SEA Strategy Lead

Led by Dentsu Group Inc. (Tokyo: 4324; ISIN: JP ), a pure holding company established on January 1, 2020, the Dentsu Group encompasses two operational networks: dentsu japan network, which oversees Dentsu’s agency operations in Japan, and dentsu international, its international business headquarters in London, which oversees Dentsu’s agency operations outside of Japan.

With a strong presence in approximately 145 countries and regions across five continents and with 65,000 dedicated professionals, the Dentsu Group provides a comprehensive range of client-centric integrated communications, media and digital services through its five leadership brands—Carat, dentsu X, iProspect, Dentsu Creative, and Merkle—as well as through Dentsu Japan Network companies, including Dentsu Inc., the world’s largest single brand agency with a history of innovation. The Group is also active in the production and marketing of sports and entertainment content on a global scale.

In the realm of strategic problem-solving, we are not just a team; we are a collective force of similarly minded individuals drawn from diverse backgrounds. United by a shared passion for creativity, customer experience (CX), and media, we embody a T-shaped team structure. Each of us possesses a core competency while also being lateral thinkers, enabling us to seamlessly traverse between these essential pillars from B2C and B2B perspective.

The role is designed to be concentrated across our SEA markets (Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines).

About our APAC Integrated Strategy team

As a dynamic part of the dentsu family, our team thrives on turning unique client challenges into opportunities for growth. We work collaboratively with a brilliant range of clients, employing our lateral horizontality to create innovative solutions that transcend traditional boundaries.

• Future-Facing, Never Before: Our mission transcends the ordinary. We are architects of the future, propelling brands towards transformative growth.
• Innovating to Impact: Culture, Society, and the Future: We don't just create campaigns; we design experiences that shape culture, drive societal change, and invent the future. This is what we call modern creativity.
• Intentional Problem-Solving: We approach briefs with intention, interrogating them until the problem reveals its secrets. We birth expansive platform-level ideas that embed themselves in culture and induce behavioral shifts.
• Purposeful Simplicity: We purposely design strategies that embody beautiful simplicity, swiftly implementable and scalable.
• A Force for Good: We are more than advocates; we are a force for good. Embracing the philosophy of Sanpo Yoshi, our belief is that work should forge stronger connections between individuals and the brands that serve them.
• Champions of the ‘++’: We fight against myopic views and reductive perspectives, championing work that is expansive and crosses multiple disciplines. We believe in building bridges, not walls.

Reporting to the Chief Strategy Officer, the dentsu APAC SEA strategy role is tasked with leading thinking for key global, regional clients for the SEA Asian cluster markets. The strategist’s role is also to act as an orchestrator to develop cross-practice initiatives that may combine creative, media, CX, production and specialist capabilities like entertainment, gaming, sports marketing, PR etc. We call this the ‘++’ approach. In addition to existing clients, you will also be a strategic part of a business development task team that prospects and pitches for new business growth. You will also get to work with insight, primary research, analytics and marketing comms teams to develop and cascade industry-leading thought leadership.

• Work in depth with local markets in a “hands on” manner, to set the direction and shape their strategic deliverables; serve as an extension of their strategy, insight, and planning teams to troubleshoot, collaborate on key client briefs, elevate the quality control of work, deliverables and inspire best practice, and strategic and creative thinking.
• Client Partnership
  • Act as a strategic partner to key global and APAC Accelerator clients, collaborating with Integrated Client Leads and Practice Area Leaders to align on client objectives and develop growth-focused strategies across SEA markets.
  • Cultivate strong, trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders, helping them navigate strategic challenges and opportunities.
• Business Development and Pitch Leadership
  • Lead strategic framing of challenges and develop insights-driven narratives.
  • Partner with growth officers and client leads to create integrated strategies that drive business outcomes and position dentsu as a strategic partner of choice.
• Thought Leadership and Industry Engagement
  • Build external relationships with thought leaders and third-party resources to enhance credibility and market presence.
  • Work with internal Comms / Marketing team to develop and cascade industry leading thought leadership.
  • Collaborate and network with broader community to create and customize global thought leadership for APAC.
• Team Growth and Leadership
  • Potential to grow team and lead new hire strategists, fostering development through training, platform certifications, and alignment with best practices.
  • Encourage a collaborative culture that emphasizes knowledge-sharing, leading to the development of case studies, award-winning work, and published insights.
• Innovation and Emerging Solutions
  • Spearhead innovation initiatives that leverage data, AI, and digital solutions to create forward-thinking, actionable marketing strategies.
• Horizontally collaborate with wider strategy community
  • As part of the APAC regional strategy team, you will collaborate with wider team and contribute your expert perspective on broader initiatives.

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• 8-12+ years’ experience in data-driven marketing, strategy, creative, CX, and omni-channel marketing.
• Significant experience leading client engagements and strategic development within an agency, client or consulting firm.
• Proven thought leadership and strong ability to articulate complex ideas into simple, actionable client strategies.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and leadership skills.
• Demonstrated capability to thrive in a matrixed organization, driving collaboration and alignment across teams.
• Willingness to travel across SEA markets.

• Mid-Senior level

• Full-time

• Marketing
• Industries: Advertising Services and Marketing Services