AxiCom, WPP’s technology specialist communications agency, announced the appointment of Katie Huang Shin as the new President of AxiCom US and the promotion of current AxiCom UK MD Kate Stevens, as President of AxiCom in Europe. Huang Shin will spearhead the firm’s business strategy and operations across North America with Stevens overseeing its European business across seven offices. The new regional heads will work with their agency leadership teams to further bolster AxiCom’s ambition to become the global technology communications agency of choice.
During her career, Katie Huang Shin has advised technology industry leaders and challengers, helping them to build their brands, strengthen their business resilience, and effectively communicate their propositions in a dynamic global environment. Huang Shin most recently served as President, Technology Sector and Chief Strategy Officer of WE Communications, where she oversaw the agency’s technology practice and focused on client development and driving WE’s growth strategy.
Before joining WE, Huang Shin held senior executive positions at Porter Novelli, FleishmanHillard, and Weber Shandwick. In these roles, she worked with client teams across geographic regions on issues of business strategy, mergers and acquisitions, turnaround and transformation, and organizational leadership and change.
Huang Shin is also known for her relentless focus on client partnership and her deep passion for fostering an environment that provides the best career experiences for her teams.
“It is a great privilege and an honor to join AxiCom during this extraordinary period for our business and our industry,” said Huang Shin. “Technology companies are at the heart of our global economy, and how brands communicate their relevance, values, and commitments while showing their humility in an increasingly complex marketing and communications environment is pivotal. There has never been a more important time for communications to act as drivers and influencers of business.”
Kate Stevens’ appointment as President of AxiCom in Europe leads the agency into its next exciting chapter, seeing her responsible for the agency’s European business across its offices in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden. She will also continue with her current position of Managing Director of AxiCom UK, while transitioning to her European leadership role.
Stevens has spent the last 20 years specializing in technology communications, joining AxiCom UK in 2007 from WPP agency GCI where she worked on the Dell account. From managing initially AxiCom’s portfolio of major B2B and telecoms clients, Stevens then focused on ramping up AxiCom’s consumer technology practice area, using her extensive experience in consumer, lifestyle and community building. Her success over the next 10 years saw her leading on key accounts including Dell, Microsoft, HMD Global the home of Nokia phones, and Google. In 2017, Stevens was appointed MD of AxiCom’s 50+ person UK office and will retain her strategic lead role on key clients in the interim as the agency seeks to appoint a new office lead.
Kate Stevens said: “In a period of intense change, it’s important to look to the future, focusing not just on the business landscape today, but also shaping what comes next. This is especially true in the technology industry, where disruption and adaptation have been consistent over the past decade. Having been a part of the AxiCom senior team for more than a decade, I’m looking forward to continuing to work closely with our European teams and country leaders in this next chapter as we continue to grow our business and deliver outstanding work for our clients, while also supporting clients in facilitating the next wave of digital transformation.”
It was additionally announced that European Board member and AxiCom Director Nick Head will step up into a new role as European Managing Director, promoting excellence across AxiCom’s European network. Head will work directly with AxiCom’s European country managers to implement pan-European processes and inspire global successes from in-country teams. He will also retain his long-term involvement in key client relationships.