Heavyweights back at Bates Asia

Bates Asia has attracted back a number of its star professionals in a bid to consolidate the agency’s standing as a top consultancy in advertising, PR and integrated marketing communications, the agency said last week. Among the returnees are Sinhala ad veteran Chaminda Gamage as Executive Creative Director(ECD), Namalie Herath as Media Director, Mohamed Rizwan as Media Manager, Digby Hill as ECD of 141 Integrated Communications and Vino De Silva as Client Service Director of the same unit.

Chaminda earlier spent 7 years with Bates doing some award-winning campaigns for brands such as Holcim, Ritzbury and National Insurance. Namalie was among the pioneering team at Bates and returns for a second time after raising a family and working on her Masters. Digby too has been associated with Bates for many years and was instrumental in fashioning its diversified communications business with 141 GM Paddy Weerasekera. Vino de Silva a self-confessed workaholic and challenge-taker says, “its like coming back home to friends and family”.

The agency has been sending its key staff abroad to acquire skills in the vital areas such as integrated marketing communications and public relations.

Rezani Aziz Rowland PR’s Head is currently attending a training course in issues and crisis management in Singapore.

The agency has brought in a Bates Australia veteran trainer, Steve Kelly, for training of its account management and creative teams and commenced a training programme with a workshop titled “Better Brief, Bigger Ideas”.

CEO Nimal Gunewardena is currently putting the finishing touches on a unique “edutainment experience” which he has developed with the Bates Asia team and Bates Blues Band. This will be launched later in the month for the benefit of the agency’s staff, clients and the industry.