Shanghai - Saatchi & Saatchi Greater China reports taking on three new leaders in critical positions at the agency offices across Greater China. Antoni D’Esterre joined as Managing Partner of Greater China, International Business, responsible for managing and developing the agency’s key international clients in the region with a focus on P&G. Linda Kovarik has come on board as Head of Planning, Greater China, to lead and develop the planning function in all offices of the Greater China region. Paul Lin, taking on the role of Chief Digital Officer, Greater China, is in charge of transforming the entire agency network by putting digital capabilities right at the core of the agency development. Antoni, Linda and Paul will all report directly to Michael Lee, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, Greater China.

Before joining Saatchi & Saatchi, Antoni D'Esterre served as General Manager of International Business at Publicis Shanghai.  Prior to that he worked for many top agencies around the globe, including Leo Burnett in Hong Kong and Tokyo and Saatchi & Saatchi in Frankfurt and Bangkok, during which time he was in charge of managing international brands such as P&G, as well as luxury brands such as Cartier, Dior, Ferragamo and Mandarin Oriental Hotels.

With more than twenty years of experience in marketing communications and more than fifteen years of that in Asia, Ant is truly an international brand management expert in the beauty and hair care categories boasting his very unique school of thought.  Ant’s return to Saatchi & Saatchi brings his extensive global management experience and record of marketing successes to the agency’s international clients, in particular P&G. Ant is based in Saatchi & Saatchi’s Hong Kong office.

Linda Kovarik is known as a dynamic leader who works collaboratively and creatively to solve business problems. Before joining Saatchi & Saatchi, Linda ran her own business in Hong Kong, Creative Sherpa, and has served as Regional Creative Director at Coca-Cola Asia Pacific, where she led strategic, creative and production development for all major Coca-Cola brands across the region.

With over two decades of experience across Asia, working at a senior level on both client and agency sides (having held the positions of Executive Planning Director at Beacon Communications and Regional Planning Director for P&G beauty care at Leo Burnett Asia Pacific), she is widely recognized as a true brand strategy expert. In 2004, she was distinguished as one of “25 Women to Watch in Media, Marketing and Advertising” by Advertising Age. Linda is also based in the Hong Kong office.

With extensive experience on developing digital-led integrated campaigns across North America and Greater China, Paul Lin has a deep understanding of the social media space. Paul joined Saatchi & Saatchi from AdPeople, where he was Strategic Planning Director, responsible for leading the brand team in providing strategic planning leadership to Unilever and other clients. Prior to that, he served as Strategic Planning Director at Wunderman AGENDA, Shanghai, serving clients such as Unilever, Hershey's, PepsiCo, Starbucks, Qoros, Levi's, Ikea, GAP, Disney, Microsoft, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson. Before coming to China in 2011, Paul was based in Canada, making great contributions in digital marketing at advertising agencies such as BBDO and DDB.

Paul is now working in close cooperation with Jonathan Ip, Digital Executive Creative Director of Saatchi & Saatchi Greater China, to develop the overall agency digital capabilities in the Greater China region, including digital strategy, integration and transformation, and to provide clients with the most cutting-edge digital solutions. Paul is based in Shanghai.

“We are extremely happy to see such internationally renowned marketing leaders as Antoni, Linda and Paul joining us at Saatchi & Saatchi Greater China,” Michael Lee commented. “They bring world-class marketing communications experience from different countries around the world, but even more important is that they deeply understand the markets and consumers across Asia and have years of China experience collectively. I am confident that their contributions will be an important driver for the future success for our clients at Saatchi & Saatchi Greater China as well as our own.”

Photo (l to r): Antoni D’Esterre, Linda Kovarik and Paul Lin