Our partners are entrepreneurial with experience in building businesses. We have in-depth knowledge of the diverse markets of Asia Pacific and MENA

Chris Beaumont

Managing Partner, North Asia

Chris began his professional life as an academic, and for a decade was a Professor at London Business School. Chris has also worked for several global management consultancy strategy boutiques in both Europe and North America.

His route into marcoms was to create a joint venture with CDP while at Coopers & Lybrand, for the purpose of new business. He was so intrigued by CDP that he became their Business Development Director. He was then curious about Japan after Dentsu bought CDP. For 10 years Chris was with McCann-Erickson in Asia; he was both Vice-Chairman of their operations in Tokyo and Chief Strategy Officer for Asia. One of his roles was McCann WorldGroup service development, beyond traditional advertising, across Asia. A transformation that was materialized by focused M&A. He was also the Asian representative on IBM’s global advisory for mobile.

Chris then spent some 6 years leading Grey Group Japan during which time they prospered and extended their specialist communications capabilities through the acquisition of Grey Healthcare, as well as also being responsible for Grey’s strategic development across Asia.

In October 2008, the University of Tokyo made Chris a visiting Professor in their Global Centre of Excellence to foster global best in class collaboration between business and academic initiatives. His work focuses on translational aspects of scientific invention to market innovation across technology; pharma; life-sciences; nano- and bio-technology.

Chris took the role as North Asia Director in 2008, joining the firm he had been their first client in Asia, working with Andrew, over a decade earlier. Since then, he has worked on both sell-side and buy-side mandates across the spectrum of marketing communications and technology spectrum. This includes initiating the first international, multi-country acquisition by a Chinese company.

Recent Transactions

• CIC acquired by Kantar Media
• People PR Consultancy acquired by Instinctif
• Verawom acquired by Aegis Media
• We Are Social acquired by Blue Focus
• Alien Eye merging with Profero Japan
• Profero acquired by Lowe & Partners

Jamie Kefford

Director, South East Asia

Having grown up in Hong Kong, Jakarta, Bangkok and Singapore, Jamie spent his late teenage school and college years in the UK. After working there for five years in the Leisure industry, in 2006 he returned to Singapore to work on a research and database project in the RIAdvisory regional office. This turned into a permanent position before moving into project management work, and now looks after South East Asia for all transactions.

Jamie has acted as the client facing manager on numerous acquisitions assignments for listed and private clients in the marketing services and technology sectors and is excited to see the future developments in the market and new technology sectors.

Jamie used to take to the field for Wanderers Rugby Club, even with 32+ degree heat of Singapore afternoons, but with two young kids the weekends are taken over by family time, which he loves.

Recent Transactions

• MediaDonuts acquisition by Entravision
• VietBuzzAd acquisition by ADK
• Redder Asia acquisition by Dentsu
• Novus Media acquisition by Dentsu
• Band acquisition by Dentsu