SINGAPORE: Grey Group has appointed Sarah Trombetta as the chief client officer for Procter & Gamble across Asia, Middle East & Africa. Trombetta will be part of WPP/Grey’s P&G global leadership team, working closely with Nirvik Singh, the international president and global COO of Grey Group, and Debby Reiner, president of Grey Global Clients & business leadership for P&G, WPP.

Trombetta takes over from Yashaswini Samat, a 28-year Grey veteran who will support the business transition till the end of the year.

In her new role, Trombetta will be in charge of establishing the strategic direction of the P&G business across key regions, leading the integrated strategies and creative ambitions for P&G’s portfolio of brands.

With more than 20 years’ experience in advertising across Asia Pacific, Europe, and Australia, Trombetta joins from her last role as CEO of Red Havas, where she spent two years in charge of the network’s flagship Australian market.

The move marks a return to WPP/Grey for Trombetta, as she was CEO of Grey Hong Kong from 2015 to 2019. Under her leadership, the agency transformed its end-to-end digital marketing services solutions for Greater China’s largest clients, bringing social commerce, advertising, retail, and activation together to deliver growth for brands such as P&G (Pantene, Gillette, Olay, Downy, Always), HSBC, Hong Kong Tourism Board and GSK.

Before this, she held board-level positions in Asia-Pacific and the UK at H+K Strategies, another WPP global agency.

“She is an awarded agency leader, who has had success building global brands in multiple countries, and her track record for transformation and growth is highly impressive,” said Singh.

He also thanked Yashaswini Samat, who is “leaving an outstanding legacy.” He added: “She has made a big impact throughout our network and inspired the next generation of Grey P&G leadership. I wish to thank her for all her hard work, mentorship, guidance, and loyalty through the years and wish her well in all her future endeavors.”

Commenting on her return to the group, Trombetta said, “This role brings together an irresistible blend of diverse business markets, iconic global brands, and the chance to reunite with world-class talent who I have always known to bring a lot of heart to the work and each other.”

She will begin her new role on Nov. 22.