Sahlia Painter Appointed CEO of Agora Following International Growth

Sahlia Painter is officially stepping into the role of CEO of Agora, after having been pivotal in Klyp’s strategy and growth throughout key international markets.  

Agora has had a big first year as a new brand, having recently been appointed as the official marketing agency partner for a number of international clients.  

These clients include ViraCorp and its subsidiaries out of the UK, which develop COVID-19 killing PPE and related products; BirdBox.Film, a UK based streaming service that is launching globally; Maximyzd, a global benchmarking tool for the financial services sector, based out of Singapore; and My Rewards, supporting their expansion into B2C and international markets. Additional opportunities in New Zealand and the US will also be announced in the coming months.

Klyp began the process of creating specialty brands during 2020, having identified the need to speak more directly to the problems they solve, and better showcase and deliver their various areas of expertise. Agora launched earlier this year with a focus on marketing services across strategy, research and execution.

"The response to our approach has been incredible and really affirms the strategy that we have chosen to move forward with. Our clients love the way that we bring strategy and research to the table, and the way that they are able to work and communicate with the people working on their account. Our people are the linchpin to the great success we have seen so far, and I am so excited to lead such an incredible team as we grow even further over the coming years," said Sahlia.

Chris Byrnes, who Co-Founded Klyp in 2003, will now act as Group CEO in an advisory role while launching additional products and brands over the course of 2022.

"Throughout 2020 and 2021 we looked internally, refocused and formulated a plan to invest in our core competencies of Creative, Technology, Experience, and Marketing. This has led to appointing strategic and dedicated individuals into our Leadership team. I am so proud of what Sahlia has achieved in a little over 18 months - Agora’s growth trajectory is surpassing our expectations,” said Chris.