SINGAPORE--Former FleishmanHillard senior executive Tarun Deo has resurfaced as GolinHarris MD of Southeast Asia and Singapore.

Deo joins GolinHarris one year after exiting FleishmanHillard, where he spent five years as regional SVP.

At GolinHarris he succeeds Christina Cheang, who steps down as head of Singapore after five years with the agency.

“We are very pleased that Tarun is joining us. Attracting specialistsof his caliberis key to providing the highest levels of counsel and expertise to our clients in Singapore and across the region,” said GolinHarris Asia-Pacific president Jon Hughes. “At the same time, we are extremely grateful to Christina for putting our business in Singapore on such a strong footing and we wish her all the very best.” 

Deo told the Holmes Report that GolinHarris' new model was a pivotal reason in his decision to join the agency.

"In some ways, it probably sets this agency up quite nicely for the future," said Deo. "Where you are having all those specialties but you are talking about cultivating a different kind of skillset. Fundamentally, I think that’s going to be really, really interesting."

Deo also noted that, while all PR agencies needed to change, "an agency of Golin’s size can probably make this transition much more smoothly and successfully than some of the bigger guys."

"For the first time in many years I’m walking into a job where there is no crisis as such," added Deo. "We have to evolve the business - but it’s a great franchise. I’m hoping to move much quicker and the culture is very refreshing."

Deo joined Fleishman-Hillard in 2007 from Text 100, where he led a thriving Indian operation before moving to a regional role in Singapore.