Manila, Philippines – Multidisciplinary digital agency Avyan Global has named Cynthia Dayco as its new chief executive officer, marking a new chapter in Avyan’s progress in transitioning from a digital-first to a fully integrated creative, data, and technology agency.
She follows Kaye Enriquez, who led the company during the pandemic, and will serve alongside Vishnu Mohan, Avyan Global founder and chairman, and Gautam Dutt, partner & regional CEO.
Cynthia brings with her over two decades of leadership experience across media and brand marketing. She previously worked at Leo Burnett, JWT, Lintas Indonesia, before moving to GroupM Manila and Singapore, and Mead Johnson. Her most recent role included leading Metrobank’s in-house creative team. Alongside her new role, she also currently serves as the Digital Marketing Association of the Philippines’ (DMAP) vice president.
In an exclusive interview with MARKETECH-APAC, Cynthia unpacks her extensive experience across creative, media, and client-side leadership, and Avyan’s path to integration, clarity, and creative transformation.
Turning complexity into clarity
Among all the things that a new role brings, it is enthusiasm for the new hat that is commonly first seen. In Cynthia’s case, her enthusiasm is centered on bringing back clarity into marketing.
“Many teams today are buried in tools, reports, and endless content. At Avyan, we simplify things—aligning strategy, creativity, and technology so businesses can move faster, collaborate better, and focus on what really matters: growth,” explained Cynthia.
Avyan Global is part of DEPT®, a European network known for creative digital work, combining global expertise with local understanding. This, according to Cynthia, allows them to be ‘big enough to cope, small enough to care’.
Having said this, Cynthia outlined what she ought to be — both a challenge and an opportunity — brought about by this new role and scope: integration.
“Avyan sits where creativity, technology, and data meet. Finding the sweet spot is never easy, but that’s where transformation really happens,” she said.
Cynthia also expounded that her priority is to build stronger systems, one that clarifies roles and ensures a team member’s focus: to create real value for clients.
In doing so, Cynthia mentioned two things that aided their company: introducing clients to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and developing gen-AI tools.
Cynthia also described GEO as the new evolution of SEO, “Designed for a world where websites need to ‘talk’ to AI assistants and chatbots. It’s how brands will stay visible and relevant as search becomes more conversational.”
In developing gen-AI tools, Cynthia emphasized the need to keep ‘human in the middle’ by using AI to enhance creativity and insight, rather than replacing people.
“We help companies build AI governance frameworks so they can use these new technologies responsibly and sustainably,” Cynthia expounded.
She added, “Once those foundations are in place, the opportunities multiply—from improving personalization and productivity to helping internal and external teams work together better. That’s where Avyan’s agility really shines.”
Navigating a world known for unknowns
Almost everyone in the industry affirms that AI has changed the way things work. Cynthia is not one to oppose this: “AI is changing how we work, how we sell, and how we connect with customers. But the winners won’t be the ones who use AI the most—it will be those who use it intentionally and integratively across their organizations.”
At Avyan, Cynthia mentioned that they support clients in adapting to this creatively, responsibly, and ‘connected’.
“From insights to content, from operations to customer experience. Our goal is to design marketing systems that learn and adapt in real time, while keeping people and brand integrity at the center,” she explained.
She added that real transformation happens when AI is halted as a pilot project; rather, it is when it becomes a part of how the entire business thinks and works.
All these insights were powered by Cynthia’s experience of working in the midst of ‘changes’.
“My career began in the post–Mad Men era, when advertising was still ruled by instinct and big ideas. Since then, I’ve seen the industry pivot through multiple revolutions—from the rise of digital and social to the arrival of AI and in-house agency teams,” she shared.
According to her, advertisers and agencies nowadays are still navigating a world of known of unknowns.
“That’s where experience matters. I’ve led teams through every one of those changes—balancing creativity with discipline, and vision with structure. But here’s the bigger truth: many small and medium enterprises haven’t even mastered the brilliant basics of SEO, SEM, or social media, yet the marketing game is changing again,” she added.
Cynthia also remarked that this knowledge helped them to realise this opportunity to let clients know how smart their businesses can be, instead of highlighting how smart they are as a brand, noting, “ That’s the kind of partnership that moves businesses forward.”
Building a culture that outlasts change
Amidst all these aspirations, Cynthia opened up to an honest thought: that building a legacy makes her uncomfortable.
“Real transformation doesn’t come from one person—it takes partnerships. Clients and agencies, in-house teams and agency creatives, technologists, and strategists—we all move the industry forward together,” shared Cynthia.
Still, she aspires for Avyan Philippines to be known as ‘one of Asia’s most forward-thinking marketing partners’.
“Being part of the DEPT® network gives us the scale and shared expertise to take on global challenges, while keeping the personal, high-touch approach that clients value,” she shared.
This, according to her, is backed by Avyan working with businesses at every stage of their digital journey—from those starting to those who are already exploring AI and automation.She remarked, “My goal is to build a company culture that lasts—where creative and tech people grow together and learn from each other…When those relationships work in sync, we don’t just adapt to change; we help shape the ecosystem that makes it possible.”
