Brand Union Appoints New APAC Chief Operating Officer

Brand strategy and design agency Brand Union has promoted Andrew Harrison to chief operating officer for Asia Pacific. Formerly development director Asia, his role involved leading key client relationships across the region.

In his new role, based out of Hong Kong, Harrison will retain responsibility for the region’s key client relationships, but will also take an overview on business strategy for the region, including M&A, geographic expansion and company best practice.

He will also support Graham Hitchmough, CEO Asia South, based in Singapore, and Monica Lee, CEO Asia North, based in Shanghai, in the operational leadership of Brand Union teams across Asia Pacific.

Commenting on the appointment, Alan Couldrey CEO Brand Union Asia said: “Andrew is a natural for the new role of COO for us in Asia. His extensive experience as a client gives him incredibly valuable insights into the needs and aspirations of our clients across the region." 

"Brand Union had a strong year in Asia in 2014 and building on this is an exciting opportunity – in terms of structure, strategy and downright energy and drive, Andrew is the ideal lead and partner and we’re lucky to have him,” Couldrey said.

On his new role as COO at Brand Union Asia, Harrison said: “Our clients in Asia are organising themselves for accelerated growth over the next few years and the experience those brands offer is where Brand Union delivers best. It’s going to be an exciting ride.”

Prior to Brand Union, Harrison held a series of senior client roles in Europe as CEO of Müller and marketing director at Nestle, Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble. Most recently, he was the Founding CEO of RadioCentre, the trade body for UK commercial radio.  

Chairman of the Marketing Group of Great Britain in 2007/08, he is a fellow of the Marketing Society, Chartered Institute of Marketing and Radio Academy. In 2003, he was voted the Marketing Society’s UK Marketer of the Year.