2023 Creative LIAisons Coaches

Alfred Wee

Executive Creative Director
McCann Worldgroup
Singapore

With over 20 years of experience on regional and local brands across various categories, Alfred's work is recognized for its creative excellence in major international award shows at LIA, the Effies, The One Show, D&AD, Cannes, Spikes Asia, Clio, ADFEST and New York Festivals.

At McCann Worldgroup, Alfred heads up the first Public Sector Practice in Singapore, driving social impact and reshaping citizen behaviours. His contribution has helped consistently earn McCann Singapore Agency of the Year honours yearly.

His passion for inspiring the next generations of creative minds has kept him engaged with several programs, including The Crowbar Council and as an advisory member for institutions and universities.

Comments

Cindy Permata
Art Director
Ogilvy, Indonesia

It's 9 a.m. in Indonesia, and Cindy joined the call on time. She quickly appeared on our Zoom meeting, just as she was prompt when we scheduled the meeting a few months ago. Cindy is an Art Director who recently had her ad campaign for the Biosol client published in Campaign Brief Asia, and she was excited to talk about it. During our conversation, she asked me about my experience working on brands and the creative process. However, it was clear that she was more interested in discussing career growth and how to move into the next senior role.

As someone who has been in the industry for a while, Cindy recognizes the importance of learning about AI in the industry to advance. We discussed the ethical implications of using AI in advertising and whether it can benefit or harm us. We also discussed the future of AI-created ads and whether brands still need custodians. We wondered what would happen to storytelling if AI ran productions.

We had to end due to time constraints, but we agreed to continue our Q&A sessions in the future by staying in touch.

David Kim
Associate Art Director
MRM, NYC

Our next story takes us to New York City at 10 pm, where we meet David Kim, originally from Australia, but now residing there. David shared his journey with us, from working in a design house to a network agency. Immersing himself in a new culture and meeting diverse people gave him a fresh perspective.

During our conversation, we discussed the importance of incorporating storytelling into different aspects of our lives and jobs, enabling personal growth with cultural shifts and transformation by re-inventing ourselves. David and I also explored whether we had anticipated our roles evolving, especially as we transitioned into management and creative leadership. Our answers revolved around learning, gaining experience, embracing the new, and identifying our strengths to drive change and adaptation. It was a pleasure conversing with David as he found the coaching session to be a north star that he can navigate his way forward to. He is currently adapting to his new surroundings in the bustling city of New York. Based on his journey and experiences, it is evident that he has the potential to become a promising future leader. His willingness to embrace change and overcome new challenges is a testament to his potential, and it will be fascinating to witness his growth and development in the coming days.