Today (5 July), Wunderman have announced that Caspar Schlickum (pictured), the current CEO of Xaxis EMEA, will be joining Wunderman as CEO of the APAC region. 

Wunderman, the WPP-owned global digital agency, are bringing in Schlickum to oversee their Asia-Pacific operations, which encompasses 1,000 people across 28 offices in 14 countries, responsible for developing and expanding the agency’s offering and role, with an emphasis on digital data-driven marketing.

Schlickum will be joining Wunderman in September; maintaining his position at the helm at Xaxis, also WPP-owned, until this time, with a succession plan to be announced in the coming weeks.

Wunderman prides itself on bringing creative and data together, with a motto of: ‘Creatively Driven. Data Inspired.’ Schlickum, speaking exclusively with ExchangeWire, confirms: “Wunderman operate at the intersection of data and creativity and use both to deliver real business results for clients.”

Despite operating heavily within data and technology, Schlickum has always been a strong advocate for data and technology-fuelled creativity, as documented recently on ExchangeWire. “Having spent the last five years of my career focussed on the data and technology side of our business”, said Schlickum, “I am looking forward to working in a creative environment and to bringing the two together”.

Schlickum has extensive experience in the world of digital and, during his time at Xaxis, he has expanded the business into 25 markets and grown the team into 500 developers, data scientists, and specialists across the region.

Speaking of the appointment, Mark Read, global CEO, Wunderman is delighted to welcome Schlickum on board: “Asia is a high-priority market for us, and Caspar’s unique experience in digital marketing, data and analytics, as well as his understanding of technology-driven business, will be hugely beneficial as we continue to grow our business throughout the region.”

Schlickum, no stranger to the APAC region himself, told ExchangeWire that he is looking forward to being back in APAC on a personal level: “I grew up in Australia and, until I took the role of running Xaxis in EMEA, always worked closely with teams around the region there. The Wunderman business globally is going from strength to strength, and the opportunities in APAC are huge.”

Schlickum is also excited to be a leading figure of a company that has gone on such a journey throughout its history: “The founder of Wunderman, Lester Wunderman, is considered the father of direct marketing. The company has transformed itself into one of the largest and best-regarded digital agencies in the world, and the data-driven and personal marketing approach he pioneered continues to live at the heart of the DNA of the company and what it does for its clients.”

Schlickum is certainly a poster child for WPP career success and, following his significant achievements during his time as CEO of Xaxis EMEA, it will be interesting to follow his undoubted future triumphs as CEO of Wunderman APAC from September.