Amelia Peng, the business director for Malaysia at Lion & Lion, is one of the winners under MARKETECH APAC’s ‘Empowered Women in Agency’. The recognition initiative, ‘Empowered Women Awards 2023’, is an inaugural effort to honour empowered women leaders in the industry.
Peng has a wide range of leadership experiences revolving around strategic communications and marketing. She started off with roles in agencies such as JWT Malaysia, Naga DDB, and Leo Burnett. She then took the role of head of marketing at online book store BookXcess before shifting to Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution for a senior role in strategic communications. Prior to her current role at Lion & Lion, she was a client service director for GrowthOps.
Blending exceptional leadership and business forward-thinking skills to achieve agency success
As a market leader with a wide experience in strategic leadership, Peng shows a trifecta of an effective leader: exceptional leadership, management and business development skills. With this, Lion & Lion has viewed her as an invaluable asset to the agency and pushed them towards new business heights.
Under her leadership, she has helped her team secure and diversify offerings for current retainer clients as well including AIA, and integration of Lion & Lion’s range of services which included diversification of the service portfolio and increased value delivered to clients.
Moreover, she has been vital in renewing accounts for its clients Tropicana and Kellogg’s, all thanks to her maintaining strong relationships with clients. She has also pursued big clients such as Red Bull, leading to successful pitches and later on, positively impacting company revenue.
As the business director, and market leader for the Malaysian team, Amelia has made an indelible mark on Lion & Lion in 2022. Her contributions are remarkable, as she has led and expanded the client servicing team for the Malaysian market, paving the way for growth.
Strong and intelligent, yet emphatic and compassionate: the true definition of a leader
Peng’s leadership style is deeply rooted in her belief that leading with empathy and compassion, combined with strength and intelligence, is key to driving a team towards success.
As described by her colleagues, she was able to create a work environment that empowered people to do well while setting clear standards. Moreover, she was also instrumental in bridging the gap between departments, something that is often challenging in agencies, especially with creatives.
Other colleagues note that Amelia strikes a balance of hard and soft skills, which influences the team to achieve that balance as well, even in tough situations. She encourages critical thinking and pushes boundaries to think of new possibilities, opportunities, and solutions on the spot, confidently and with no hesitation.
She believes that using your heart to lead with compassion and your head for strength and intelligence is key to effective leadership. She strives to create a work environment where everyone feels empowered and supported, encouraging the team to think outside the box and challenge the status quo.
How to make leadership more far-reaching and inclusive
While many individuals focus on their personal achievements, Amelia’s impact is far-reaching, as she has dedicated her time to producing the next generation of compassionate and capable account servicing professionals. Through her leadership, she has encouraged her team to speak out with confidence, to make mistakes, and to grow. Her emphasis on treating all individuals with respect has helped to create a work environment that promotes equality and encourages team members to support one another.
In terms of advocacy, she supports a wide range of interests including animal welfare, environmental sustainability, as well as mental health.
Meanwhile, in terms of empowerment, she is a firm believer that everyone has a voice. However, she understands that some people may be too scared or intimidated to make their opinions heard – especially females. That is why it is important to her that she takes extra steps to empower her team to be vocal and have their voices heard.
“Never put a limit to what you can achieve. Never allow someone else to determine your worth. Go above & beyond, believe in yourself as a person, unbounded by gender,” she said.
In short, Peng is a true inspiration for many – she has achieved remarkable success in her
career and is a loving mother of two children and one furkid. She is a strong advocate for gender equality and believes that both men and women should be given equal opportunities and respect.
You can check out other winners of the Empowered Women Awards 2023 aside from Peng.
