SINGAPORE — Global creative transformation company VML has launched its Catalyst Academy for a second year in Asia Pacific — an industry-defining program that aims to bring together talent from different backgrounds to build connected experiences and transform businesses.
The program is designed as an 18-month rotational program across VML offices in India (Mumbai), China (Shanghai), Australia (Sydney), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City), and Taiwan (Taipei), where the next generation of marketers and consultants will be equipped with the experience and skills to thrive in a competitive industry. A breeding ground of experience and learning for Catalysts, the seven selected will work for a variety of VML clients in groundbreaking ways such as Coca-Cola, Unilever, Nestle, HSBC, and TikTok. At the program’s end, selected Catalysts will be primed for a purpose-driven career within VML and beyond.
Bernadette Chan, Chief People Officer at VML APAC, said “Whether you’re starting your career or exploring new avenues, we welcome you to join us at VML. From previous years, this program has become a real game changer for careers filled with hands-on experience and tools needed for today’s top global brands. All you need is a collaborative spirit, a creative mind, and a drive to be curious.”
To prepare successful applicants for the challenges of today and what’s next in the industry, the Catalyst Academy will accelerate career development, engaging candidates with clients and opportunities to showcase their talent from day one. Each successful candidate will be offered a competitive salary for their eighteen months with the agency, where they will rotate through different specialisms and be assigned a mentor who will be there to support, guide, and advise throughout. Each location offers a unique combination of four rotations during the 18 months of the program but can include brand strategy and communications, customer experience, commerce, and enterprise solutions (including technology, consulting, and data).
In addition to the in-depth training curriculum, Catalysts will gain essential industry qualifications from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) and other WPP Academies to accelerate their professional development. Catalysts will also have access to a wide range of personal development opportunities and can join VML’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) including Peas & Pods (Women’s Network), LGBTQIA+ and Allies and Sustainability.
“The Catalyst Academy is like exploring a cave of hidden gems, as a catalyst a young inexperienced person can also spread positive influence,” commented Kazuhide Yamauchi, Japan Catalyst from The Catalyst Academy 2023.
“Being a catalyst for me means being a marketing professional with wider exposure with extensive opportunities while gaining global perspectives,” added Jennifer Ni, China Catalyst 2023.
Taran Matharu, India Catalyst 2023, also noted, “Being a catalyst means becoming a marketing whizkid one rotation at a time. The structure of the program allows us to experience a wide spectrum of opportunities that equips catalysts like me to gain clarity on our career paths.”
Finally, Celine Wong, Singapore Catalyst 2023, shared “My motivation to join the Catalyst Academy was to discover my strengths in different rotations and get a head start in the advertising world.”
The APAC program first launched in APAC in 2022, was built off the success of the Catalyst Academy in EMEA since 2021. Inclusion and diversity are a fundamental part of VML, and the agency recognizes that talent comes in a variety of forms and from different backgrounds. VML has committed to making sure that the selected Catalysts that step into the Academy reflect the region’s diversity and continually create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and heard.
The program starts in September, with applications open between June 03 and June 28. Apply here.
