Tobias Wilson exits APD Singapore following Trimantium GrowthOps acquisition
Asia-Pacific Digital chief executive officer Tobias Wilson has left the company following the acquisition by marketing consultancy and fellow Australian Securities Exchange-listed company Trimantium GrowthOps.
Wilson had been the CEO at APD for nearly four years. He told Mumbrella this morning that he had resigned.
In an ASX announcement in August last year, Trimantium announced it had passed the 90% shareholding mark which allowed the company to compulsorily acquire any outstanding shares in APD.
The $20 million deal announced saw Trimanium GrowthOps – which itself listed in March last year as part of a deal that saw advertising agencies AJF Partnership and Khemistry join with a group of technology and digital transformation consultancies – take control of Singapore-based APD.
APD was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2014, it was said with the aim of building an integrated digital transformation business across the Asia Pacific region.
In December 2017, the company suffered a serious blow when it lost Ford’s East Asian technology account, which forced the company to close its Shanghai office.
However, the takeover added 300 staff in APD’s Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland offices to Trimantium GrowthOp’s existing workforce of approximately 260 employees.
In November 2018, Trimantium GrowthOps launched a visual rebrand but since that time the company’s finances have faced tough questions due to a falling share price.
Wilson was previously co-founder and managing director of the creative agency @ccomplice, which was acquired by APD. He also worked for DWA and McCorkell & Associates earlier in his career.
In addition to that, he was chairman of the then Interactive Advertising Bureau Singapore between 2015 and 2017.
He describes himself on his LinkedIn profile as a “do-er, creative-tech lover, infectiously enthusiastic, thoroughly strategic, builder of people, teams and businesses” adding: “I am fiercely passionate about all things creative and the effect that those creations and experiences can have on my fellow humans and colleagues.”
Big loss for GrowthOps, Tobias is a quality individual who helps drive that business. You can’t buy that kind of enthusiasm.
ReplyEnthusiasm does not transfer to [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines]. As a former employee who [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines] this is [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines] whilst your share price is tanking.
ReplyTobias built a career on [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines]. The proof will be in his new role.
ReplySelf professed builder of people and teams? APD Singapore must have one of the highest churn rates of Singapore and has been a revolving door so fast people won’t even put it on their Linkedin. Enthusiastic, yes. [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines], no.
ReplyYou made this comment on another GO/APD article the other day, so there’s clearly an axe to grind here. But against my better judgement…
I worked for APD Singapore too, from shortly after it became APD Singapore. In my ten year career it fairly easily had the best retention rate of any agency I worked at. Now, that’s not to say we didn’t have some bad fits who didn’t last very long.
ReplyI wrote the above comment and have not repeated it on any other article or site. If you joined soon after APD SG started, and it’s 3.5 years old, this would have given you around 7 years industry experience. This would put you in your late twenties and you are exactly the target audience – full of [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines] from APD is cool as you brainstorm all the edgy work you’re going to do.
I must have been a “bad fit” and it was me who chose to leave quickly as I thrive in a much more [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines] environment. I’ve since employed other people who cycled through APD [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines] and they’ve been solid and share the same feedback.
I guess the proof will be in what Tobias does in the next 2 years.
ReplyI protest being a bad fit there. I’m a senior woman who refused to work in an environment where [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines] so moved on quickly. [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines] rule at APD and that fish [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines].
ReplyTobias is great to work for. If you aren’t [Edited under Mumbrella’S community guidelines].
ReplyIt’s hard to meet Tobes and not to like him. The guy is an absolute legend.
As one of the other commenters said, the proof will be to see what he’s does next. I suspect he’s been on a bit of [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines] the past couple of years but…
He’s switched on, enthusiastic and has all the elements to knock it out of the park.
ReplyTobes, you free for lunch?
ReplyDon’t do it Tobes! Taking advice from [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines] is career suicide. Speak to senior agency people who still actually have senior agency roles.
ReplyToby is enthusiastic but like [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines]. Great qualities of a leader include focus, strategic vision, ability to see projects through from start to finish and more. He is [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines].
ReplyGood guy to have a beer but [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines]. If you want a solid old school [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines].
ReplyLost [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines] speak a lot more than the individual that he is (charming no doubt) – ultimately agency business is cut throat and doesn’t live on charm or how much people like you.
Sadly he [Edited under Mumbrella’S community guidelines]. Many others [Edited under Mumbrella’S community guidelines].
ReplyWith all the comments being sensored under mumbrellas community guidelines..it’s hard to tell if people liked him or otherwise …
ReplyAnother great [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines] anonymous character assasination, well done you must be so proud.
ReplyThis industry needs less level-headed [Edited under Mumbrella’S community guidelines] and more people who actually stand for something with passion, tenacity and enthusiasm. If you want to keep your heart rate down and everyone happy, become a far king accountant.
ReplyEnthusiasm without [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines] can be catastrophic.
You can be charismatic and run a business that isn’t [Edited under Mumbrella’S community guidelines].
Reply…is pretty toxic. The people featured in these articles are human beings, with families, careers, and feelings. Using this platform to take anonymous pot shots should be beneath you, and if it is not then that is a sad thing indeed. This industry is brimming with self-righteous indignation and self-praise, a symptom of the toxicity in the industry and the questionable talent of 99% of the people operating within it.
Good luck with whatever you do next Toby.
ReplyThe irony of you saying “This industry is brimming with self-righteous indignation and self-praise” on an article about someone who describes themselves as a “do-er, creative-tech lover, infectiously enthusiastic, thoroughly strategic, builder of people, teams and businesses” is rather poignant.
I worked for Tobias and when I disagreed on his approach [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines].
This is a forum for people to have a voice that has likely been ignored previously.
Reply…is not lost on me, but I’m making a general comment on the tone and nature of both the debate and the people taking part in it vs. taking aim at a specific named individual under cover of anonymity… you’re hardly proving me wrong are you?
Every single person in this industry has a bank of superlatives for themselves… visionary, transformative thinker, leader, digital ninja blah blah etc etc. I’m sure you do, and if you reflect on whatever label you’ve given yourself will you 100% be able to stand behind it? And will you name yourself on an open forum and then be okay with the fact a bunch of former colleagues might call you out on the fact their experience was different from the promise? If you are then I look forward to you replying with your real name in the comment and lets see how it goes.
And I thought this was the comments section on an industry news site, not Glassdoor. The industry has enough problems without this type of commentary, and if you feel like this is some form of justified catharsis then as I say, this is just sad.
ReplyMake your mind up as you are contradicting yourself. Self praise is bad but everyone uses superlatives so that’s ok.
And thanks for directing me to Glassdoor where it seems all reviews are, funnily enough, anonymous.
Slow. Clap.
ReplyGlassdoor is a place for employee reviews. You seem to think Mumbrella is.
And everyone uses superlatives, so to judge a single person in the industry on theirs is a bit pointless, and given you’re anonymous and unwilling to name yourself it’s a bit sad that you view taking pot shots at people as justified. Who knows who you are or what your agenda is?
And finally many of the comments here are full of self-righteousness (yes my comments as well…) and self-praise.
There I cut the point up into small manageable pieces for you!
ReplyWhy aren’t any of the people who are saying positive (I think) things about Tobias giving their names?
Your argument is stand by what you say and this should go both ways.
For all we know the positives are all by the same person.
Mumbrella provides a forum to express your opinion and experience. If you think this should be changed then speak to Mumbrella as opposed to trying to dictate or slur what has been my genuine experience and perspective. These are just as valid as the people who have had a positive experience with [Edited under Mumbrella’s community guidelines].
ReplyHave your say