ADFEST 2025

< TO 3-DAY PROGRAM

Buying and Selling an Agency: The Ultimate Creative & Commercial Collision!

George Kypraios/Randy Duax/Emma Daines/Dissara Udomdej/Moderator: Rob Sherlock

In a world where more independents are making their mark, we explore how to build and sell and agency, harnessing capital raising and M&A to achieve growth ambitions.

This exciting Panel Discussion, hosted by Rob Sherlock, will explore how creative entrepreneurship collides with the commercial reality of building and selling an agency. The Panel will feature Randy Daux (MD of Stagwell Asia Pacific), Emma Daines (CEO of Fin Design + Effects), Khun Ohm (Founder & CEO of Yell Bangkok) and George Kypraios (CEO of Yefira Group).

The topics will include how to raise capital for growth - and how to effectively be acquired or align with other companies.

George Kypraios

CEO

Yefira Group

George Kypraios, CEO of Singapore headquartered, Yefira Group, has been advising on mergers and acquisitions, growth capital and partnerships in the branding, creative, marketing services and related technology space since 2004.

His focus is global, with Singapore as his base. He is a passionate entrepreneur who believes in strong relationships, integrity, and rolling up the sleeves to ensure clients' success. George has always been interested in meeting remarkable people and learning from them.

“Yefira”, translated from Greek meaning “Bridge” signifies the essence of the team’s work, bridging clients to opportunities, investors, and strategic partners globally. Having worked in various international companies, George emphasises the importance of understanding the industries in which he operates and invests time in engaging with industry participants to bring parties together where there is strong chemistry and synergy.

Randy Duax

Managing Director

Stagwell Asia Pacific

Singapore

Randy Duax oversees Stagwell’s Asia-Pacific operations and Regional HQ in Singapore. He joined Stagwell Global in 2016 as SVP, Talent and Recruiting, a role where he oversaw global recruitment operations across the portfolio.

He was previously with WPP, where he most recently served as Talent Director of Asia Pacific and was responsible for senior executive recruitment across WPP’s company holdings and teams in Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney and Tokyo.

Randy spent the first decade of his career in New York working for Koller Search Partners in 2004, the executive search firm of record for advertising and media companies including Harvard Business Review, Future PLC, The Daily Mail, and Bloomberg Media Studios. He was vital in building out the firm’s digital capabilities and transforming the client base.

Emma Daines

CEO, Founder & Executive Producer

Fin Design + Effects

Sydney

Emma’s 36-year industry experience spans prominent Advertising Agencies, leading Production Companies, and renowned Post-Production facilities in Australia, UK, and Asia, working with some of the most acclaimed Directors and Producers locally and internationally.

Recognised as one of Australia’s most experienced VFX Producers , Emma founded Fin Design + Effects in Sydney 22 years ago and has been a significant pioneer of VFX producing in Australia.

During that time Emma, known for her innovative approach to extend and stimulate those around her in the pursuit for excellence, has expanded the Fin network to studios in Melbourne, Singapore, Shanghai, and Los Angeles, establishing Fin as one of the respected leading VFX companies in the world.

Emma’s vast industry experience with any impressive wealth of knowledge and understanding of high end Visual Effects and her ability to manage teams to pursue ambitious creative results has enabled her to double her team to over 180 artists in just 3 years, delivering ambitious visuals that have been lauded with a host of prestigious awards across notable features and commercial work including AEAF, AACTA, CLIO, Cannes Lions, Spikes Asia, Ciclope, New York Festival Awards, ADFEST, Axis, AICP, AWARD, and Gerety Awards.

Further to craft gongs, Emma won ‘Woman in International Business Award’ at the Australian NSW Premier Export Awards (2017 & 2022) and ‘Titan: Platinum Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award’ (2022); while Fin Design + Effects won the SHOTS 2022 Asia Pacific award for ‘Best VFX Company of the Year’.

Over the years Emma has sat on numerous creative juries, most recently 2022 AICP Post Judge, 2022 ADFEST Film Craft Lotus & New Director Lotus, 2019 & 2017 LIA Production & Post-Production; 2015 Clio Film Techniques.

A passionate advocator for parity and inclusion, Emma is an active mentor in the advertising production industry: She is a 2023 Creative LIAisons coach and co-founder of “OWNED”, a global coalition with over 200 members, dedicated to championing women in all aspects of commercial production.

Dissara Udomdej

Founder & CEO

Yell Bangkok

Bangkok

Dissara Udomdej is a dedicated leader with a vision for driving meaningful change in the advertising industry. Through thoughtful creativity and authentic storytelling, he strives to elevate brand-building with impactful results on a global scale.

As the founder of Yell, Thailand’s first agency network, Dissara began with a mission to create a space for bold ideas and innovative thinking. This commitment has guided Yell’s expansion from Bangkok to Singapore, Shanghai, and 4 prominent cities across Asia. The agency’s growth reflects his ability to blend cultural understanding with strategies that effectively connect with diverse markets.

Dissara places great importance on building an organization that delivers value while fostering growth for those around him. He embraces continuous learning, collaboration, and openness to new ideas, ensuring the industry evolves in a positive direction.

With his genuine dedication and tireless efforts, Dissara continues to inspire creative professionals and drive progress in the world of advertising. His leadership reflects a humble yet determined approach to creating opportunities and leaving a lasting impact.

Moderator: Rob Sherlock

Chairman

Yefira Group

Singapore

Rob is a globally experienced leader in advertising and creativity, passionate about and focused on transformation, collaboration and growth.

He has a proven background of cross-cultural change management and leading teams to create future-facing solutions.

Rob is past Global CEO and Chairman of ADK, one of Japan’s largest multinational agency networks.

Previous to that he was Chief Creative Officer at FCB in the USA & Asia for over 10 years.

He’s currently Chairman of Yefira Group, Chairman of The Crisp Group, Chair of Advisory Board DAIVID Emotional AI, Chairman of Exxovantage,

Chair ADFEST Advisory Board and Business Advisor to PalletEarth.

Rob's mantra for business is simple - ‘Be relevant, add value...and have fun.’