Above (left to right): Chiara Longmore (new business manager at TBWA\London) and Xin Yee Chow (senior client success manager, growth, at dentsu Singapore’s CXM agency, Merkle)
As part of the Career Chameleons series, LBB has spoken to the people in this industry whose CVs might surprise you. From their stories of the road less travelled, we hope to gain a concrete understanding of how skillsets are evolving, and how fluid job paths might help advertising become more flexible and resilient.
This time, the spotlight’s on people who have brought over their skills at managing and winning accounts in their sector from less expected places. Xin Yee Chow built her foundations at creative agencies, working with fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and quick-service restaurant (QSR) brands. Now, she’s deep in the world of data science and business performance in her role as senior client success manager, growth, at dentsu Singapore’s CXM agency, Merkle. What motivated her transition was the desire to understand why and prove how the work works.
“Amid the pitch decks and campaign rollouts, clients would often ask ‘How did this actually perform?’ I often struggled to answer without meaningful data,” Xin Yee recalls. That was the turning point. “I realised that creativity is even more powerful when paired with data that proves its impact. That curiosity sparked a shift towards performance-led, data-driven marketing.”
New business manager at TBWA\London, Chiara Longmore’s aptitude for the job comes from even further afield: six years studying international relations and conflict studies. A London ad agency, she admits, was the last place she thought she’d end up.
“To many, the jump may seem incongruous – and it is. The worlds focus on vastly different stakes,” says Chiara. It was the chance to work with “amazing creative minds” that was simply too good to refuse.
Still, Chiara’s training has granted her valuable, transferable people skills. Empathy and conflict resolution – crucial negotiation tactics – have come in “surprisingly useful in the high-pressure pitch world.” Not only has this taught her to “see from others’ perspectives, understand their needs, and actively listen” in the service of great advertising, but it’s also helped her in her “new business hustling.”
Innovative thinking offers another example. “In the world of conflict, solutions are never easy. Thinking outside, inside, and in-between the box is crucial, and key to effective creative collaboration,” she shares. Applying that to adland, it’s easy to see how it might help Chiara to capture the imagination of prospective clients, and invigorate longstanding ones.
In Xin Yee’s experience, too, her background in a different type of agency has given her an edge. “Today, I see my role as an evolution from creativity – bridging the artistry of storytelling with the clarity of data and insights. Now I work in a growth role where I rely on data to uncover opportunities, but it is my creative background that helps me turn insights into compelling, customer-first messages,” she explains. That creative experience has shaped her approach to analytics, audience segmentation, and media activation, and honed her ability to curate personalised omnichannel journeys that both perform and resonate.
“This blend of creativity and data has shaped how I view hybrid talent,” Xin Yee continues. “The ability to think laterally and analytically, and work across cross-functional teams is what drives real impact today.”
That multidisciplinary mindset puts candidates in tune with how skills across an agency can be stitched together, says Chiara. Both she and Xin Yee agree on why this is important: fewer silos and greater collaboration unlock better, more effective work. “[That] ultimately creates more value – for brands, for customers and for the business,” highlights Xin Yee.
So where are these career chameleons headed next? When cross-pollination proves so effective, anywhere is fair game.
“Who knows,” teases Chiara, “I may yet return to geo-politics; but next time, I’ll be bringing lessons from adland with me.”
Read about more career chameleons here: