CB Hot Suit Takes: Suzie Shaw, APAC CEO, We Are Social
CB Hot Suit Takes is our new Q&A series for extremely busy CEOs and senior leaders across the industry ~ covering careers, creativity, challenges and the song that sums it all up. Next in the hot seat is Suzie Shaw, APAC CEO, We Are Social.
1. What made you get into advertising?
I grew up in a rural area with four brothers and felt totally isolated. I dreamed of working in magazines, which I thought were impossibly glamorous, and found the ads as enticing as the editorial. At 22, I moved to London and knew I wanted to do something in commercial creativity. While the industry felt like a bit of a maze, I soon realised that account management was the key intersection point for relationships, strategic thinking and creative execution. I haven’t looked back.
2. Which piece of work are you most proud of, and why?
While it’s hard to choose one piece, I remain incredibly proud of the content we created for Netflix to promote a new season of Queer Eye, in which we took the show’s stars to the rural Australian town of Yass (“Yass, queen!”). Brands talk a lot about creating cultural relevance. Working with Netflix on projects like this was a culture-making-masterclass.
3. What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role right now?
Balancing the needs of our APAC region with the opportunities closer to home in Australia, which are obviously more visible and familiar to me. It’s a constant challenge to weigh up scale of opportunity with scale of personal impact in any given situation.
4. What’s the most recent thing you’ve learned – professionally or personally?
Don’t assume it’s your doing when things go right.
5. What song best sums up your career so far?
Beyonce’s, Who runs the world, girls. Obviously, we still have some way to go. But we’re getting there!
Read Jamie Scott’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Meredith Cranmer’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read James Mackinnon’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Sophie Lander’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Alex Carr’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Danielle Moeller’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Jarrick Lay’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Georgina Powell’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Paul McMillan’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Celia Wallace’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Jules Hall’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Jen Sharpe’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Jaimes Leggett’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Hanne Haugen’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Adam Brami’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Matilda Hobba’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read John Marshall’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Gayle While’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Adrian Mills’ Hot Suit Takes here
Read Chiquita King’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Tim Evans Hot Suit Takes here
Read Sheryl Marjoram’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Ben Lilley’s Hot Suit Takes here
Read Lisa Sutton Gardner’s Hot Suit Takes here