Saatchis to appoint Singapore chief to lead London agency

Saatchi & Saatchi has appointed Michael Rebelo, chief executive of the network’s Singapore agency, as managing director of its London office. The appointment ends a six-month search to fill the agency’s top role.

Rebelo will report to SSF Group chief executive Robert Senior, who was appointed to a dual role across the two agencies last summer. The two Publicis Groupe-owned agencies were aligned to create a mini group in July 2007. It is led by Saatchi Worldwide chief executive Kevin Roberts in the US.

Rebelo, who will join the agency in June, will be responsible for running the London agency on a day-to-day basis alongside Richard Huntingdon, head of strategy, and Paul Silburn the creative partner.†He is a relatively unknown entity on the London scene, joins from the profitable Singapore agency, which last year is reported to have reaped overall revenues of $3.4m from its various wins in Asia Pacific.

He was previously general manager of Saatchi & Saatchi Australia, based in Sydney. He has also worked at Saatchi Vietnam, and Saatchi Wellington.