Birkin has been worldwide president of Omnicom's Diversified Agency Services network since 1999. The company said that the creation of the new senior role in the Asia-Pacific region was so he could ensure Omnicom was developing its capabilities in the region.
John Wren, president and CEO of Omnicom Group, said: "Given the growing portfolio of Omnicom companies in the Asia-Pacific region, we feel it's time for a senior representative of the holding company to be based in Asia and to further expand our services to meet the expectations and requirements of our major clients."
Before taking up his role at the head of DAS, Birkin served as DAS international president from 1997 to 1999 and European managing director from 1995 to 1997. From 1987 to 1995, he was the CEO of Interbrand, the branding consultancy acquired by DAS in 1993.
Birkin said: "We are experiencing enormous growth in the demand for our services in the region, and I look forward to working with our agencies and networks there to broaden and deepen the scope of our work."
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