South Korean ad agency Innocean has promoted company veteran Jung A Kim to global CEO. She succeeds William Lee, who had held the role for five years and will continue as a senior advisor during the transition. 

Kim, who joined the agency in 2008, most recently served as chief creative officer, Innocean Korea, working with brands like Hyundai Motor Group, South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group, Google Korea, and Domino’s Pizza. 

 She is the first woman to lead the agency, which was formed in 2005, initially as the in-house agency for the Hyundai and Kia automotive brands.  

It was spun off as a separate company in 2015 and has broadened its client roster to include brands like LG, appliance maker Signature Kitchen suite and TaylorMade, among others. 

The Seoul, South Korea-based firm now has 42 offices in 23 countries and more than 4,100 staffers globally.  

“My goal is to stay true to the essence of creativity while continuously expanding beyond traditional advertising to build new kinds of businesses that will position Innocean as a leading global marketing company,” stated Kim. 

Word of the global CEO switch follows recent news that Innocean USA hired its first president--longtime Goodby, Silverstein & Partners executive Leslie Barrett.