Singapore is the hub of digital marketing in Asia, and the ad:tech Asean 2015 event, being held July 7-8 at the Suntec, is the premiere gathering of digital marketing experts in the region. Full disclosure: I snuck into the group somehow and will be presenting on July 8th on Digital Marketing on a Budget. This is the 8th ad:tech conference in Asia. The organization also hosts events in New York, San Francisco, London, Tokyo, New Delhi, Sydney, Kyushu, and Shanghai. I’m excited to hear from and perhaps meet industry leaders like Aliza Knox from Twitter and Antonia Edmunds from IBM, and I’m curious to see what we’ll get from Munah and Hirzi, “the founding prince and princess of Singapore’s YouTube scene.” Here are 15 other digital marketing leaders to meet this year at ad:tech Asean 2015.
Alexandra Lo, Senior Digital Marketing Manager, Wyeth Nutrition Hong Kong
Award-winning marketing manager Alexandra Lo is a forward-thinking visionary who has built dozens of successful online communities for brands at Wyeth Nutrition Hong Kong. She recognized that new parents are seeking ways to connect online and created campaigns and communities utilizing video, social media, apps, and more. With 12 years of digital marketing experience and more than 100 national and international marketing awards under her belt, Ms. Lo is the go-to expert for digital marketing.
Carmen Benitez, President/Managing Director, Fetch Plus
As the founder and managing director for award-winning social media technology company Fetch Plus, Carmen Benitez helps companies manage their brands all over the world. With offices in Singapore and the US, her brainchild Fetch Plus solves tech problems for companies and media companies that now put digital ahead of other media outlets. Listed as one of 7 companies to watch by TechCrunch, Fetch Plus develops plug and play technology for the social media industry. Ms. Benitez was named Marketer of the Year by the largest Homebuilders Association in the US, and her company has been featured in Entrepreneur, The New York Times, The Straits Times, Inc., The West Australian, and The Daily Mail.
Chris Reed, Global CEO, Black Marketing
Founder and Global CEO of B2B marketing consultancy Black Marketing, Chris Reed is a serial entrepreneur, investor, thought leader, and marketing expert. His company Black Marketing helps professionals enable their LinkedIn profiles (his profile was ranked #1 worldwide in April/May 2015). Mr. Reed is also a Co-Chair of the AmCham SME/Entrepreneur and the BritCham ICT Committees.
Chris Steedman, Managing Director Asia Pacific, M&C Saatchi Mobile
With 8 years of experience in global mobile marketing and as Managing Director Asia Pacific for A&C Saatchi Mobile, Chris Steedman is helping his company rapidly expand into hot mobile markets like Australia, Japan, India, and Malaysia, where phones are becoming the #1 screen. Mr. Steedman’s keen understanding of how to reach the mobile phone market enables other brands to advance rapidly in all industries.
Colin JG Miles, VP Global Sales & Marketing, InternetQ
As Vice President, Corporate Relations at InternetQ PLC., Colin JG Miles is a sought-after business leader and influencer in the mobile and telecommunications industry. An expert in media convergence, mobile billing, and mobile content distribution, Mr. Miles has worked on “Got Talent” and “Pop Idol” as well as with publically listed companies with hundred million dollar revenues.
Dione Song, Managing Director, Zalora
As Managing Director for one of Asia’s fastest growing e-commerce fashion companies Zalora, Dione Song plays a key role in directing marketing campaigns, partnerships, social media, website, and design. Ms. Song’s most recent move to adding retail stores (where previously the company was online only) has reaped exciting benefits for Zalora. Ms. Song will speak about the future of brick-and-mortar shops and online stores at the conference. Note: I covered Zalora and this topic in a recent Forbes article.
Eli Schwartz, Director of Marketing, APAC, SurveyMonkey
With over seven years of industry experience in SEO and SEM, international marketing expert Eli Schwartz recognizes the trends for generating high traffic in an ever-evolving industry and uses these to promote SurveyMonkey in the Asia-Pac region.
Evelina Lye, Head of Marketing, SapientNitro
As Head of Marketing at SapientNitro, one of the top agencies in Singapore, Evelina Lye manages some of the top brands in the country and is an authority on digital media, advertising, and marketing communications. Her 15 years of experience includes building marketing departments from scratch at some of the best agencies worldwide in the UK, Australia, and Asia. Ms. Lye is a board member of the iMedia Agency Summit and a former board member for Ad:Tech Asia.
Huw Hopkin, Global Head for Demand Generation (Inbound), Cisco Systems
With over 20 years of experience with startups and international expansion, Huw Hopkin is the Global Head for Demand Generation (Inbound) at Cisco Systems. Mr. Hopkin specializes in monetizing big data assets and developing new revenue markets for companies of all sizes.
Kyota Chikazawa, Marketing Analyst, All Nippon Airways
As Marketing Analyst for All Nippon Airways, the #1 Japanese airline company with a net revenue of 28.17 billion annually, Kyota Chikazawa manages and oversees the operation and planning for 11 online markets: Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, India, and Singapore. Mr. Chikazawa is an industry expert in airline industry advertising, revenue management, and web marketing.
Namrata Kapur, APAC Senior Marketing Manager, SoftLayer
As APAC Senior Marketing Manager at IBM Company SoftLayer Technologies, Namrata Kapur is a brand positioning expert in the Information Technology and Services Industry. As a number-crunching marketing leader and influencer, Ms. Kapur is experienced in targeting and implementing region-specific marketing campaigns that make a positive impact on the bottom line. She is the Regional Leader for Marketing Strategy, Growth and Brand Presence at SoftLayer.
Preethi Sanjeevi, Regional CMO, VML Qais
With over 11 years of agency experience in the marketing and advertising industry, Preethi Sanjeevi employs strategy, research, technology, and creative genius to create marketing campaigns that deliver results. Ms. Sanjeevi is the Regional Chief Marketing Officer at VML Qais, an award-winning global digital marketing agency that has recently expanded from the US and Singapore into India and Indonesia. Ms. Sanjeevi directs marketing campaigns and builds partnerships across the world for VML Qais and is a recognized thought leader in the industry.
Shaleniie Devi, Director of Marketing, Australia & Malaysia, Luxola
As Director of Marketing at the largest beauty e-commerce company in Southeast Asia, Shaleniie Devi manages marketing campaigns for Luxola, the Singapore-based e-commerce beauty company that has become the leading destination for beauty products in Southeast Asia. Ms. Devi is rapidly growing the Australian and Malaysian markets for Luxola through strategic planning, business analysis, and campaign development and execution.
Simon Kemp, Regional Managing Partner, Asia, We Are Social
As the author of Social Brands: The Future of Marketing, Simon Kemp is an industry thought leader and innovator within the digital, mobile, and social spheres and a sought-after guest on television stations like Channel NewsAsia and Bloomberg Business. Mr. Kemp is the Regional Managing Partner in Asia for We Are Social, a UK-based social media agency with offices in 8 countries.
Choosing who will go on a list like this is tough work. I wish I could hear from and meet everyone, but I decided to limit it to 15 and resist the temptation to include the whole speaker list. If you’re attending ad:tech Asean 2015, who do you want to meet most? Tell us in the comments below.
Joshua Steimle is the CEO of MWI, a digital marketing agency with offices in the US and Hong Kong.
