Global CMO Growth Council Agenda
Thursday 12 March 2026 | 9am-1.30pm | National Design Centre, Singapore
About the Event
The Spikes Asia Global CMO Growth Council is an exclusive invitation-only gathering for the region’s top marketing leaders. It serves as one of the APAC chapters of the Global CMO Growth Council and is designed to help attendees network and collaborate with marketing leaders and industry peers across the region to align on key priorities and drive creative-led growth and business success in 2026.
The event will focus on active collaboration and idea sharing. Attendees will participate in group roundtable discussions to find real solutions to today’s marketing challenges, guided by insights from our presenters, Dentsu, TikTok, and WARC. Attendees will be part of a global network of experts and receive exclusive insights to major international gatherings, such as the Cannes Lions Festival in France. The Spikes Asia Global CMO Growth Council is more than just a meeting; it is an opportunity to use creativity in turning shared challenges into a clear plan of action for your brand’s future.
Agenda
8:30 - 9:30 (60 MINS)
Registration + Networking Coffee
National Design Centre Atrium
9:30 - 9:50 (20 MINS)
Creative Campus Welcome Keynote: How to Win in 2030
10:00 - 10:05 (5 MINS)
Spikes Asia Global CMO Growth Council Intro & Welcome
Paul Coxhill, COO, LIONS
AI has moved firmly into its practical era, reshaping every corner of marketing. CMOs now face two major challenges: modernising the function on shifting tech foundations, and reinventing brand building for a creator-driven economy where creators act as scalable platforms. Across Asia, brand building is proving a powerful driver of growth - yet many organisations remain locked in short-term cycles that undermine long-term value. With algorithmic skills now a hygiene factor, the real task is cutting through cultural fragmentation to create genuine connection, even as growth pressures intensify and consumers tire of AI-generated everything.
10:05 - 10:15 (10 MINS)
Table Introductions
10:15 - 10:35 (20 MINS)
Context Setting Panel Discussion: The Role of the Modern CMO in 2026
Claire Weston, Head of International Marketing, PayPal Laura Kantor, Head of Marketing, SEA, Canva Moderator: Ed Pank, Senior Vice President, LIONS
In today’s fast-paced, data-driven landscape, the role of the Chief Marketing Officer is evolving dramatically. This panel will delve into the complexity of the CMO’s role, exploring how marketing leaders can build an effective team and operating model, while proving the impact of creative investment with the financial outcomes demanded by CEOs and CFOs.
10:35 - 10:50 (15 MINS)
Dentsu Presentation: Are you ready for the era of imagination?
Clay Schouest, Chief Strategy Officer, Dentsu Mansi Trivedi, B2B Strategy Lead, Dentsu
Marketing is entering a fluid, autonomous era where cultural intelligence and mastery of the creator economy are non-negotiable.
This session identifies the essential capability thresholds and success pivots needed to stay relevant on the fast-moving AI train while navigating new tensions created by the new ultra-scalable “creators-as-platforms”.
We’ll explore key pressure points such as where operations require human-in-the-lead judgement versus human-in-the-loop oversight, and how adaptive creativity, data, and prediction drive influence across connected ecosystems.
10:50 - 11:20 (30 MINS)
Table Breakout #1: Building Your Marketing Roadmap for the Next 3 Years
This breakout session focuses on turning big ideas into real plans. Each table will share its own "3-Year Roadmap", practical steps, new platforms, and team changes they’re making to get ready for what’s next.
11:20 - 11:30 (10 MINS)
Plenary Readouts
11:30 - 11:45 (15 MINS)
Networking Break
11:45 - 12:00 (15 MINS)
WARC Presentation: What’s blocking effectiveness culture in APAC?
Rica Facundo, Managing Editor, WARC Asia
The evidence is clear: brand-building drives growth even in fast-moving Asian markets. Yet many organisations remain trapped in short-term cycles.
If we know what works, then why aren’t more marketers adopting best practices?
Drawing from APAC data, this session presents new findings from WARC’s recently launched “The Twin Pace Effectiveness Gap”. We unpack how the biggest barriers to effectiveness are often not marketing problems - they’re governance problems - and explore how CMOs can close the gap between evidence and execution.
12:00 - 12:15 (15 MINS)
TikTok Presentation: The Art & Science of Authenticity
Ng Chew Wee, Head of Business Marketing, APAC, TikTok
Creators are no longer a strategy; for many brands, they are THE strategy. But how do we make a clearer sense of their impact across the funnel? Many associate creator authenticity with Art, but we believe it's equal parts Science.
Join us as we help brands decode how to excel in the age of creators & content - juggling creativity at scale across UGC, AIGC, and brand content.
12:15 - 12:45 (30 MINS)
Table Breakout #2: Authenticity in the Creator Era
Creators are increasingly central to how brands build trust, relevance, and growth. But as creator marketing scales, brands must navigate a new challenge: balancing authentic storytelling with the need to deliver performance.
This roundtable invites CMOs to reflect on where their organisations are today in their creator journey - how their strategies are evolving, what tensions they face when scaling authenticity, and how new technologies and AI may enable the next phase of creator-driven growth.
12:45 - 12:55 (10 MINS)
Plenary Readouts
12:55 - 13:00 (5 MINS)
Closing Remarks
13:05 - 13:55 (50 MINS)