11 Women Taking the Lead in APAC Advertising

Asia Pacific is home to the most dynamic agencies in the advertising world, leading where the rest of the globe follows when it comes to innovation and new forms of marketing. But who leads the leaders? This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the leaders who are driving the business forward, enabling creativity, empowering their teams and turning the industry into a force for good.

As some of the most influential CEOs, MDs, and presidents in the region, we also wanted to find out what was on their minds as for 2023 and what they and their teams will be focusing on.

Dani Bassil, CEO Clemenger BBDO Australia

Before joining Clemenger BBDO Australia, Dani Bassil has been CEO of Digitas UK since 2018. Prior to this, her experience in the UK included stints at J. Walter Thompson, POSSIBLE, Grey and Wieden and Kennedy. This followed several years working in agencies in Sydney. Bassil was named Campaign Digital Agency Head of the Year (2021 and 2019), Best Agency Leader, Women in Marketing Awards (2019) and has been included in the BIMA 100 CEOs and Leaders category (2018- 2022, inclusive, the only CEO to achieve this four times and consecutively).

I believe deliberate focus in any business is critical. The agency world can feel complex and complicated sometimes - unnecessarily so in my opinion. Keeping it simple and ultra-focussed is so important.

That’s why this year we only want to focus on three key things:

Our people – are we creating a safe place where they can feel equity and progress in their careers?

The work – how do we continue to be creatively exceptional?

Our clients – do they love us and how do we help them grow their businesses?

When we do this well the growth, opportunities, and success will follow.

Irene Wong, CEO Grey Malaysia & Singapore

Irene, a high-profile member of the Malaysian advertising scene, has previously held posts at Leo Burnett and Naga DDB before coming to Grey. Rising to CEO in 2015, Irene honed her craft by working on a balance of both local and multinational brands such as Telekom Malaysia, Ministry of Finance, The National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme, SEA Games 2017, P&G, Lenovo, Volvo, HSBC, Hong Leong Bank and Coway, to name a few. Under her stewardship, the business has continued to grow year-on-year with a healthy and stable mix of clients across industries.  

The merger of the Grey Malaysia & Grey Singapore studios has taken its full effect. Building brands, improving creative reputation, growth & operations will continue to be my focus. 

My KEY focus which I believe is most important in 2023, is PEOPLE. I spend two weeks every month in each studio, always listening to understand and dig deeper into what this merger means to our people. The sum of their concerns falls within these five areas:

Is the Malaysia studio “taking over” the Singapore studio? (The CEO & CCO are both from Malaysia studio).

Will their roles in the Singapore studio be replaced or outsourced to the Malaysia studio?

What form of support will the Singapore studio receive from the Malaysia studio?

Will the Malaysia studio have to do more to support the Singapore studio to save hiring costs?

Will you be fair and treat us equally?

These are concerns with layers of emotions attached to them. They can’t be solved with just town halls and feel-good emails. I must be part of every conversation, see every individual’s concerns through their lens, and look at ways to assuage them. Hopefully, through the capillary waves of humanity in how we operate, it will surge into a tidal wave. A merger that looks good on paper with charts, workflow processes and graphs will not translate into real life if we look at people as numbers. 

Jasmin Bedir, CEO Innocean Australia

In addition to her role as CEO at Innocean Australia, Jasmin is the founder of Fck The Cupcake -  a creative platform to fight casual misogyny through smart communications. Fck The Cupcake has created two major initiatives so far – in 2022 the Be the change campaign, encouraging men to speak up against misogyny in the workplace which got us on National Television, and a campaign coinciding with IWD23. That more recent campaign aims to inspire Australia’s “good blokes” to show up for equality. 

For those of us who work in communications, I strongly believe it is our responsibility to redefine what aspirational culture in Australia looks like. We are big and powerful enough, as an industry, to shape and influence popular culture.

The work that we do with Fckthecupcakes (FTC) will continue to focus on messaging that actively engages men in the conversation around equality, with a lot of empathy and nuance.

We will continue to ask men to actively raise their hands and signal they are willing to listen, learn and do something, because without men engaged in the conversation, we will never shift the needle.

 Ji Watson, CEO McCann Worldgroup Japan & Regional CFO, McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific

Ji is a seasoned executive with over 25 years’ global experience in finance and marketing. She moved to Japan in 2017 as EVP, CFO of McCann Worldgroup APAC based in Tokyo to oversee financial management and stewardship of Asia Pacific markets. In addition, in 2020 she was appointed Representative Director of McCann Worldgroup Holdings Japan Inc. and was promoted to CEO in October 2021. Ji began her professional career at Turner International, Inc., in a marketing role overseeing the distribution of programming to international broadcasters. She’s also worked at The Coca-Cola Company and Samsung before jumping agency-side. Prior to joining McCann Worldgroup in 2015, she spent over 7 years at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide based in New York responsible for the financial and commercial leadership of multiple global accounts.

Wabi-sabi is the Japanese age-old philosophy which means the discovery of beauty in imperfection. We are all perfectly imperfect. Our focus for 2023 is and continues to be our people. Ability to recruit and retain the best talent in the workplace. It is embracing our imperfect selves and others to value diversity and accept the unique differences of each other. By leveraging our collective Imperfections, this will lead to an unimaginable creative culture that taps into unlimited ideas and solutions for our clients. Driving equal and equitable opportunities for our people to flourish and create the impact for the brands we love. Impact that is meaningful and transferable across borders and cultures while at a same time successfully driving growth for the agency.

Jessica Davey, SVP client service, APAC, Media.Monks

Jessica is the co-founder of IPG’s Women”s Leadership Network APAC in 2016, mentor for Spikes Asia’s first “See It, Be It” program, and most recently mentor for Google’s global DARE program (an initiative sponsoring and supporting underrepresented creative  talent across the globe). A member of S4 Women Global Leadership Program, Jessica’s personal causes include improving representation and equity across the creative industry, female empowerment and leadership, sustainability, and cultural impact through creativity.

For 2023, I am focusing on mindfulness and humanity. 

With so much uncertainty and change happening across the industry (and the world at large), making sure we are looking after our people in every possible way is the ultimate priority for us. This is especially important for many of our female talents who are often facing challenges in juggling work and family, multi-generational homes and a perpetual “you can do it all” attitude that pervades work and culture.

For growth, again I am mindful that our clients are facing their own challenges: with supply chain, macroeconomics and increasing pressure on budgets. It is important to always recognise that every client is a person looking for partnership and solutions, and it’s my role to work with them to create the best possible outcomes. The best opportunities come from clients with shared values and ambition to create culturally impactful work with human engagement at the heart. We get to create work we are proud of, and the client gets results that drive their business and their brand. That is a mutual win and that is a priority for us in 2023.

On a personal level, I am about finding a better work life balance and making sure I allocate time for self care and recharging. Every time you fly,  they always remind you that in an emergency you have to put on your own oxygen mask before you can help anyone else. I am trying to make sure I stay empowered and inspired and in turn pass that energy onto my teams and help create the conditions for them to achieve and flourish.

Sally Kissane, CEO Ogilvy Network ANZ

The CEO of Ogilvy Network ANZ, Sally Kissane has led teams in both Australia and New York across Customer Experience and CRM, Digital, Public Relations and Advertising over the past 20+ years, making her one of our industry’s most well-rounded leaders. After managing OgilvyOne in Sydney, Sally became a Joint MD of Ogilvy Sydney before her promotion to CEO of Ogilvy Australia in 2021. She is a strong believer in the power of creativity to achieve just about anything, and is passionate about improving the wider advertising industry, from developing junior talent through to holding agencies accountable on diversity and inclusion through a variety of initiatives including Changing the Face.

Much has already been said about the economic challenges we may face in 2023, which will undoubtedly be a major focus for our entire industry.

But as we head into International Women’s Week, it’s important we also address an another ongoing and important business issue – the loss of valuable female talent.

According to the Create Space Survey, around 70% of people who leave our industry are women.  Across the industry, senior female creative leadership is sparse.  And while Ogilvy ANZ has several outstanding female ECDs, the solution isn’t as simple as hiring women in senior positions.

Instead, this year we will focus on a longer-term approach to tackle the issue from the ground up, preparing women for their mid-weight years, while providing the support and incentives to help them progress to senior levels.

We will engage Ogilvy’s strong female leadership to foster informal connections and drive creative excellence, hold inclusive, round-table discussions to better understand the needs of women within creative departments, and ensure any new initiatives are directly relevant to them.  We will also launch a female Mentorship/Mentee program to learn and grow from shared experience.

Focusing on these issues in 2023 is not something that’s ‘nice to do’.  It’s a business imperative.  To meet the economic headwinds ahead, we must have a workforce that represents our broader community.  One that can provide our partners with the most diverse and sharp thinking both in the turbulent year ahead, and beyond.

Kate Bayona-Garcia, CEO Publicis Groupe Vietnam

Kate Bayona-Garcia stepped into the role as CEO of Publicis Groupe Vietnam last May. Taking on the new role, her immediate priority was to be with teams, understand challenges together, and provide the energy and emotional lift to rally each other. In her 15-year journey in Vietnam, she has grown to be recognized as one of the top leaders in the country’s communications industry. As well as advancing new models for clients, and contributing to the expansion of capabilities, she partners with media and digital functions to deliver the Groupe’s Power of One promise. 

Creativity best flourishes when we embrace diversity and inclusivity, having different perspectives can only power up great ideas! We are proud that this is ingrained in our culture quite naturally. Vietnam is a country where women are treated with respect, perhaps more so than in some neighboring countries. Our Publicis Groupe Vietnam operation was also founded in the 90s by a Vietnamese woman, Mai Huong, who now serves as our chairwoman. 

This year, we are committed to continuing to nurture this diverse and inclusive environment, so our people can focus on their personal growth and achievements, without worrying about prejudice.

Margaret Key, CEO, APAC & MEA at MSL

Margaret serves as a mentee for GWPR (Global Women in PR) as well as for Yonsei University’s graduate school of international studies. She’s passionate about all things related to women empowerment in our industry, but also Asian female leadership.

Research from UN Women in Asia and the Pacific attested to the increased percentage of women in Asia Pacific holding on to managerial positions at 20%, as compared to two decades ago. I can see this in our own PR industry. But while progress has been made, there is more to do. We still lack parity in executive positions for women as compared to the west. In fact, in Asia Pacific, there is only one woman in a leadership position for every four men. 

Last week, I walked into an industry-agnostic, executive business meeting. I was one of three women in a room of over 20 men. Not knowing one another, we left reflecting on the marked underrepresentation that continues in 2023. It is a fact, all countries across APAC will expand growth by advancing women’s equality. This is no longer a pursuit, it is a mandate for both government and business to address.

Margie Reid, CEO Thinkerbell

Margie Reid has been the CEO of Thinkerbell since 2017, and has had a rich career in media and advertising. She’s been at Carat, Universal McCann and spent over 11 years at OMD where she became the MD of OMD Melbourne. However, she’s also committed to empowering marginalised and disenfranchised groups both within advertising and in wider society. Margie is on the Board of Support the Girls – an organisation ensuring women of disadvantage have basic hygiene.  She is one of 100 selected industry powerhouses for The Aunties Senior Mentor Program, a volunteer support network for women and non-binary people in creative industries. Margie is also on a task force for Inclusively Made, a group that is working to create employment for people living with disabilities in creative industries- in front of and behind the camera and film production.They are working with an organisation on ensuring the workplaces and Thinkerbell in particular is able to support those going through Domestic and family violence, the same way we have First aid and Mental First Aid officers. And if that wasn’t enough, she is a Director of Decade of Action (DOA) a social cause 'For Good' driven consultancy that asks two simple questions: ‘What will you do?’ and ‘When will you do it?’ 

What I love about what we’ve created at Thinkerbell is that we can operate entirely at our own speed, unbeholden to any other forces. We are constantly reading and assessing the local and global economy and impacts on our clients as well as culture implications and then reacting to what we hear to ensure we are bringing new and relevant thinking to our clients. We remain focused on our responsibility in creating content- in whatever form - that is diverse and inclusive. This extends into our team, clients and partners - what we do on the side of our business matters as much as what we put into the world. This is nothing new, but it’s not a set and forget mentality. 

We are working on pathways for a career in advertising and marketing for people from all walks of life, capabilities, and abilities. At Thinkerbell we are always looking for ways to create measured magic, especially within our rituals - specific moments within the week where we give people a voice within the agency, through to living and breathing our Actions (we think values are too passive). Creating work that expands what is expected and is baked in marketing science is what drives us as a team no matter what aspect of our business someone might work on or within. 

The last five years have passed in a flash and to be awarded Campaign Brief Creative Agency of the year and Mumbrella’s Full Service agency of the year (for the second year in a row) is something all of us at Thinkerbell are very chuffed by. It proves what we are doing is having a positive impact. As well as creating a successful agency, we have been on a journey to become Allies of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples through a programme with Aunty Munya and the team at Evolve Communities, as well as been part of a brains trust to work with. 

Mandy Wong, President TBWA\Singapore

Within five years from joining TBWA\Kuala Lumpur in 2001, Mandy moved to Singapore to manage one of the agency’s largest global accounts then, Standard Chartered – across Asia, Middle East and Africa. Mandy led this account for over a decade, until her elevation to Managing Partner in 2019, and President of TBWA\Singapore in 2022. 

Mandy was a founding member of the “First Mate” mentorship programme at TBWA\ Singapore in 2021, which aims to prioritise the support and well-being of the agency’s employees. She is also a role model who nurtures the next generation of future leaders in the industry and the key member of the TBWA\Collective’s ‘Take the Lead’ initiative – which aims to make real and meaningful change across TBWA’s global offices for a more balanced and inclusive culture at all levels. Under her leadership and dedication, TBWA\Singapore has achieved a diverse workforce of 69% women, 60% women Leaders, 25 nationalities and 37 Languages.

In 2023, we want to help clients see the value and benefit of engaging agencies for longer term partnerships, rather than short-term or one-off projects; which seems to be the pitch trend in 2022. 

Longer term partnerships enable greater efficiency and effectiveness through shared experiences and learnings, as well as the consistent and continual access of quality, expertise, and collaboration process. In turn, it’s much more cost-effective for both parties in the long run.  

Our key focus areas for growth include: to create more equity through career-growth opportunities for women in our company; to form and establish new long-term client relationships; to explore the integration of AI into creative processes; and to put out even more new holistic brand experiences for our clients.

Yupin Muntzing, CEO of VMLY&R Thailand

Yupin joined VMLY&R Thailand in 2020, where she is responsible for overseeing the growth of VMLY&R’s business and operations in Thailand, harnessing creativity, culture, technology and data to offer holistic business solutions to clients across the country. Before that she was CEO of McCann Worldgroup in Thailand, a role she held for almost five years. Before this time, she was director at Muntzing Agency, an agency she founded in 2013, while simultaneously acting as managing director for Geometry Global. Recently, the team at VMLY&R Thailand created the first Breast Cancer SImulator Pad, to help educate women about what they should be looking for in self-breast examinations. “It’s this kind of world-changing work that motivates us to do our very best, knowing that what we are doing could be making a real difference in people’s lives,” says Yupin.

We have been through a lot over the past three years: the pandemic that impacted many aspects of our lives, which made me realise that while a lot of things are out of our control, one thing we can control is how we handle it. 

Based on this my approach for growth and opportunities is based around positivity, which is a key characteristic of Thai culture. We’ve worked hard to build benefits and programs for both the physical and mental well-being of our team, while also supporting local communities, as being able to help others also helps us to grow. This positive approach also extends to our clients, helping the whole team to stay inspired and motivated to create truly connected brands which create real impact for our clients and the world.