Wavemaker Hong Kong Hires Adrian Lee and Omar Crutchley

Wavemaker Hong Kong (Client Solutions) supercharges its digital capabilities with two new senior specialists.

Joining the Hong Kong hub as head of digital and performance director are Adrian Lee (pictured left) and Omar Crutchley (pictured right) respectively.

Adrian will join the agency in late November, bringing strong expertise across all digital channels to create impact, with a focus on the creative use of data and content. He also has a keen eye for identifying trends and new technologies. He will report to Allison Coley, managing director.

Reporting to Adrian and with his strong performance background, Omar will lead the team in activating campaigns that translate to business results, bringing advanced technologies to the team and way of working.

Adrian has spent over a decade working at the vanguard of media developments, helping some of the world’s biggest brands navigate through the constantly evolving landscape, e.g. P&G, AB InBev, Coca-Cola, Burberry, the VW Group, Honda and Dell. He has worked in senior global and regional digital leadership roles in the UK as well as in local roles across APAC. 

Omar has over eight years of experience in digital marketing where he has worked with clients in the UK and in Dubai. In his most recent role as head of paid media at Edelman UAE, he was responsible for launching the department and educating clients on the benefits of paid media. He has also held similar roles where he managed paid media for companies such as Emirates, Rolls Royce, Dubai Tourism and Bose.

Adrian remarked: “Since Wavemaker’s inception I’ve kept a close eye on the agency’s progress and couldn’t be more excited that I now have the opportunity to join them and help grow their business in Asia. Having spoken at length to Allison and my other new global colleagues, I’m convinced the Hong Kong office can play an integral part in the network’s growth, especially with the calibre of some of the other new hires coming on board.  On a personal note, I’m delighted to be returning to Hong Kong, a place with close family ties and where I enjoyed living and working previously.  My family always felt we had unfinished business in leaving when we did so it’s great to have the chance to come back.”

Omar said: “I have always had the ambition of one day working in Hong Kong servicing APAC clients. This was due to my appreciation of how fast things seemed to move. With Wavemaker’s focus on client servicing and continuous innovation, this is the perfect platform for me to learn from everyone and at the same time use my experience and drive significant growth for our clients.”

Commenting on these appointments, Allison said: “With Adrian and Omar joining our team, we are well poised to offer even stronger digital marketing solutions to our clients.  The experience they bring from some of the largest clients and markets in the world will ensure that Wavemaker Hong Kong is a centre of excellence for our clients and the Wavemaker network.”

Adrian's move to Wavemaker’s Client Solutions hub will see him return back to Hong Kong and GroupM, having been appointed MediaCom’s head of digital back in 2014. Prior to this he spent seven years working in MediaCom’s London and Indonesia offices. Adrian has spent the last 3 years in London with the Dentsu Aegis Network as Vizeum global’s digital strategy and innovation director. 

In 2015 he was awarded MOB-EX Hong Kong’s 'Rising Star' award, recognising an outstanding mobile practitioner below the age of 30. 

During his previous time in Hong Kong, Lee also captained Cricket Hong Kong’s national development team for players of Chinese origin. 

Before his role at Edelman UAE, Omar spearheaded revenue growth at Latitude MENA focusing on clients such as Citibank, Emaar and flynas airline.