has over 20 years of experience providing strategic, C-suite-level counsel to top-tier organisations, helping them navigate challenges, growth, and transformation. His expertise will be a tremendous asset, and I am confident he will play a pivotal role in continuing to elevate our corporate offering and helping our clients win in this complex environment.”

Jonty's career includes senior leadership roles at Edelman, where he was Senior Vice President for corporate practice across the Middle East. Prior to this, Jonty was Managing Director at Bladonmore in London, before transferring to Abu Dhabi in 2009. He began his career as a journalist and then worked in publishing in London.

"Having spent my career helping organisations build and protect their reputations through periods of transformation, growth and change, I am excited to join Burson as it continues to grow and evolve its offering across the Middle East,” said Jonty.

“This is one of the world’s most dynamic and strategically important regions, and organisations here face both extraordinary opportunities and increasingly complex operating environments. Burson's sector expertise, global reach and local relevance position it exceptionally well to help clients navigate, lead and grow in this breathtakingly disruptive landscape." 

DDB Group Philippines has rebranded as GGC Group Asia following the retirement of the DDB brand globally by parent company Omnicom Group after its acquisition of Interpublic Group.

The agency group, which has operated as DDB's affiliate in the Philippines since 1992, will continue to operate independently while maintaining access to Omnicom's global marketing communications tools and resources as needed.

Chairman and CEO Gil G. Chua (pictured) said the rebrand marks a new chapter for the business while recognising its longstanding partnership with DDB Worldwide and Omnicom Group.

As part of the transition, DDB Philippines has been renamed Velocity+, DDB MNL becomes Alab MNL, and Tribal Worldwide Philippines will now operate as The Tribe. Other agencies within the group, including Optimax Communications, Agile Intelligence, Ripple8, Touch XDA, and Bent and Buzz, will retain their existing brands.

The rebrand also brings together several sister companies from the FCT Group under the GGC Group Asia umbrella, including FOSA, Caishen, Track Mnl, Xpress Move, Strawberry Jam, and PhilMovers.

According to the company, the group now comprises 14 companies across 18 locations nationwide with more than 7,500 employees. It added that the transition will not affect leadership, client relationships, talent, contracts, or ongoing operations. 

Alliyah Villeza has joined Lalamove Philippines as Public Relations Lead, where she will lead public relations and corporate communications initiatives, including campaign development, media relations, agency management, partnership engagement, reputation management and issues monitoring.

She brings both in-house and agency experience from her previous roles at Meralco PowerGen and RedTorch Communications.