Women to Watch 2023: Kelly Pon, BBH

Kelly Pon

Chief creative officer
BBH
China

A look at Kelly Pon’s profile, and it’s hard to believe her list of achievements are pinned on one person. She plays a multitude of roles, and her title doesn’t do justice to the amount she packs in.

A founding member of BBH China and the first female CCO of the agency, Pon produces work that wins metals regionally and exports Chinese creativity globally. Case in point: The futuristic Nike ‘Trove’ campaign, a digital library of Nike’s collaborations with cultural pioneers that inspire and empower China’s youth; aesthetically brought to life by fusing AR tech with immersive 360 experiential videos. The campaign won the ‘FWA of the Day’ for marrying design with cutting-edge innovation.

Her recent work on global campaigns for Sephora, KraftHeinz, LG, Samsung, Garena and Goat Games push artistic boundaries in innovative ways—winning both clients and commercial results along the way. Instrumental in diversifying BBH China’s roster with 11 key wins, including Mini-Cooper (BBH China’s largest account), Keppel Land, Athletic Greens, Nike and others. Her strength lies in cross-cultural work, having worked in different markets around the world, resulting in her also taking on roles outside of China in her remit as the global lead of SKII, operating out of Singapore.

Her team admires her for being a people-oriented leader—as visible in the glorious testimonials from both clients and seniors at Publicis. Leading with heart, Pon values people, diversity and inclusion. These aren’t just buzzwords or business imperatives; as the pioneering female CCO, she believes in changing the narrative for women in advertising and actively gives back with mentoring junior talent through Publicis’ mentorship program ‘L’avenir’, playing coach for The London International Awards, and several other in-house efforts.

Her robust extracurriculars include co-founding a support group, 'Project Herd' to inspire and uplift women in advertising. With a spot on The One Club for Creativity's International Board, Pon gets to extend her influence globally. She is also the Chairwoman of Publicis Groupe China’s Creative Council and one of 22 diverse creative leaders selected from around the world to serve a three-year term working to elevate creativity and champion diversity in the industry.

As a working woman, wife, and mother of three, Pon has perfected the balancing act: aces the day job, finds time to play DJ outside of work. A trained classical musician with a degree from Boston University, Pon is the co-founder of a successful underground club in Shanghai, Elevator.

A winner of the Women to Watch Greater China award, Pon’s stellar accomplishments make way for a regional spot as well.