Chairmom / Founder
The Misfits Group Manila
Makati City
Topic: 'Think Different by Embracing Different'
About Merlee:
She is the world’s one and only Chairmom - a title she holds dear to her heart.
For her, it’s a testament to doing almost the impossible of raising children on one hand while the other is reaching out to the biggest creative dreams. It’s her personal way of handling her family at home and work and mentoring creative minds to succeed in this very competitive world.
The 2019 Drum Global Ranking announced the top 100 Chief Creative Officers globally, and only eight women were on the list. One of them is Merlee Jayme.
She was recognized with the Hall of Fame Award by the 4As Creative Guild, The New York Festivals Creative Achievement Award, and the CEO of the year by the International Association of Business Communicators. She was the first to be awarded the Creative of the Year by Campaign Asia in 2013. For 2022, Campaign Asia’s Women Leading Change awarded her as a Women’s Advancement Champion for her creative work for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
This 2023, she is the 4As of the Philippines Lifetime Achievement Awardee.
Merlee led Dentsu International Asia and Pacific as Chief Creative Officer to greater heights by winning the Adfest Network of the year 2020 and 2022, Spikes Network of the Year 2021, Cannes Lions Regional Network of the Year 2021, and AD STARS Network of the Year 2021.
Her work pushes Insights and innovation and inspires creative collaboration.
As Dentsu Jayme Syfu and Dentsu One Manila’s Chairmom, she won major awards, including a Cannes Lion, Grand Prix for Mobile, Gold and Silver Lions for outdoor, and Grand CLIO, LIA, The One Show, and yellow D&AD pencils. Beyond awards, she led her agencies to win critical accounts: Coca-Cola, Nestle, Jollibee Foods, and Dole Food Company.
To date, she is a sought-after international speaker and an opinion leader. Her speaking engagements include London: “Changing the World through Media” at the IAA Global Leadership Forum, Busan, Korea: “Hardsell vs. Heartsell,” Cannes, France: “The World’s Favorite Target Market: Mothers,” Amsterdam: “The Creative Superpowers,” Tokyo, Japan: “Meet the Momillennials” and last year, 2022, in Rovinj, Croatia: “The Unbreakable Glass Ceilings” and as the keynote speaker in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia for the Petronas Kancils “Welcome to your Courage Zone”.
A seasoned judge in awards shows, last year, she was D&AD Jury President for Radio and Audio, ADFEST Grand Jury President, a jury member in the prestigious Titanium jury in Cannes and London International Award juror for the Non-Traditional Category.
She launched her second book, Chairmom, last September, tackling the sensitive topic of successfully integrating motherhood and a dream career. Her first book, “Everyone Can Be Creative,” is a handbook for all up-and-coming creatives or those trying to be one.
She is one of CNN’s Leading Women, a mom to 4 creative girls and an inspiration in breaking the glass ceiling in this mad men’s world.
This year, she pursues her passion to create a safe space for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the creative industry. She will soon launch a training camp for the neuro-divergent to be given the opportunity to work in the advertising world. This will fulfill her lifelong vision of “Creativity for all”.
From DEIA and Creativity - ‘Think Different by Embracing Different’:
• While there's comfort in sameness, true courage lies in embracing diversity.
• We’re all different. Yet, it is all trapped in a box of sameness.
• Educate ourselves. Be open minded. Actively seek opportunities to be an advocate that leads with diversity.
About Merlee:
For her, it’s a testament to doing almost the impossible of raising children on one hand while the other is reaching out to the biggest creative dreams. It’s her personal way of handling her family at home and work and mentoring creative minds to succeed in this very competitive world.
The 2019 Drum Global Ranking announced the top 100 Chief Creative Officers globally, and only eight women were on the list. One of them is Merlee Jayme.
She was recognized with the Hall of Fame Award by the 4As Creative Guild, The New York Festivals Creative Achievement Award, and the CEO of the year by the International Association of Business Communicators. She was the first to be awarded the Creative of the Year by Campaign Asia in 2013. For 2022, Campaign Asia’s Women Leading Change awarded her as a Women’s Advancement Champion for her creative work for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Merlee led Dentsu International Asia and Pacific as Chief Creative Officer to greater heights by winning the Adfest Network of the year 2020 and 2022, Spikes Network of the Year 2021, Cannes Lions Regional Network of the Year 2021, and AD STARS Network of the Year 2021.
Her work pushes Insights and innovation and inspires creative collaboration.
To date, she is a sought-after international speaker and an opinion leader. Her speaking engagements include London: “Changing the World through Media” at the IAA Global Leadership Forum, Busan, Korea: “Hardsell vs. Heartsell,” Cannes, France: “The World’s Favorite Target Market: Mothers,” Amsterdam: “The Creative Superpowers,” Tokyo, Japan: “Meet the Momillennials” and last year, 2022, in Rovinj, Croatia: “The Unbreakable Glass Ceilings” and as the keynote speaker in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia for the Petronas Kancils “Welcome to your Courage Zone”.
A seasoned judge in awards shows, last year, she was D&AD Jury President for Radio and Audio, ADFEST Grand Jury President, a jury member in the prestigious Titanium jury in Cannes and London International Award juror for the Non-Traditional Category.
She launched her second book, Chairmom, last September, tackling the sensitive topic of successfully integrating motherhood and a dream career. Her first book, “Everyone Can Be Creative,” is a handbook for all up-and-coming creatives or those trying to be one.
She is one of CNN’s Leading Women, a mom to 4 creative girls and an inspiration in breaking the glass ceiling in this mad men’s world.
This year, she pursues her passion to create a safe space for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the creative industry. She will soon launch a training camp for the neuro-divergent to be given the opportunity to work in the advertising world. This will fulfill her lifelong vision of “Creativity for all”.
• While there's comfort in sameness, true courage lies in embracing diversity.
• We’re all different. Yet, it is all trapped in a box of sameness.
• Educate ourselves. Be open minded. Actively seek opportunities to be an advocate that leads with diversity.