Meet the CEOs: OMD HK’s Florence Wong

Started off as a media executive at Grey Advertising in China, OMD Hong Kong’s CEO Florence Wong (pictured) has witnessed the drastic changes within the industry across the region, especially how the media team has transformed, from one single media team responsible for all planning, buying and strategic thinking; to now needing to collaborate with other teams to deliver extraordinary work.

Having believed that team work and communications are important, Wong as a leader, always checks in and consults her business and management vision with senior colleagues and subordinates.  “A leader inherently has authority, but a good leader exerts it with the understanding that it comes with responsibility,” she added.

As the advertising industry is fast-moving, creative and exciting, she suggested new joiners to the industry to embrace the velocity and challenge their imagination.

Find out more about Wong's journey in advertising thus far and who inspires her.  

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What was your first job? 

My first job was a media executive at Grey Advertising for the China team.  I joined the company in 1995, and Hong Kong was the hub of China at the time.  Media wasn’t an independent department back then, and the creative and account servicing teams were working under the same roof, which is different from how agency structures are set up now. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What was your first role in advertising? 

My first role was in media buying and account management at an elementary level.  I was part of a team responsible for a mega account: British American Tobacco.  They only started advertising in China in the 90s, and everything was new to me.  The team was creative and impressive with problem-solving and scenario planning, and I learned a lot from my teammates, who were part of the first generation of expatriates in Hong Kong and China.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What was your first impression of advertising? 

I was very attracted to the advertising industry, particularly its ability to tell a story and enable creative expression.  In the 90s, planning wasn’t as developed as it is now, and one single media team would be responsible for all the planning, buying and strategic thinking; and the media team worked very closely with the account servicing and creative teams, which exposed me to and taught me the importance of collaboration.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Who was the mentor who influenced you the most, and how?  

Steven Chang has been my mentor for a long time.  He is currently the senior advisor at McKinsey China.  We worked together in China and Hong Kong for over ten years. 

He shared with me the way of client servicing and how to interpret different challenging situations – to see opportunities and not be fixated on any single perspective.  

I still remember our conversation on the formation of a Greater China Team for the agency that we were working for then.  The three markets shared the same spoken and written form of the Chinese language, which made it beneficial to be managed by a common management head. 

Chang and I have shared many open conversations on how to drive efficiencies, challenge our thinking and nurture an out-of-the-box mindset. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What's the harshest criticism you've received, and how did you cope with it? 

When I returned to Hong Kong in 2010, some didn’t take well to my style of pitching for new businesses. I appreciate those who share feedback and constructive criticism with me.  These comments and insights help me reflect on and adapt my management and communication style with the people I work with daily. 

We are always learning and growing and should seek to constantly improve ourselves.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Describe your own management style now as a leader? 

My management style is paternalistic and nurturing. The team and business objectives are my top priorities.  I am transparent and always willing to share the thinking behind my decisions and why I made them with the team. 

I always check in, discuss, and consult my business and management vision with my senior colleagues and subordinates. I love to have their feedback on challenging scenarios and explore how we can move resources to fulfil the needs of the working team. 

I always keep an open mind and remain flexible on how we can support our people to achieve better results. Sometimes challenging business decisions can differ from what people are used to or expect, but my goal at the end of the day is to meet both the team’s needs and the company's business goals.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What's one thing you wished employees understood about being a leader?  

I think sometimes it is easy to see leaders only as authoritative and making decisions based on his/her point of view.  The fact is – this is far from the truth.

Authority comes with responsibility, and both are equally important.  A leader inherently has authority, but a good leader exerts it with the understanding that it comes with responsibility.  I hope employees understand that leaders do respect their views, which are balanced alongside other factors such as company policies and business needs.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What do you do during your free time?  

I enjoy spending time with my family and my son.  I love watching dramas and movies – my favourite film is the 1987 Hong Kong romantic drama “An Autumn Tale” by Mable Cheung. I also love to read and am currently reading “Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology” by Chris Miller.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Where do you find your inspiration?  

I find my inspiration from reading the Old Testament, especially in the book of Kings and Chronicles. I am an active church group member and find inspiration from my faith and community. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: If not in advertising, where would you be?  

I would still like to be working in the broader marketing industry, in marketing or marketing research.  I find research and audience insights behind media habits and consumer behaviours fascinating.  We do much work as an agency to uncover the different media consumption habits, adoption, and awareness of different age groups within Hong Kong; and it’s so valuable for marketing when you can identify behaviour patterns and uncover the differences over time and between generations. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What advice do you have for someone looking to start a career in the industry?  

If you want to start a career in advertising, you should constantly be curious and driven to learn and expand your knowledge.

The advertising industry is fast-moving, creative and exciting. If you embrace the velocity and challenge your imagination, it can be a rewarding and fulfilling industry. 

Data analytics and audience-centric communication planning will become increasingly critical in the next ten years, so graduates with mathematics, statistics and psychology backgrounds can flex these skills to advance in the industry. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What issue would you like to see the industry change in 2023?  

Artificial intelligence (AI) adoption is growing faster than ever, and there is an opportunity for office automation to help enhance work speed and quality. 

While AI can serve a purpose and its development is an interesting space to watch, creativity and audience-centric thinking can never be replaced by advanced technology.

The professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Stanford University, John L. Hennessy, stated that generative AI can make excellent work replicas but doesn’t innovate or provide new proof of a theory.  As an industry, we can transform how we articulate audience engagement and communication creativity through precision audience targetting.

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