Darren Burns is stepping down as president of Golin Asia-Pacific after six years at the helm of the agency’s regional operations, he has confirmed to PRovoke Media.
The leadership change comes several months after Golin and Ketchum were brought together under the Golin Ketchum banner as part of Omnicom’s restructuring of its public relations business following the acquisition of Interpublic Group. The combined agency is led globally by CEO Matt Neale and president Tamara Norman.
Burns took charge of Golin Asia-Pacific in May 2020, returning to the agency after spending 14 years at Weber Shandwick. He assumed the regional leadership role during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, as Golin’s teams across Asia-Pacific faced lockdowns, economic uncertainty and rapidly changing client requirements.
At the time of his appointment, Burns told PRovoke Media that his brief was to strengthen Golin’s presence in Asia-Pacific and “take it up a level”.
Over the course of his tenure, Golin expanded its regional footprint and delivered sustained growth. Revenue rose 27% in the three years to 2023, while Asia-Pacific fee income increased by a further 10% in 2024, outperforming much of the wider regional market. Client satisfaction also reached a record high in 2024.
Burns also led a broadening of Golin’s capabilities beyond its traditional consumer communications strength. Technology, corporate affairs and healthcare emerged as increasingly significant areas of the agency’s Asia-Pacific offering.
The agency’s client portfolio during his tenure included major brands such as McDonald’s, Volkswagen, Micron, Dell, Texas Instruments, Harman, Moderna, LinkedIn, Lenovo, Unilever and Uber. It also added a series of high-profile accounts, including Marriott, The Walt Disney Company, Amazon, Adobe, Qatar Airways, Boehringer Ingelheim, Laneige and Johnnie Walker.
Innovation and creativity were another focus of Burns’ leadership. Golin launched its Spark AI incubator and established an Asia-based Creative Intelligence Unit as the agency explored the use of emerging technologies in communications.
Regional creative chief Shouvik Prasanna Mukherjee was subsequently promoted to the global position of executive vice-president of creative innovation.
Golin also significantly improved its awards performance, almost doubling its win rate during the latter part of Burns’ tenure. Its notable regional work included helping Uber manage opposition from Hong Kong’s taxi industry, supporting McDonald’s “Lovin’ Me” youth mental health initiative in Singapore, and working with the Taiwan AIDS Society and Taiwan AIDS Nurses Association to challenge attitudes towards people living with HIV.
The agency’s focus on workplace culture was another defining feature of Burns’ tenure. Golin was named Best APAC Network to Work For by PRovoke Media last year, while Burns placed considerable emphasis on mental health support, employee wellbeing and building more inclusive workplaces across the region.
His departure comes at a significant point for the agency as Golin Ketchum begins operating under Omnicom’s newly consolidated public relations structure.
