McCann Worldgroup Strengthens Leadership Team in Japan

Yasuyuki Katagi Returns to McCann

NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- McCann Worldgroup announced today the appointment of Yasuyuki Katagi to President and CEO of McCann Worldgroup Japan. He will work alongside Michael McLaren, who will assume the role of Chairman of McCann Worldgroup Japan.

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Katagi joins McCann Worldgroup from Ogilvy & Mather where he was most recently Executive Director, Ogilvy & Mather, Japan.  Prior to that role, Katagi held various leadership positions with Ogilvy & Mather over the last 10 years in Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong.  Before joining Ogilvy & Mather, Katagi spent the first 15 years of his career with McCann Erickson in Japan and Germany, leading major accounts including Nestle, General Motors, and Microsoft.

"We have great ambition for our business in Japan and are dedicated to driving growth in the region. My goal is to ensure that McCann Worldgroup Japan is consistently at the forefront of creative excellence, strategic innovation and performance measurement," said Nick Brien, Chairman and CEO of McCann Worldgroup. "Yasu is the perfect choice for this role. He is a proven leader and born collaborator with experience both in Japan and in international markets.  He's a great addition to our team, and, working with Michael, I have every confidence he will help build on our wonderful legacy in Japan."

As CEO of McCann Worldgroup Japan, Katagi will work with Michael McLaren to continue to build on the strong integrated team of McCann Worldgroup agencies, to drive market momentum in Japan, and to leverage new ideas from around the world.

McLaren said, "McCann Worldgroup is on a transformational journey in Japan and across the region and we are excited to have someone of Yasu's caliber join our leadership team. Yasu's experience across multiple disciplines and geographies makes him the ideal person to assume this important role for our company. He also has a deep history with McCann, having spent the earlier part of his career at the agency, and understands our business and how we are differentiated in this unique market. I have every confidence he will drive the network forward and take our powerful agency offering to the next level."

Katagi added, "I'm incredibly excited to return to McCann Worldgroup and to have the opportunity to add to what is already a strong Worldgroup presence in this market. The mission of McCann Worldgroup is to create marketing solutions that will transform our clients' brands. This focus, combined with Nick Brien's drive and passion for creativity, makes this the ideal time to be back in the McCann Worldgroup network."

About McCann Worldgroup

McCann Worldgroup delivers marketing solutions that transform brands and grow businesses. The company is comprised of a collaborative roster of best-in-class agencies that emphasize creativity, innovation, and performance, including McCann Erickson (the world's largest advertising agency network); MRM (digital marketing/relationship management); Momentum (event marketing/promotion); McCann Healthcare (professional/dtc communications); WGEXP (global production); UM (media management); Weber Shandwick (public relations) and FutureBrand (consulting/design).

www.mccannworldgroup.com