By Debbie Cai

Malaysia - Recruitment firm Aquent has opened a new office in Kuala Lumpur (KL) -- its 14th in Asia Pacific -- as it seeks to capitalise on the hiring spike in the marketing, communications and creative industries, as evidenced by the figures in its latest Asia-Pacific Salary Monitor 2005-2006 report.                    
 
“Adding KL to our Asia-Pacific network is a strategic step towards our goal of being the premiere provider of marketing, communications and creative staffing solutions in the region,” said Greg Savage, Aquent Asia Pacific CEO in a statement, adding that “many agencies that had to contend with a lean workforce in the last two years are beginning to take a more pro-active hiring stance to remain competitive”.
 
According to the report, the majority of agencies in the region are looking towards staff increases, rising turnovers and spiking salaries, with Aquent specifically seeking strong through the line and copy-based creatives, strategic planners, integrated account management consultants and media specialists to cater to this demand.
 
Sharon Wong, who reports to Savage, has been appointed Area Manager in KL, and is responsible for opening and developing the Malaysian market, including the management of client and talent services, staff, and marketing and operations duties.