Publicis Groupe APAC creates new chief communications officer role

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Publicis Groupe APAC has created a new leadership role and named Naomi Michael (pictured) as its chief communications officer for the region, effective 9 March 2026. Based in Singapore, she will oversee the agency's regional communications strategy across markets and capabilities, reporting to Jane Lin-Baden, CEO of APAC.

Michael joins from Omnicom Media, where she recently took on a leadership role as head of brand marketing, following a nine-year stint as chief marketing and communications officer at IPG Mediabrands.

According to the agency, her appointment reflects Publicis Groupe APAC’s effort to strengthen communications as a core pillar of its “Power of one” model, which integrates creativity, data, media, technology and strategy.

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With more than 20 years of international marketing and communications experience spanning APAC, Australia and the UK, Michael has built expertise in integrated marketing and corporate communications. Her track record includes enhancing brand visibility, driving growth, and creating consistent narratives across complex, multi-market organisations.

Her career journey covers early roles at Publicis-owned Zenith in London, The Walt Disney Company, and The Financial Times, as well as leadership positions across Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore within IPG and Omnicom Media.

“Michael is a leader with warmth and conviction who understands that communications play a fundamental role in building belief, alignment and momentum across a region as diverse as ours," said Lin-Baden.

She added, "With her regional experience and collaborative approach, she will be a crucial partner as we continue to grow clients’ brands and business, launch proprietary solutions created by and for our APAC community, and bring positive impact to the communities where we operate. I’m delighted to welcome her to our APAC leadership team.”

Speaking on her new role, Michael said, "I’ve been impressed by the strength and maturity of the Publicis Groupe business model. Having invested ahead of the curve into AI, data, and real transformation at scale, their clarity of vision has translated into a powerful engine that consistently achieves undeniable results.

"The creation of this role reflects both the scale of growth within the APAC region, and the ambition for what comes next. I’m so thrilled to join the leadership team in APAC at such a defining moment, as we celebrate 100 years of Publicis Groupe, and help to shape the next century of transformation," she added.

The leadership appointment comes as Publicis Groupe continues to expand its footprint in the region. In October 2025, the agency signed a definitive agreement to acquire HEPMIL Media Group, the parent company of SGAG, a leading influencer, content, and social agency in Southeast Asia.

The move combines HEPMIL’s local creator expertise with Publicis’ data capabilities, including Lotame and Epsilon’s ID graph covering over 800 million consumer profiles in the region. The integration is intended to strengthen the Groupe’s identity-driven influencer marketing, unifying social strategy, influencer management, and data-led content creation, while enabling measurement of cross-channel outcomes and delivery of brand-safe campaigns.

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