IdeaWorks Appoints Christopher Lyons As Managing Director

Y&R Groups’ retail marketing agency, IdeaWorks has been on the hunt for growth and talent and it has found both in Asia. 

In a competitive pitch, the specialist agency has just won a major brand experience project for Courts, a Singapore-based electrical retailer. 

National Managing Director of IdeaWorks, Phil McDonald said, “Our brand experience team based in Sydney is world class. Winning a competitive pitch for Courts in Singapore proves this. The team will design a new “super-store” concept that will roll out across the region.”  

Hot on the heels of this win, IdeaWorks has also appointed ex Tokyo-based Christopher Lyons, former Chief Retail and Shopper Marketing Officer Asia Pacific for Leo Burnett, as managing director of its Sydney office. 

McDonald commented, “Being able to attract someone of the strategic and shopper marketing caliber of Christopher is a great win for us and our clients in Sydney.” 

Lyons’ retail career spans 18 years, of which 10+ years have been on the client side as a retailer & manufacturer for some of Australia’s most respected international brands. Christopher has led global and regional retail strategy for clients including Samsung, Philip Morris, P&G, Motorola, Nokia, Dell and Michelin. He now returns home after working over 10 years agency-side in Asia, including time in China, India, Singapore and the past three years in Tokyo, Japan.

On the direction that the agency is going in, McDonald added, “We’re seeing real growth in being able to offer our clients true, retail marketing specialists who can work within their business to help them analyse data, uncover growth opportunities and realise the potential of their brands.” McDonald added.

IdeaWorks is set to launch their new strategic direction within the next quarter.