VIRTUE Asia strengthens strategy bench with new appointments

VIRTUE Asia has strengthened its strategy leadership with the appointment of Cherish Lee (pictured left) as strategy director and the promotion of Marie Lee (pictured right) to the same role.

The moves come as the agency expands its remit beyond campaigns into culture, entertainment and intellectual property, with the two strategists set to work across brand-building, cultural platforms and new forms of brand participation.

Cherish returns to Singapore after 13 years in the US, having worked at agencies including Wieden+Kennedy, Droga5 and Anomaly. Her experience spans brands including Amazon Music, Starbucks, Lululemon and HOKA, with work covering music, entertainment, community and brand-building.

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According to Cherish, the move reflects a shift in the types of briefs brands and agencies are tackling, with opportunities increasingly sitting across advertising, entertainment and experiences.

“Coming back to Asia after 13 years in the US, I’m excited by how quickly the creative possibilities here are expanding,” she said. “The most interesting briefs no longer fit neatly into advertising, entertainment or experience, and that’s exactly what drew me to VIRTUE.”

Meanwhile, Marie has been promoted after joining VIRTUE Asia as senior strategist in 2024. Since then, she has worked across cultural intelligence, client growth, entertainment and new business models.

This year, she led strategy on the global Shiseido Clé de Peau Beauté social AOR pitch, helping VIRTUE retain the account for an eighth consecutive year. She has also worked across V47 Entertainment, VIRTUE Asia’s joint venture with Goldfinch International, on opportunities at the intersection of brands, entertainment and IP.

Marie’s background spans documentary research, cultural prediction, social insight and content strategy. In her new role, she will continue working on opportunities that extend beyond traditional campaign briefs.

"Brands have more opportunities than ever to participate in culture as creators, not just advertisers,” she said.

“Increasingly, our role starts before there’s even a brief, spotting where culture is moving and turning that into new opportunities for brands," Marie added.

Commenting on the appointments, Huiwen Tow, head of strategy at VIRTUE Asia, said "The strategist of the future needs to be fluent far beyond advertising. They need to understand how culture moves, how entertainment shapes behaviour, how communities form and how partnerships create lasting value,” she said.

"Cherish and Marie bring very different experiences to that challenge, but share the curiosity and creative ambition we believe modern strategy demands. As VIRTUE Asia continues to evolve, they’ll help our clients build from inside culture, rather than simply show up in it," added Tow.

The appointments follow VIRTUE Asia’s recent expansion into entertainment and IP. In July, the agency launched VIRTUE Arabia, adding to its existing India operations.

It also recently partnered with Chinese digital entertainment company COL Group to expand brand access to microdrama and short-form entertainment formats across Southeast Asia.

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