DIGERATI ASIA 2007: Program Advisory Board

They understand the immense power of digital technology and the Internet as a transformational element in society. But they keep looking for ways to amaze and be amazed every time. They are digerati. Are you?

Simon Bond
Regional Director - Asia PROXIMITY ASIA

Chris Schaumann
Country Sales Manager - SG
MICROSOFT DIGITAL ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS

Ian Stewart
VP Strategy & Research
MTV Asia Pacific, Singapore

The head of international clients and regional business development director for Proximity across Asia Pacific, Simon is one of the leading digital innovators within the network globally.

Simon is credited with developing significant international digital and interactive Proximity work with clients including Emirates Airlines, Pepsi and Masterfoods. Simon’s most recent successes include developing the regional Asian digital strategy for Pepsi across 6 countries. He is also the founding member of the taskforce within Proximity that promotes digital innovation and creativity and drives everyone else in the network to reach the same levels of thinking.

Formerly Associate Business Development Director of XM Asia in Singapore, Chris joined Microsoft in November 2005. As Country Sales Manager, he ensures MDAS clients and partners maximize their returns from their online marketing initiatives. Leveraging his extensive experience in Germany, US and Asia, he has worked with almost every MNC harnessing the online medium.

Chris has more than 10 years’ multimedia production and online marketing consulting experience, and has participated in more than 130 Internet-related projects, which include strategy/concept, online media strategy (planning, buying and managing), complete website architecture development process and maintenance, proprietary applications development as well as entertainment solutions for the music industry.

Ian was the CEO of youth marketing agency FILTER, which he founded in 2000. Filter was acquired in 2005 by global market research company Synovate, and Ian spent a year integrating his company into Synovate as the global head of trend research.

Prior to setting up FILTER, Ian worked at MTV Asia, in charge of consumer strategy; as a strategic planner for Ogilvy; and for Coca-Cola as their trend manager in North Asia. Ian came to Asia from Sydney in 1990, starting his career with qualitative market research firm MBL.

A regular speaker at marketing conferences around the world, and a regular contributor to industry publications, Ian is regarded as one of Asia’s leading commentators on consumer trends. More importantly he enjoys life swimming in the pool with his young son Luke.