TLC Worldwide taps former Monks SEA MD as APAC managing director

TLC Worldwide has appointed former Monks managing director for Southeast Asia Munas van Boonstra as managing director for Asia Pacific, as the customer engagement and loyalty specialist looks to accelerate its growth across the region.

Based in APAC, van Boonstra will oversee operational delivery and business performance across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Australia.

Reporting to CEO for APAC and MEA Pren Munian, she will be responsible for driving the company's growth strategy, innovation and market expansion.

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The appointment comes as TLC Worldwide continues to invest in its regional leadership team amid growing demand for customer engagement, rewards and loyalty solutions.

Van Boonstra joins the company after more than four years at Monks, where she most recently served as managing director for Southeast Asia. In that role, she led the agency's operational transformation, financial performance and client growth across the region, while overseeing capabilities spanning creative, data, media, technology and production.

She first joined the agency in 2022 as managing director of MediaMonks Malaysia, where she spearheaded the growth and transformation of its Malaysian business by integrating creative, data, social, platform and production capabilities into a unified offering.

Prior to Monks, van Boonstra held senior leadership positions across Publicis One, GroupM, BBDO Worldwide and MYTV Broadcasting.

Speaking on what drew her to the role, van Boonstra said she had repeatedly seen brands underestimate the strategic value of rewards and loyalty programmes.

"Throughout my career, I've repeatedly seen the same gap. Brands in sectors ranging from FMCG, telcos to financial services have continued to overlook rewards and loyalty as a strategic growth lever. Now, I strongly believe that this is the most important conversation that marketing leaders are having in our digital world, and I wanted to be inside that conversation, not watching it from the outside," she said.

She added that APAC remains one of the world's most demanding markets for customer loyalty.

"Consumers here don't reward brands out of habit. They reward brands that make them feel real and valued. This is everything TLC stands for," she said.

Meanwhile, Munian said the appointment reflects TLC Worldwide's continued investment in strengthening its leadership bench across the region.

"As brands rethink customer engagement and the need to connect on a deeper level in today's digitally driven world, we're investing in the talent and capability to help clients drive measurable growth through smarter rewards, loyalty and partnerships," he said.

"I'm delighted to welcome Munas to TLC Worldwide. Her strategic mindset and commercial expertise will help accelerate our vision of making rewards and loyalty one of the most powerful growth engines for brands across APAC."

The move comes shortly after van Boonstra announced her departure from Monks. At the time, van Boonstra previously told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that she was leaving the agency with "immense gratitude" for the opportunity to work with talented teams and clients across Southeast Asia.

Meanwhile, earlier in June, the agency named Scott McBride as managing director of Southeast Asia, effective immediately.

Based in Singapore, McBride will lead the agency's next phase of growth across Southeast Asia, focusing on client transformation and expanding its integrated offering across the region.

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