TSLA Strengthens Team with New Key Hires

Following two years of quiet growth and diversification, TSLA makes a slew of senior hires.

On the business front, TSLA has named Rachel Tan as its second head of mothering, working together with its first head of mothering Ariel Lee, overseeing the mothers and nannies at the agency, helming TSLA’s growing portfolio of clients which include Netflix, Starhub, Mandai, DBS, KFC, National Heritage Board, and more. 

Rachel joins from BBDO Singapore, bringing with her over a decade of advertising experience leading brand communications for local and global clients including Singapore’s Ministry of Health Holdings, Visa, AIA and J&J. She was also named Campaign’s Southeast Asia Young Achiever of the Year in 2013.

“I’m thrilled to be joining TSLA! Getting the opportunity to work alongside the management team and founders who have grown TSLA from its humble beginnings, to the force of an agency that is it today is such a privilege,” said Tan. 

She added: “There is such wonderful talent within the agency that I’m so looking forward to helping nurture and support, to enable them to hopefully do the best work of their careers at TSLA.”

Joining TSLA’s T-Studios - TSLA’s in-house production arm - is Brandon Ellison as content creator. Brandon’s experience spans across various special effects and film companies in Hollywood, where he spent an impressive 15 years working as a practical special effects designer, and voice and motion capture actor, which led him into directing and producing. Prior to TSLA, Brandon worked as a stunt performer and choreographer in Japan and Singapore.

“The creativity of others is one of the most inspiring facets of working at TSLA. It’s amazing to see so many different disciplines  coming together in our studio team” said Ellison.

And lastly, Kifaya Taha joins TSLA as senior strategist. A political scientist gone strategist, she joins from Mother Los Angeles where she led strategy for new business and clients, which included American fast-food chain Sonic and Uber-owned food delivery service Postmates. Becoming the eighth member of the all-female strategy team led by Partner and Head of Strategy, Eunice Tan. 

“When I think of TSLA, I think pure creative chaotic goodness  - a team daring enough to care about culture at all times. We’re living in an era where culture is such a hot commodity; “popular culture” is increasingly challenging the Western influence that has in many ways limited how we experience and understand the real world,” said Taha.

She added: “Today, things like entertainment, inspiration, and community feel more global than ever and it is optimizing what we choose to consume, the identity markers we express, how we dream. As a cultural instigator - some might say troublemaker - I feel extremely honored to be able to contribute to this momentum at a creative agency like TSLA.”

With respect to these appointments Sorcha John, managing partner commented: “Plural leadership is a very good thing, so being able to add talented folks to our leadership table ensures that our future direction & all the work we create, is elevated and challenged by new voices, new perspectives and new abilities. Keeping life fun and everything we do culturally rich is essential to us.”