Ogilvy Group Singapore elevates Shirley Tay to CEO

Ogilvy Group Singapore has appointed Shirley Tay as its new chief executive officer, effective 1 January 2026.

In her role, Tay will oversee the streamlined operations of the group’s agency brands in Singapore, including Ogilvy Singapore and Grey Singapore, while maintaining their distinct identities and client portfolios. She will also work across both agencies to leverage their collective capabilities.

Tay, who joined Ogilvy Singapore in 2000, previously served as managing director of advertising, leading campaigns for clients including Singapore Tourism Board, Health Promotion Board, BMW Asia, and NEA.

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She later founded a regional hub for ZOO Group, an Australia-based digital creative agency, and went on to serve as CEO of Young & Rubicam Singapore before returning to Ogilvy in 2019.

Most recently, as chief client officer, she has driven strategic and creative excellence for major clients such as Changi Airport Group, HSBC, Prudential, Decathlon, Japan Airlines, and Nestlé.

Commenting on her role, Kunal Jeswani, CEO of Ogilvy Group ASEAN, said: “Tay is a brilliant, powerful leader who is deeply committed to delivering exceptional value for our clients. She lives our belief in borderless creativity and I am sure she will leverage the full width of talent and expertise, across Ogilvy and Grey, to drive growth and success for our clients in Singapore.”

In addition, Tay said that she is "privileged to take on this responsibility." 

"My focus will be on nurturing the distinct strengths and rich legacies that both Ogilvy and Grey have established in Singapore, while driving collaboration and innovation to deliver world-class creativity and business impact for our clients," she added.

Jeswani will continue as CEO of Ogilvy Group ASEAN, remaining fully committed to the growth and success of the business and clients in Singapore.

Tay's appointment follows key leadership transitions across the region. Most recently, Kapil Arora was promoted to CEO of Ogilvy Group Indonesia, effective 1 January 2026. He succeeds Sieg Penaverde who will depart the agency after six years at the helm to pursue a new opportunity. 

Arora’s promotion follows a 24-year career with Ogilvy spanning five offices. He has held leadership roles including heading the Vodafone business in India, leading Ogilvy Delhi, and steering 82.5 Communications. Since 2024, he has served as COO in Indonesia, working closely with Penaverde.

Similarly in October, Ogilvy named Kirsty Muddle as CEO of Ogilvy Network Australia and New Zealand. Muddle joins from Dentsu, where she served as CEO of Practices & Products for ANZ, overseeing a broad portfolio spanning creative, PR, government, customer experience, Salesforce, data and tech, commerce, and B2B marketing.

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