Women to Watch 2023: Stefanie Liew, Digitas

Stefanie Liew

Managing director
Digitas, Publicis
Singapore

Stefanie Liew has played a pivotal role in driving the agency's rapid growth and success. A dedicated mother, scuba diving enthusiast, owner of Singapore's popular artisanal bakery, and managing director of Digitas Singapore, Liew's vibrant energy lights up in everything she does.

Earlier in her career as account executive for OgilvyOne, Liew pioneered digital thinking in advertising in Malaysia. She then accumulated extensive professional experience working in various digital marketing agencies such as TBWA, Tribal DDB and Ogilvy in Shanghai. Her dynamic career in digital marketing across Asia makes her a powerhouse in the digital space and a driving force for Digitas Singapore's rapidly growing success. 

In 2017, she moved to Publicis Groupe as executive director for Zenith, where she helped the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) navigate growth, decline and recovery in the backdrop of Covid 19 while helping the agency win a consortium for the global Creative and Media business. 

In 2021, Liew stepped into her current role as managing director of Digitas Singapore, and in just 18 months, she has expanded the agency's growth in scale and profit, catapulting it to new heights as the fastest-growing agency within Publicis Groupe Singapore.

Part of this success is attributed to the revamping and porting of SingHealth's corporate and hospital websites into Adobe Experience Manager, as well as securing Digitas as Samsung's first-party data and CRM agency across the SEA region. More recently, she led the launch of Singapore Wonderland, a collaboration with STB and Publicis Play on the Roblox Platform. This campaign garnered four million visits in its first month and received an impressive 85% like rating, showcasing Liew's ability to create impactful campaigns. 

Her tenacity and innovative thinking stretch across to the wider group, tapping into new business models and leveraging near-shore talents to create the most efficient solution for clients and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. The agency’s partnerships with Prodigious Singapore for the CPF education campaign and with Epsilon to launch loyalty apps for brands like Diageo and Club Apparel are two exemplary outcomes of her collaborative spirit.

Beyond her impressive professional achievements, she has led the agency in taking significant strides towards sustainability, earning the agency a Champion status in the Singapore Environment Council's Eco-Office Certification. Her dedication to environmental protection extends beyond the boardroom and is proven by her efforts as an avid scuba diver diving into ocean clean-up initiatives to protect marine life.