SINGAPORE — Effie Asia Pacific has appointed Chris Iki, Chief Operating Officer of TBWA\HAKUHODO, and Danielle Jin, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer for Asia Pacific of Visa, as Heads of Jury for the APAC Effie Awards 2024. Both no stranger to the APAC Effies, they will lead the jury in recognising the region’s most effective marketing works.
Chris has more than 28 years of experience as a marketing professional, working on managing global brands in the U.S. and overseas. He joined TBWA\ in 2004 as a Global Account Director, leading the Nissan global account team in Japan for eight years and working closely with TBWA\ agencies across 14 countries. As the Chief Operating Officer of TBWA\HAKUHODO, Chris continues to lead the agency down its path of success, including its 11th crowning as Japan’s Creative Agency of the Year and 2018 and 2020 Agency Head of the Year by Campaign Magazine.
Chris started his career at Wunderman in New York, working on the American Express Platinum and Optima Cards. During this time, he also served as a key team member that launched the Optima Card in Japan. Since then, Chris has worked on clients such as VISA, the National Football League, Apple, Gore-Tex, United States Postal Service, Harrah’s Casinos, and AT&T, all of which have provided for his unique combination of management, branding, and holistic communications credentials.
Chris commented, “Effectiveness is at the core of what we do. It’s always exciting to see how creativity brings great ideas to life that drive brands and businesses forward. Great to be a part of the APAC Effies again this year.”
Danielle has held many leadership roles in her eight years with Visa. Prior to her current role leading Asia Pacific’s marketing team, she was Head of Marketing for Greater China, where she successfully supported business growth in Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, and Taiwan through a strong focus on data-driven marketing approaches. She also led Visa’s Asia Pacific Centre of Excellence for Cross-Border strategy and campaign development, overseeing strategy, creativity, and delivery across the region.
Since starting her career with Unilever in 1996, Danielle has accumulated over 27 years of experience in China and the United States. Before Visa, Danielle was the Vice President, Beverage Category for PepsiCo China. In this role, she led the growth strategy and the marketing and innovation agenda for the entire beverage category. Before joining PepsiCo, she was Director of Marketing with Ghirardelli Chocolates in San Leandro, California. Prior to that, she worked with McKinsey & Co. in Atlanta, Georgia.
Danielle said, “It is an honor and privilege to be selected as a Head of Jury for the Asia Pacific Effie Awards. Effie remains one of the most respected and prestigious awards in the marketing industry. I am looking forward to being a contributing member to uphold its high standard through a disciplined approach, rigorous process, and high-quality deliberation.”
The APAC Effie Awards are globally recognized as the gold standard in marketing effectiveness excellence by clients and agencies alike. It continues to uphold this standard by celebrating only the most effective campaigns in the Asia Pacific region.
