GroupM Forms R&D Partnership with Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB)
April 01 2015 - 1:30AM
Business Wire
EDB to Support GroupM’s set up of a Global Data
& Analytics R&D Hub in Singapore with Emphasis on New Data
Science Products and Technologies
GroupM announced today the launch of a new R&D partnership
with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the lead
government agency for planning and executing strategies to enhance
Singapore's position as a global business center. The three year
plan will support the set-up of a global R&D team in the
Singapore market with a focus on developing new data science
technologies that extend GroupM’s leading position in media
investment management.
Under the terms of the development plan, GroupM will increase
the number of PhDs in data sciences and analytics it hires for its
Singapore operations, as well as expand its relationship with the
country’s advanced science and technology institutions, through a
strategic investment by EDB. The collaboration will enhance
Singapore’s position in attracting the world’s most talented data
scientists through new jobs in the Singapore market. Against a
backdrop of fierce global competition for these experts, the
partnership will further support Singapore as a key destination for
data science and analytics professionals, providing skilled
candidates with industry-leading opportunities to develop their
careers as part of GroupM.
“The rapid worldwide growth of data-driven advertising has
driven a corresponding, and massive, demand for PhD level data
scientists to design and implement these next generation media
technologies,” said Harvey Goldhersz, chief data officer and CEO of
GroupM Analytics. “With today’s partnership, GroupM gains a
valuable advantage in attracting the most astute and promising
minds to our Singapore R&D operations while advancing Singapore
as a world center for the development of the industry’s most
advanced media products.”
The agreement is unique in the media industry, recognizing
GroupM’s preeminence in the data and analytics areas and providing
an increased number of data-science jobs in Singapore outside of
the academic realm. GroupM’s R&D operations will leverage
Singapore’s infrastructure and talent pool to provide professionals
with favorable conditions in which to develop their careers.
The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) has been working
closely with the industry to build up a comprehensive ecosystem as
part of its vision for Singapore to become a regional digital
marketing hub. Mr. Kelvin Wong, Assistant Managing Director of
Singapore Economic Development Board says, “We welcome the
establishment of GroupM R&D in Singapore, and the
transformative effect it will have on how brandowners plan and buy
media. It will also create opportunities for analytics talent to
work in the exciting and fast-moving space of media investment
management, and contribute to EDB's goal of developing 2,500
analytics professionals in Singapore by 2017.”
Firmly reinforcing its position as a hub where talent is
harnessed and developed to drive success in Asia, Singapore is home
to a strong base of qualified talent with academic backgrounds
along with a well-developed technology infrastructure.
About GroupM
GroupM is the leading global media investment management
operation. It serves as the parent company to WPP media agencies
including Mindshare, MEC, MediaCom and Maxus, as well as Xaxis and
Catalyst. Our primary purpose is to maximize the performance of
WPP’s media communications agencies on behalf of our clients, our
stakeholders and our people by operating as a parent and
collaborator in performance-enhancing activities such as trading,
content creation, sports, digital, finance, proprietary tool
development and other business-critical capabilities. The agencies
that comprise GroupM are all global operations in their own right
with leading market positions. The focus of GroupM is the
intelligent application of physical and intellectual scale to
benefit trading, innovation, and new communication services, to
bring competitive advantage to our clients and our companies.
Discover more about us online at www.groupm.com.
Harmonica / GroupMKaty Saeger or Peter Epstein+1 310-597-2337 or
+1 323-251-3567katy@harmonica.co or peter@harmonica.co