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.

Interpublic Group agency Golin has announced the promotion of Shouvik Prasanna Mukherjee to Executive Vice President, global creative innovation, effective immediately.Recognised for spearheading successful innovations out of Asia for Golin?ÇÖs global network ?Çô including the Executive Impact Matrix and AI Incubator SPARK ?Çô in his new global role, Mukherjee will be responsible for creating new products and proprietary solutions that in turn will spur growth for clients, the agency and the industry.In this post, Shouvik continues his current remit as Golin APAC?ÇÖs Chief Creative Officer, and will remain leading the agency?ÇÖs Creative Intelligence Unit ?Çô a division comprised of data analytics pioneers and creative frontrunners, who integrate analytics & measurement expertise with creative and content capabilities. The Unit was awarded Specialist Consultancy of the Year in 2023 and 2024 by PR Awards Asia.?Ç£Expanding Shouvik?ÇÖs contribution to Golin globally comes so naturally, building off consecutive successes he has spearheaded,?Ç¥ said Darren Burns, President, Asia Pacific, Golin. ?Ç£Shouvik?ÇÖs appointment in this role, based out of Asia, underlines Golin?ÇÖs commitment to being a truly global agency, and I am confident that the advancements he will make on the global stage will be electrifying.?Ç¥Shouvik reports to Burns, President, Asia Pacific, and will also support Ginger Porter, global chief client officer and innovation council chair. ?Ç£I?ÇÖm beyond excited to work closely with Shouvik in his new position as we inspire, design and lead efforts to help our clients solve challenges and seize opportunities in the vanguard of their market,?Ç¥ said Porter. ?Ç£We need to stay ahead of culture, technology and trends in order to do the best work of our lives, and Shouvik has a proven track record of keeping us, and our clients, frontfooted on that journey.?Ç¥Mukherjee joined Golin back in 2011 and has held creative leadership roles throughout his tenure, most recently overseeing creative for the entire APAC region and supporting clients like Allianz , Disney+, Harley Davidson, Hyatt, Magnum, Micron, McDonald?ÇÖs, Porsche Asia Pacific and Uber.?Ç£I?ÇÖm excited to bring the Asian perspective to Golin?ÇÖs global portfolio and influence clients at scale,?Ç¥ said Mukherjee. ?Ç£Creating change that matters stems from being at the forefront of culture and creative disruption. In collaboration with my partners on Golin?ÇÖs innovation council, we are committed to delivering solutions that will shape the future of our client business.?Ç¥

PR agency Golin has announced the promotion of Rafidah Rashid to Group Managing Director. In this newly created role, Rashid will provide centralized leadership and strategic direction for the agency's Singapore operations.Rashid brings over 13 years of experience in marketing communications to the role. Prior to her promotion, she served as Managing Director of Consumer, overseeing various sectors including beauty, lifestyle, education, and entertainment. Rashid is also a champion for diversity and inclusion, having recently been appointed co-lead of Golin's Asia Pacific Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council.Previously, Rashid honed her skills at DeVries Global, where she started as an Account Manager and eventually rose to become Managing Director within nine years. She brings a wealth of experience to Golin and will continue to report to Darren Burns, President of Asia Pacific.Expressing happiness over appointing Fidah to this role, Darren Burns, president of Asia Pacific, said that her unmatched energy for innovation, ability to create a vibrant culture, and her unique blend of experience, make her perfect for this role.?Ç£Under her leadership, we are evolving a new era that builds off our sustained success in Singapore,?Ç¥ Burns said. Rafidah Rashid said: ?Ç£As a leader, my mission is to champion industry-first innovations for brands, while empowering our people to reach their full potential."