Final Heads of Jury Announced for 2020 APAC Effie Awards

Effie Asia Pacific has announced Dole Packaged Foods’ Rupen Desai and Fuji Xerox’s Susie Wong as the fourth and final set of heads of jury for the APAC Effie Awards 2020. As jury heads, they will lead the jurors in assessing the marketing efforts of companies in Asia Pacific and recognising the best works at the upcoming Awards Gala.

Rupen is a strong advocate of the impact that purpose-led business and creativity have on society, communities as well as profit. He is global CMO at Dole Packaged Foods, a company which believes in providing equal access to nutrition and wellness to all in a positive and sustainable manner. 

Together with his partners, he co-founded TS/28 to partner organisations to thrive in the conscience economy. He has led multicultural teams that have shaped brand narratives for some of the world's most famous, consistent and successful brands.  

Prior to Dole, Rupen was Edelman's vice-chairman for the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region where he also championed Edelman’s Women's leadership network for the region. Rupen began his career with Mullen Lowe, where he honed his skills over two decades and was the network’s regional president across Asia-Pacific in the last six. 

On his appointment, Rupen said: “Marketing, done right, is a necessary competitive advantage. The conscience economy we live in forces a new responsibility on brands. Brands that act on their beliefs, making the lives of consumers, communities and the planet better will surely perform better than those focused on short term tactics. I am really looking forward to recognising and celebrating the best of Marketing Effectiveness at the Asia Pacific Effies”.

A marketing veteran with over 25 years of multi-markets marketing experience, Susie brings with her a wealth of knowledge in brand building and client advocacy; data-driven digital marketing & demand generation; and field enablement & marketing operations. 

As Fuji Xerox’s chief digital and marketing officer, Susie is responsible for driving profitable market share and mindshare through helping customers in their transformational journey, from paper to digital intelligence. Her charter includes customer experience, field and digital marketing, brand and product management. She is a strong advocate of integrating technologies and story-telling to deliver business results. 

Prior to Fuji Xerox, Susie held a multitude of regional and global roles in IBM, her last appointment being the director of performance and programmatic marketing in IBM Asia Pacific. She has successfully led her teams to clinch numerous local and global industry awards. 

Commenting on her appointment, Susie said: “I am excited to return as a head of jury this year, to have a front row seat to curate industry-defining work that pushes the boundaries of whole-brain marketing”. 

Both Rupen and Susie are ardent supporters of the APAC Effies and have contributed to the Awards in various capacities. Rupen was part of the APAC Effie Committee and has served as Head of Jury, as well as Jury member for several years. Susie is no stranger to the Effies, and has previously served as head of jury and juror for the APAC Effies. 

Along with the announcement of the fourth set of heads of jury, Effie Asia Pacific has also revealed the full line-up of over 200 jurors. Notably, this year’s jury reflects a good balance of gender, good mix of nationalities and broad market representation across the Asia Pacific region, testifying to the special focus on ensuring great diversity across the jury heads and jurors. 

"I am honoured to be working with the best talent in our industry to evaluate the most effective works at this year's APAC Effie Awards. We will benefit from a great combination: on the one hand, we have the invaluable experience of our veteran Effie judges, while on the other we will get fresh insights from many first-timers. I am sure that their huge experience and expertise will help us to find the very best that Asia Pacific has to offer," APAC Effie Awards 2020 chairman, David Porter added. 

The APAC Effies honours and celebrates the most effective brands, marketers and agencies in the region. It provides the growing industry with a regional platform where the best campaigns are honoured.