Entropia’s Prashant Kumar appointed Advisor to IAA Malaysia at AGM

At the recently held 27th AGM of the International Advertising Association Malaysia, Entropia’s Founder-Senior Partner Prashant Kumar was appointed Honorary Advisor.

Prashant was awarded the IAA ‘Champion’ Compass Award 2020 this year, and is the only honoree from the Asia-Pacific, and joins four other luminaries from around the world, namely, Maruisz Jan Demner (Founder-CEO, Demner, Merlicek & Bergmann, Austria), Joel Nettey (CEO, The Ninani Group, Ghana) Walid Kanafani (Managing Partner, Beyond Consulting Services, Kuwait) and Tom Doctoroff (Global Senior Advisor, Prophet, United States).

In announcing the appointment, John Chacko, President of IAA Malaysia, remarked, “Over the last three years, Prashant has provided valuable insights at our Debate Series events where he is always a popular panellist. In addition, he is instrumental to the IAA in providing independent advice on how to elevate relevancy and in filling the vacuum of global shared experiences in the local industry”.

Over the period 2019-2020, IAA Malaysia delivered on its mandate to the industry, with strategically themed events, and members gaining from regular updates from IAA Global on viewpoints, findings and experiences from around the world.

“This includes the launch of the first ever IAA-Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance ‘Privacy Law: A Global Legal Perspective on Data Protection Relating to Advertising and Marketing’ handbook, and, IAA-Nielsen Global Survey on ‘Transformation of the Marcom Industry in Response to Covid-19’ with an Asia analysis. The handbook is available to IAA members and the survey results are published on our website, iaa.org.my”, said Chacko.

At the AGM, Chacko took the opportunity to declare that IAA Malaysia has been granted the hosting rights for the 46th IAA World Congress, which is scheduled to be held in July 2022.

The idea of Malaysia hosting this prestigious event was first mooted in February 2019 at the last World Congress in Kochi, and details will be unravelled in stages in the months to come.

During the 2020-2021 period, IAA Malaysia will focus on its axis of ‘Knowledge and Learning’, and this core pillar has somewhat transformed into critical importance since the landscape touching every part of our lives has turned on its head since the coronavirus pandemic broke the skin of normalcy.

Along with the much appreciated ‘Debate Series’ and ‘Forum Series’ events, IAA Malaysia is in the midst of developing more industry leadership programmes and events with strategic inputs and case studies from IAA Global and chapters across the world, to evolve with the climate.

When the Malaysia conceptualised ‘Forum Series’ was held last year, with the theme ‘Regulatory Challenges Facing Brands and Consumers’, it was the inaugural event of its kind in Asia-Pacific, drawing international presenters and panellists.

While Tony Savarimuthu and Prashant Kumar are the Honorary Advisors, the 2020-2021 ExCo of IAA Malaysia will comprise John Chacko (President), Omar Shaari (Vice-President), Prabha Nayar (Honorary Secretary), Ng Li Lian (Honorary Treasurer), Hamimda Agil (Head-Education) and Gary Tay (Head-Digital Media).

IAA Malaysia’s purpose for being is to connect, inform and represent the marketing communications community, with primary focus on knowledge and learning, and, thereby contributing to IAA’s global destination of being the Compass for the Marketing Communications Industry.