Burson's Hong Kong CEO departs after 2 years

Burson's Hong Kong CEO Simeon Mellalieu (pictured) is departing after two years, as confirmed to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. 

Mellalieu, a seasoned industry veteran, took the helm of the Hong Kong office in 2024, where he was tasked with driving the agency's innovation, business growth, client excellence, and talent development.

With over 25 years of experience, Mellalieu is recognised for counseling multinational corporations on national, regional, and global communication strategies. His expertise lies in building brand equity and protecting corporate reputations across a diverse portfolio of sectors.

Throughout his career, he has partnered with clients in fast fashion, semiconductors, automotive, gaming, travel and leisure, enterprise and consumer technology, food and beverage, and the banking and payments industries.

Prior to joining Burson, Mellalieu served as a partner for client development at Ketchum Asia-Pacific and was the managing director of Ketchum Hong Kong. In these roles, he was instrumental in driving agency growth across Asia-Pacific by enhancing product offerings, supporting client development, and streamlining the new business process.

Although he began his communications career in the United Kingdom—working with specialist agencies such as Bulletin International in London and Warman & Bannister in Cambridge—he has spent more than two decades based in Hong Kong, making him a fixture of the regional media landscape.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Burson for a statement.

Mellalieu’s departure coincides with significant shifts at Burson’s parent company, WPP. According to a report by The Times, WPP is reportedly exploring the potential sale of Burson, which would mark its first major divestment under a sweeping restructuring plan designed to streamline operations. Advisors from Goldman Sachs have reportedly been engaged to review strategic options for the global communications agency.

This move follows a period of financial cooling for the firm. Burson recorded a 6% drop in revenue for the full year of 2025, and earlier this year, WPP acknowledged that the agency faced a challenging environment for client discretionary spending, particularly within European markets. The restructuring aims to refocus WPP’s business after a period of underperformance.

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