SCMP Appoints David Wightman as Global Head of Advertising

Hong Kong, 26 October 2021The South China Morning Post today announced the appointment of David Wightman to the newly created role of Global Head of Advertising. 

The senior-level appointment signals the continued growth of SCMP as a globally recognised and trusted partner to brand advertisers, powered by adtech innovation and data-driven advertising effectiveness.

Wightman will spearhead the on-going growth and international expansion of SCMP’s global advertising business. He will lead a department spanning Hong Kong, mainland China, Asia, USA and Europe, and oversee global media sales, marketing and creative solutions, branded content, events, custom publishing, advertising technology, and sales operations.

“We are delighted to add a leader of David’s global expertise and reputation, and look forward to broadening our business reach and international relevance with his strategic, operational and commercial experience,” said Gary Liu, CEO of SCMP. “His C-suite exposure across the EMEA and APAC markets will greatly benefit SCMP’s growing portfolio of international clients.”

David has more than two decades of industry experience, gained at the intersection of media, data and technology. He has previously built and led local and international sales and operations teams within digital and traditional media companies.

Before joining SCMP, Wightman was based in London as the Group Director of Business Operations for Ebiquity, the world leader in media investment analysis. Prior to this, he was the Managing Director of [M]Platform, where he launched and scaled the regional programmatic, data and technology division of GroupM Asia Pacific. 

As the Chief Operating Officer of GiveMeSport, he overhauled the editorial and content marketing approach, increasing readership, revenues and investment. Earlier in his career, Wightman held senior commercial leadership roles at media organisations, including Geeknet, CBS Interactive, Yahoo!, and Mirror Group Newspapers. 

“I am energised and enthused to be joining SCMP,” said Wightman. “The award-winning history of the brand, coupled with an innovative approach to how we harness data and technology, offers an unprecedented opportunity. I believe the future is very exciting for our company, our advertising partners and our audiences.”

ABOUT SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

The South China Morning Post is a leading global news company that has reported on China and Asia for more than a century. Founded in 1903, SCMP is headquartered in Hong Kong, where it is the city’s newspaper of record, with a growing correspondent staff across Asia and the United States. SCMP’s vision is to “Elevate Thought” and our mission is to “Lead the global conversation about China”. It is the recipient of hundreds of awards for its journalistic excellence, from such prestigious organisations as the World Association of News Publishers and the Online News Association. A digital-first media organisation, SCMP is also home to Goldthread, a content platform with a focus on food, travel and culture in China, and publishes a portfolio of premium lifestyle and fashion titles in Hong Kong including Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Esquire and Harper’s BAZAAR. In 2020, SCMP became the first news organisation in Asia to join the Trust Project, a consortium of top news companies developing global transparency standards for credible journalism.

 

For further information, please contact:

Stef Lo

stef.lo@scmp.com