Nominees Category: Special Category

EMPOWERING THE CREATIVE NEURODIVERGENT & DISABLED WITH TRAINING AND INCLUSIVE EMPLOYMENT

Merlee Jayme is an award-winning advertising creative leader. In 2019, the media company The Drum announced the top 100 Chief Creative Directors worldwide, and she is one of eight women on the list.

For 34 years, she has led local and global creatives for brand-building and award-winning campaigns. Then, she was given a role that changed her life: the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer in APAC. Working on real-life solutions, she propagated creativity through inclusivity, from gender to race to disabilities.

In 2024, she went beyond “purpose-telling” to “Purpose doing”.

She created a sustainable entity. First, she founded The Misfits Camp, the only facility dedicated to upskilling neurodivergent and deaf adults. Then, she launched Jayme Headquarters, a creative social enterprise that will help fund the camp and provide an opportunity for Divergent to join the creative workforce.

Sandy Wu, appointed Chief Client Officer of Publicis Communications Shanghai (PCSH) in October 2023, leads six creative brands, including Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett, and Publicis Worldwide. She successfully unified these brands into a single creative powerhouse, driving innovation in traditional agency capabilities to meet modern market demands.

Sandy implemented a clear “Growth” strategy spanning business development, operational efficiency, talent cultivation, and cultural transformation. Within just three months, she reversed the company’s decline, achieving significant growth in 2024 despite a challenging market and industry disruptions in China. Her visionary leadership has not only revitalized PCSH but also solidified its position as a leader in the evolving advertising landscape. Sandy’s transformative approach exemplifies her ability to integrate, innovate, and execute strategies that deliver measurable success.