Pro-creative suits. Head of their respective agencies. Spunky, accomplished, and much-loved women leaders in advertising.
Portia Catuira
Managing Director, TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno
How long have you been in advertising and what’s kept you in it?
I’ve been in the industry for almost 20 years. Still passionate and loving what I do. I can’t imagine myself in another industry… at least not yet.
What is the most challenging and the most fulfilling part of being in a creative agency?
The whole industry, the process and the way the business is done – they’re all evolving and transforming. And that can be very challenging. Now, perhaps more than ever, we need to be sensitive, adaptive and quick to recognize opportunities. We’re the “Disruption Agency”. It’s in our DNA… And that’s very fulfilling to know that we’re structured for the current times. We continue to champion work that not only sell but also create unexpected purposeful solutions to make lives better.
When are you most happy inside and outside of work?
Happiness is a decision and a state of mind. My goal is to be happy in whichever situation I may be… Knowing that I’ve done my best to be a better version of myself gives me a comforting and reassuring sense of satisfaction… And then I am happy.
What are the hurdles that you face in pushing the creative agenda and how do you deal with it?
Great work is the agenda… The changing and evolving times present the real hurdles for the work.
Golda Roldan
General Manager, J. Walter Philippines
How long have you been in advertising and what’s kept you in it?
I’ve been in the business for 20 years. It can be tiring, but what I do is just take a rest. I love what I do. I think it’s an amazing thing to be able to develop ideas that will solve consumer problems and sometimes even inspire to change consumer behavior for the good.
What is the most challenging and the most fulfilling part of being in a creative agency?
The most challenging part is to be able to maintain the quality of work and the most fulfilling part is when we see our work being rewarded in some way – whether by our clients or our colleagues.
When are you most happy inside and outside of work?
I am happy when we have successful presentations, productions, pitch wins and when I see our teams enjoying themselves for whatever reason. I am happiest when I am with my husband and children.
What are the hurdles that you face in pushing the creative agenda and how do you deal with it?
Engaging our talent now: how to make the most of our people and be able to inspire them to do their best. And finding and building the right talent that we need for our agency’s future success.
This story was first published in the July-August 2016 issue of adobo magazine.
