Women to Watch Asia Pacific 2023: The marcomms trailblazers making a difference

Campaign Asia-Pacific, in collaboration with EssenceMediacom, proudly presents a formidable line-up of 30 exceptional women who are defining new frontiers in the business and marcomms industry. These trailblazers are testament to the extraordinary female talent flourishing within the Asia Pacific region, defying stereotypes, gender biases, and discrimination. The Women to Watch list, now in its 11th year, serves as a spotlight for the incredible contributions of women in APAC who might otherwise go unnoticed. 

The 2023 Global DEI Consensus survey by WFA, in partnership with Campaign, shows women do not feel any more included at the workplace than they did in the inaugural survey conducted two years ago. Still, the stories of the women featured below will undoubtedly inspire and change that narrative.

We are delighted to publish the journeys of these women; you'll witness how businesses led by women not only thrive commercially but also prioritise their employees and make a lasting impact on their communities. The 11th edition of Women to Watch is a testament to the diversity of industries and geographies in the APAC region. Representing 11 markets, including Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, the women we honour come from independent agencies, agency networks, media publishers, financial services, adtech, martech, PR, healthcare communications and video marketing. Our commitment to inclusivity means that age is not a determining factor; you'll find a mix of seniority among these exceptional women, from industry veterans with decades of experience to rising stars with just a few years under their belts.

What unites them is a shared trajectory for future growth. We have no doubt that each woman on this list has more remarkable achievements on the horizon. The process of selecting these women wasn’t easy. Our senior editorial team and an external jury meticulously evaluated business achievements, leadership qualities, collaboration, and the impact they've made on the industry through their work and passions. The competition was stiff, and all the nominees were truly impressive. To those who didn't make the list, please know that there will be more opportunities to be recognised as diversity, equity, and inclusion remain core pillars of Campaign Asia-Pacific.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the individuals and companies who submitted nominations and endorsements, acknowledging the effort it takes to highlight deserving individuals. We hope Women to Watch will serve as a constant source of inspiration for rising stars in the industry and a testament to the exceptional talent this region has to offer. Congratulations to the 2023 class of Women to Watch Asia Pacific, an extraordinary group of women who are propelling the industry forward. 

The 2023 Women to Watch (in alphabetical order by given name):

Audrey Low Mindshare China	Cat Lyon Half Rhino Singapore	Cheryl Pan BlueCurrent Group Hong Kong
Christina Vacharanetr Zenith Thailand	Cindy Eliza Vaz Mediabrands Malaysia	Grace Huang Yahoo Taiwan
Jennifer Kok Media OutReach Newswire Hong Kong	Jessica Wu Mindshare China	Jocelyn Tse UM Worldwide China
Justine Leong WhiteGrey  Australia	Kat Limchoc Publicis Groupe Philippines	Kelly Pon BBH China
Lock Sin Chong BBDO   China	Lucy Han Weber Shandwick South Korea	Maureen Tseng The Hoffman Agency Singapore
Melanie Spencer Thompson Spencer New Zealand	Melissa Laurie Oysterly Singapore	Natalie Gardiner Circular Singapore
Neha Mehrotra Avian WE India	Nicky Greville Spark Foundry  New Zealand	Rizza Garcia Elesi Studios Philippines
Sarah Bailey Invnt Group Singapore	Sreeshna Sreekishan InMobi  Singapore	Stefanie Liew Digitas Singapore
Stephanie Ng HSBC Hong Kong	Sujatha Maniya EssenceMediacom   Singapore	Tanya Xing Wavemaker China
Terri Owens GroupM Australia	Yunkyung Ha BBDO  South Korea	Zoe Chou Tencent  China