Monks' Munas van Boonstra moves on from SEA MD role

Munas van Boonstra is moving on from her role as managing director, Southeast Asia at Monks to start a new chapter. 

In a statement to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, the agency said: "We are grateful for all the contributions van Boonstra has made over the years. It is never easy to say goodbye, but we are happy for her and wish her all the very best for her next adventure." 

"We are in a smooth transition and confident that all client projects will continue at the same high standard. A clear succession and handover plan is already underway with her successor to ensure continuity across all accounts," it added. 

In tandem, van Boonstra told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that she leaves Monks with immense gratitude for the past four years and for the opportunity to work with "such talented teams and exceptional clients across the region."

"It has been an honour and one of the greatest joys of my career to build meaningful partnerships, create impactful work, and share in so many important milestones together. While I'm excited for this new opportunity, I remain fully committed to ensuring a smooth and thoughtful transition with my successor and the team, so that our clients continue to receive the same care, continuity and excellence," said van Boonstra, adding that she will always look back on this chapter with deep pride and appreciation.

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van Boonstra spent nearly four years with the company, joining in 2022 as managing director of MediaMonks Malaysia. In that role, she led the transformation and growth of its Malaysia operations, bringing together creativity, data, social, platforms and production into a single integrated offering.

She focused on building a high-performing, future-ready business that balanced creative excellence with operational strength, according to her LinkedIn.

In 2024, she was elevated to managing director, Southeast Asia, where she drove operational transformation, client growth and financial performance across the region. Her remit included scaling the business and strengthening its capabilities across creative, data, media, technology and production, while building a more profitable and future-ready agency ecosystem.

Prior to Monks, van Boonstra held leadership roles at Publicis One, GroupM and BBDO Worldwide. She was also chief marketing officer at MYTV Broadcasting.

Earlier this year, Monks appointed Mihir Dhairyawan as executive creative director for Southeast Asia, based in Singapore.

In his new role, Dhairyawan is tasked with leading the agency’s regional creative vision and working closely with local teams to deliver work spanning data, technology and storytelling, as the company continues to expand its AI-powered creative capabilities.

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