PR agency Weber Shandwick has promoted Baxter Jolly, its managing director for Southeast Asia based in Singapore, to vice chairman of Weber Shandwick Asia Pacific effective Feb 1.

In his new role, Jolly's region-wide responsibilities cover multinational client services, regional practice groups and driving the agency’s HR and talent management programs. He will also continue in his role as managing director for Southeast Asia.

Jolly, who is Malaysian, will report directly to Tim Sutton, chairman of Weber Shandwick Asia Pacific. “Jolly has led one of our most consistently successful businesses in Singapore, has developed our capabilities throughout Southeast Asia and is respected by colleagues, clients and industry peers,” said Sutton in a statement on March 10.

Appointed as MD in 2007, Jolly has led the agency’s Singapore office to win Best PR Agency 2008 at the International Business Association (IBA) Stevie Awards.

In the past two years, the office has also won Communications Campaign of the Year in Asia 2009 from the IBA, Financial Communications of the Year at the 2009 Holmes Report Asia Pacific SABRE Awards and the Financial Services/Investor Relations Award from the International PR Association (IPRA).

Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Jolly was the managing director of GolinHarris in Singapore, a public relations firm under the Interpublic Group. His career in public relations began in 1998 as a senior consultant with Ludgate Asia (now renamed Weber Shandwick) in Hong Kong.