The Secret Little Agency appoints new group CEO

Singapore-based creative agency The Secret Little Agency has promoted Eunice Tan (pictured left) to helm the agency as its new group chief executive officer (CEO). She will take over from Nicholas Ye (pictured right) who was previously CEO in addition to being one of the agency's founders, it said when MARKETING-INTERACTIVE reached out. 

Tan steps into the new role after helming the agency’s strategy department for well over a decade as head of strategy. She has also been a partner at the agency since 2009. Prior to her stint at The Secret Little Agency, Tan was at TBWA\ Group Singapore where she handled account management. 

“We built each and every one of these businesses from scratch, and accelerated their growth in the height of the pandemic - each are thriving businesses with unique specialisations and talents. Our leadership is 100% Asian and Singaporean, with a fully global mindset,” said Tan. “I’m proud of the agency we’ve built together, and the culture we’ve worked hard to create. We’ve nurtured an authentic, creatively led experience at the agency - a lived experience of what it truly means to be creative. I look forward to the next chapter, as we continue cultivating the next generation of Asian creativity and excellence, for our team, our clients, and our partners.”

She added that over the years, clients have discovered the agency because they’ve had a positive encounter with its work. "We didn’t dabble in small-talk nor your typical networking event…suffice to say, we never set out to be the type of agency that hosts yacht parties in Cannes either," she said. 

Tan's role is effective immediately and she will report to founding partners Ye, Mavis Neo (pictured middle), and Hanyi Lee, the agency said to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. Neo and Ye have now also been promoted to co-lead the agency's creative department as co-chief creative officers.

Don't miss: UltraSuperNew appoints new creative partner for SG office

“For many, a career in advertising is just a job. This is our entire life and making creativity your entire livelihood often raises a few eyebrows and perplexed frowns from concerned friends and family in a country like Singapore. We’re on a mission to make a career in creativity one that is keenly sought after and respected, as is a career in medicine, law or finance,” said Neo and Ye. “We are here to champion sustainable creative lives. We’re in it for the long haul and won’t be satisfied till we see and know that we’ve transformed the industry and left a real positive mark on it,” they added. 

The independent agency started around an IKEA table in a HDB flat. Almost two decades later, the agency has thrived in the hyper-competitive market, with over 70% of work now regional or global for the likes of Unilever, Marriott Bonvoy, Netflix, KFC and more, in over 15 countries, spanning across 4 continents.

Known amongst clients for its brand of cultural creativity, the agency is also responsible for creating and unifying the Singapore brand as SG domestically and globally, helming Netflix’s regional creative and social presence that led to its regional rise and most recently, the entire rebranding and positioning of Mandai as a wildlife nature reserve that champions global biodiversity. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to the agency for more information. 

The Secret Little Agency has also been on a roll with campaigns this year. Most recently, Singapore’s Agency for Integrated Care partnered up with The Secret Little Agency to launch a campaign recognising the hard work and dedication that everyday caregivers put in.

A spokesperson from The Secret Little Agency told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that the campaign, titled 'We See You Care', aims at bringing awareness to caregivers, as well as recognising the vital role they play and offer them the resources they need. The campaign is featured in various channels, such as social, digital, cinema, and OOH display panels. 

The campaign was inspired by the neglect that caregivers face in Singapore, as seen in a survey commissioned by the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). The survey results posited that less than half (49%) of respondents - all of whom have at least one dependent - identified or perceived themselves as carers.

Related articles:
Agency for Integrated Care and The Secret Little Agency shine light on caregivers in new campaign
Creative agency We Are Social names new CEO of Southeast Asia
Ogilvy names new senior strategy partner for Asia