Though International Women’s Day is behind us, we are continuing to spotlight voices from across the industry as part of our IWD Voices series, with leaders sharing their journeys, experiences, insights, and the lessons that have shaped them. The overwhelming response has been humbling, and we continue on sharing these important insights.
Next up, we speak with Joyce Liong, Senior Partner at Finn Partners Singapore.
In our conversation, Joyce reflects on what this year’s IWD theme means to her at different stages of her career, and traces her path from a rejected JWT application through 17 years in MICE to building a digital business from scratch.
She also discusses how her understanding of fairness has evolved from “merit wins” to recognizing the role of networks, visibility, and equity in practice, and the mentorship program she reshaped to be more deliberate and less dependent on chance.
The theme for International Women’s Day 2026 is “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.” What does this mean to you professionally and personally?
It hits differently at different stages of my career. Early on, I didn’t think much about it—I just adapted to how things were. But over time, you start noticing the quiet assumptions. I was hired on contract despite having relevant experience, while a male colleague without that background got a permanent role. Not overt discrimination—just this unspoken sense that he looked more “ready.”
For me professionally, it comes down to this: competence alone doesn’t guarantee equal footing for women in male-dominated sectors. You have to keep speaking up until your value becomes undeniable. And you pull other women along because progress compounds when it’s shared.
What excites me now is when “action” actually means something concrete—hiring decisions, promotions, stretch assignments. Not policies. Real choices, made every day by leaders who are paying attention. My hope is simple: the next generation shouldn’t have to spend extra energy just proving they belong.
What first drew you to your industry, and was there a defining moment that set your career in motion? Was there a role model who influenced you early on?
I wanted JWT straight out of university and didn’t get it. Too green, too introverted—not the “Ad Man” they were looking for. I moved into publishing instead, then MICE, and I stayed in that space for 17 years because I kept growing—from individual contributor to leading teams, learning to do more with less.
The real turning point came when I was asked to build a digital business from scratch. I wasn’t fully ready. We started from zero, figured it out as we went, and somewhere in that process I learned something crucial about myself: I’m genuinely not afraid of starting from nothing. If I can imagine it and commit to it, I can build it. That changed everything.
As for role models—I didn’t have one defining figure. But I watched patterns across leaders I respected, both men and women: the ones people trusted lifted others up. When that trust eroded, it was always because self-interest won out over integrity. Those lessons shaped me far more than any title ever could.
How has your understanding of fairness changed as you’ve gained experience and seniority?
When I was younger, I thought fairness was straightforward: merit wins. You work hard, you get ahead. Simple.
Then I started working and realised workplaces are messier than that. Networks matter. Who advocates for you matters. Visibility matters. All of that matters as much as the actual work. That was eye-opening—and honestly, a bit frustrating.
Now as a leader, my perspective has shifted again. Treating everyone identically isn’t fair. Equity means recognising that different people need different support at different moments. But I also notice that we still promote people we’re comfortable with, or reward visibility over contribution. Once you see those biases, you can’t unsee them.
When I was younger, I thought fairness was straightforward: merit wins. You work hard, you get ahead. Simple. Then I started working and realised workplaces are messier than that.
So my decisions come down to three things: recognising merit and potential clearly, being transparent about what I expect, and giving feedback that’s honest without being diminishing. I remember being overlooked and underestimated. So I create opportunities for my team that I wish I’d had.
As conversations around women and work have evolved, what do you think has genuinely improved—and where do you think more attention and action are still needed?
There’s definitely been progress. Overt sexism is less tolerated. We’re seeing more women in visible leadership, and that matters—when younger women see other women leading, it expands what feels possible. And I think this generation is growing up with more diverse definitions of success. Less assumption that career comes second to family.
Change happens when organisations build actual systems where talent rises on capability and impact.
But progress at the top is still uneven. Women hold only 27% of global board seats—it’s even lower in Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asia. And there are subtler things that haven’t shifted much. Women still get labelled “difficult” for the assertiveness that men get praised for. We get steered toward support roles. We carry more of the caregiving burden alongside careers.
Change happens when organisations build actual systems where talent rises on capability and impact. The next phase isn’t about diversity statements or awareness campaigns—it’s about strengthening the pipeline through real sponsorship, creating stretch opportunities, and making sure women are visible in decision-making rooms.
Is there a project or initiative you’ve worked on related to women’s empowerment that you’re particularly proud of? What made it meaningful to you?
I refined our mentorship program and became very intentional about identifying mentors for my leaders. What struck me early on was that mentorship often happened by accident. You’d have a senior leader who naturally took someone under their wing, but it wasn’t systematic or equitable.
Mentorship changes trajectory. When a senior leader believes in you and actively backs you, things shift.
So I looked at the program and asked: Who’s being mentored? Who’s doing the mentoring? Are we creating real opportunities or just reinforcing existing networks? Once I mapped that out, it became clear we needed to be more deliberate about connecting emerging leaders—especially women—with sponsors who could genuinely advocate for them and open doors.
Mentorship changes trajectory. When a senior leader believes in you and actively backs you, things shift. That’s what we’re trying to make it more deliberate and less dependent on chance encounters in the hallway.
What responsibility do senior leaders have in shaping more equitable workplaces, beyond statements or policies?
Here’s the thing—leaders shape culture through what they do, not what they say. People watch who gets opportunities, who you trust with real work, how you respond when someone makes a mistake. Those signals matter far more than any published commitment.
One pattern I’ve noticed: leaders confuse personal style differences with incompetence. Someone direct, unconventional, or different gets misjudged early—and that discourages development. But put that same person in a different team dynamic with good mentorship, and they often deliver completely different results. Talent needs the right environment to grow.
One pattern I’ve noticed: leaders confuse personal style differences with incompetence.
Another reality: when leaders doubt someone’s capability, they stop stretching them. They rely on the same trusted people repeatedly. Over time, top performers burn out while others never get developed. That’s leadership responsibility—intentional decisions about who gets opportunities, how fairly you distribute them, and whether you’re building pipelines or just recycling the same people.
What is one change you would like to see in workplaces for the next generation of women?
I’d love to see organisations be more intentional about recognising potential early and giving women real stretch assignments with mentorship and sponsorship attached. Too often, opportunities only come after someone’s proven themselves repeatedly—and by then, capable people have already been overlooked or burnt out.
I’d love to see organisations be more intentional about recognising potential early and giving women real stretch assignments with mentorship and sponsorship attached.
I also hope younger women feel more comfortable stepping forward even when they’re not completely ready. Many hesitate unless they tick every box, but confidence grows through doing. Workplaces need to create space for that.
And honestly? Change how self-promotion is perceived. Women should talk about their achievements without worrying it’ll be seen as arrogance. When organisations combine supportive structures with a culture that encourages women to claim their ambitions openly, the next generation has a much stronger foundation.
Quick Hits
Trend I’m excited about:
I’m excited about how AI is pushing marketers to think more strategically. When content can be generated instantly, the real differentiator becomes judgment — knowing what matters to your audience and why. That shift will reward marketers who combine creativity with business thinking.
A piece of advice that stayed with you longer than expected
“Your reputation is built in the moments when no one is watching.”
It reminded me that integrity shows up in everyday decisions, not just big milestones.
