The Essential List: Chan Woei Hern

Chan Woei Hern started his job at FCB as a copywriter. He was part of the founding team to reboot Dentsu in 2004. He then moved to NagaDDB in 2010 where he worked his way to creative director, working on Digi, munchy’s and Nippon Paint. He also found time to set up Malaysia’s first Capoeira academy.

In 2015, he became a founding member and executive creative director of Ensemble Mediabrands. From a 4-man team, Ensemble picked up PETRONAS and Maxis, two of the biggest brands in Malaysia and grew to an 80-man agency. Along the way he picked up Campaign Asia’s top 40 under 40 honours in 2016, and Ensemble became the first agency in Malaysia to win Effie Agency of the Year three years in a row, as well as YouTube Awards Grand Prix honours two years in a row. In late 2020, Chan joined VMLY&R COMMERCE tasked to accelerate the delivery of iconic creativity through ideas and experiences that live at the intersection of physical retail, e-commerce, social, experiential, to name but a few.

He’s judged for New York Fest, YouTube Awards, spoken at Creative Industry Summit in Egypt and served as deputy chairman of Kancil Awards. A big supporter of social causes, Woei Hern was involved as mentor at Malaysia’s Global Innovation Centre’s Accelerator Programme for social enterprises and also works with Cancer Research Malaysia as a partner agency.

LIFESTYLE

• Place of Birth: Tung Shin Hospital

• Hometown: Taman Tun Dr Ismail

• Staycation: The Chow Kit

• Vacation: Sipadan, Malaysia

• Pet: 3 cats

• Place of Work:  EQ plaza / Good Golly Miss Molly / Any hole in the wall cozy cafe with great coffee

• Place of Workout:  Kota Damansara Community Forest

• Side Project:  Trying to complete the all-time greatest PS4 games on Metacritic while raising creative standards and children

• Mode of transport:  Train

• Bonus Travel Essential:  iPad

CULTURE

• Artist:  Jeremyville

• Musicians:  DJ Shadow / The Shins

• Commercial/ music video director:  Jonathan Glazer

• Film Director:  Christopher Nolan / Guy Ritchie

• Photographer:  Vinoth Raj Pillai

• Film:  Interstellar

• TV Series:  The Mandalorian

• Commercial:  Too many

• Music Video:  Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai

• Video Game:  Mass Effect

• Board Game:  Monopoly

• Book:  Anything from Malcolm Gladwell and Neil Geiman

• Graphic Novel:  The Sandman

• Podcast:  The Voices in My Head 

• Newspaper (off or online): Vice / cilisos

• Bonus Culture essential: Kotaku

FOOD AND DRINK

• Food and drink:  Coffee and salmon

• Breakfast:  Eggs

• Restaurant:  Lucky Bo, Bangsar

• Working lunch:  La Juiceria

• Snack: Nuts

• Guilty pleasure:  ice cream

• Booze:  Whisky

• Not booze: Coffee

• Bonus food: Steak

• Bonus beverage:  Water

KIT

• Phone:  iPhone12

• Computer: Office ration

• TV:  Samsung

• Headphones:  Sony

• Camera: Phone

• Soundsystem:  Headphones

• Pen / pencil:  2.0 calligraphy pen

• Where you document an idea:  Notes, Jamboard, paper

• Casual clothing:  Yes

• Smart clothing:  Glasses

• Footwear:  Whatever's on the rack

• Watch:  Smart

• Collection: Biking trails

• App:  Instagram

• Website:  Outlook

• Favourite social media feed:  PSN

• Work program:  Google Slides

• Digital work tool:  Outlook on web

• Analogue work tool:  Pen and paper

• Morning grooming / makeup essential:  Baseball cap

• Bonus kit essential:  Vape juice