BBDO Singapore launches ‘Heels of Steel initiative by prominent female business leaders
BBDO Singapore has launched the ‘Heels of Steel’ initiative – a series of events by prominent female business leaders aimed at inspiring and accelerating the progress of women in the workplace.
Rebecca Nadilo, Head of Planning and one of the organisers of the event says, “Heels of Steel is a positive and empowering conversation about equipping young women – and men – with the knowledge that you usually only gain over years of experience but would actually be incredibly valuable to know at the start of your career”.
To coincide with International Women’s Day, the first event was held at the Singapore office yesterday, and the first speaker in the series is Joanna Ong-Ash – Head of Brand & Corporate Communications (Marketing) for AIA Singapore (pictured above second from right).
Ong-Ash, a passionate, award-winning industry veteran, delivered a very personal keynote address; sharing with the agency her wealth of knowledge and experience gained from over 20 years in a male-dominated financial industry.
“I am honoured to kick off Heels of Steel and am excited about sharing my personal journey towards creating and owning my purpose. If I could change the perspective of just one person by motivating him or her to look at life as a smorgasbord of opportunities to add value and make a difference without having to compromise one’s personal values, it would be my time well-spent,” said Ong-Ash.
First introduced by BBDO Malaysia, the ‘Heels of Steel’ initiative is being rolled out across Southeast Asia over the next 12 months. Richard Fraser, President for BBDO SEA and CEO of BBDO Singapore, said, “Heels of Steel is an important initiative that reflects BBDO’s global commitment to diversity. With it, we are actively encouraging our people, and those in the industry and communities we do business, to elevate the conversation and get behind an issue that concerns us all.”
About Ong-Ash’s Presentation
Determined to break through perceived barriers at work, she has fought hard to ensure that every role she played in and outside of her career was aligned with her personal values. And this International Women’s Day, Ong-Ash wishes to continue to fight the good fight, and revealed the one truth that all women (and men) will need to face up to in order to achieve success – the courage to “Own your own”.
She drew from her own experience to provide perspectives and advice on how to fight your inner demons to rise above and be true to yourself. She now not only leads a department of all-women communications specialists to drive bold changes at work to transform her brand, but she is also a freelance sports journalist, a certified numerologist and an avid boxer.
Before joining AIA, she held key positions at several financial institutions, including Aviva Singapore, American Express, MasterCard Worldwide, DBS Bank and United Overseas Bank.