Thierry Halbroth

Thierry Halbroth

Partner, Creative Lead, APAC at EY
Hong Kong, Hong Kong

About me

With over 20 years of fully integrated advertising experience, Thierry has built his credentials in the digital space from the early days of the internet. In Asia Pacific since 1993, he has lived and worked in Bangkok, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Thierry started his career in Singapore with design firms WordMaker and Write-Angles Communication (Minale Tattersfield Asia) and, after a two-year consulting stint in Sydney, landed in Hong Kong to join internet professional services firm’s Mercatela. On the back of a major British Airways win, he then joined M&C Saatchi to lead its integrated creative services offering in Greater China. But Thierry is well-known for his 10-year stint with McCann Worldgroup, eight of these as global digital and creative lead of Cathay Pacific Airways and two as Chevrolet’s Asia-Pacific’s creative lead, before moving to Publicis Hong Kong as Executive Creative Director and Managing Partner.

At EY, Thierry leads creative ideation and thinking across Asia-Pacific, disrupting traditional thought processes to build stronger brands through purposeful sustainable design solutions for EY’s clients. He is a member of EY wavespace Hong Kong, EY's design and human-centric co-creative center, which he helped build as Mumbrella's 2019 Asia-Pacific's Consulting Team of the Year, a mere year after its launch.

As a testament to his innovative and creative mind, Thierry was most recently the recipient of EY’s 2022 Asia Pacific Innovation Award, as Greater China’s Ideator.

Sector Experience

Positions

Managing Partner
Hong Kong, China
May 2016 - Present (8 years 6 months)
Executive Creative Director
Hong Kong, China
January 2016 - Present (8 years 10 months)
Besides being one of the local HK4A's agency handling the likes of Citibank, Tempo, Nestle and Chow Tai Fook, Publicis Hong Kong is also the regional creative centre for AXA Insurance, Marriott Hotels, Cartier, UBS and BNP Paribas. Encompassing Nurun, MSL and the luxury division 133, Publicis strive to deliver integrated creative and strategic solutions for all its clients with digital at the core.
Executive Creative Director
Commonwealth - a McCann Worldgroup company
July 2013 - August 2015 (2 years 1 month)
Commonwealth is Chevrolet's global advertising agency of record with headquarters in Detroit and regional hubs in São Paulo, Milan, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Moscow, Dubai and Bangkok.
Chairman, Creative Council
McCann Worldgroup
July 2013 - August 2015 (2 years 1 month)
Executive Creative Director
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
October 2009 - July 2013 (3 years 9 months)
Overseeing and managing all of the creative origination and implementation of all the airline seven brand’s campaigns in 27 countries – from digital, TVCs, print and outdoor, as well as below-the-line collaterals.
Creative Committee Chairman
The Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of Hong Kong (HK4As)
February 2012 - March 2013 (1 year 1 month)
iDA Committee Chairman
The Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of Hong Kong (HK4As)
2009 - 2011 (2 years)
“In the greater scheme of complex integrated communications, online marketing is no longer a satellite of a strategy. Instead, digital thinking is taking centre stage in any long and short term marketing strategy, as consumers’ media habits consistently shift from traditional media to online. We cannot afford not to be digitally savvy when the world’s largest internet population is in our own backyard. That would simply be suicidal for any creative mind.”
Senior Creative Director
McCann Worldgroup
February 2006 - October 2009 (3 years 8 months)
As Senior Creative Director with McCann Erickson’s Cathay Pacific Central Team Worldwide, Thierry manages integrated solutions through the line for all Cathay Pacific brands including Cathay Pacific, Marco Polo Club and Asia Miles. From global branding campaigns to relationship marketing and digital solutions, his role is helping the airline to differentiate itself in a market increasingly dominated by low cost carriers, and consolidate its position as one of the world’s leading airlines.
Director of Integrated Services
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
January 2002 - February 2006 (4 years 1 month)
Creative Partner
Mercatela
May 2000 - August 2001 (1 year 3 months)
Managing Director
THC2 Pty Ltd
January 1999 - May 2000 (1 year 4 months)

Other professional activities

PHNX 2024

Awards Jury Member

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