Lizelle Maralag

It is hard to overestimate the respect Lizelle Maralag commands within the Filipino marketing community, where she is affectionately known as LGM. With three decades in influential roles across advertising and media, she is feted for her track record of mentorship—particularly of women—and her belief that business should give back to society. But it is her reputation for helping brands navigate a fast-changing media landscape that has kept her at the top of her game.

A former country managing director for Starcom MediaVest Philippines and chair of Publicis Groupe in the country, she joined GMA, a nationwide broadcaster with interests spanning broadcast and production across TV and radio, as its first woman marketing leader in 2010.

She has helped grow GMA into one of the country’s largest and most awarded media networks by easing its transition from a legacy broadcast business into a multi-platform brand with a compelling proposition for viewers and advertisers alike. Most recently, Maralag has pushed audience personalisation tools and data-led storytelling techniques while also extending GMA’s commercial partnerships, better integrating advertisers across platforms and expanding branded content partnerships. 

At the same time, the network has become more relevant to younger audiences who are less likely to watch via traditional channels; it is now the dominant player on YouTube among media businesses in the Philippines, boasting more than five billion annual views, with similar leadership positions on Facebook and TikTok.

The result of such a dynamic vision? Not only did GMA celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2025 by being named TV Station of the Year at the Platinum Stallion National Media Awards, Maralag walked off with the Media Icon award from the Media Specialists Association of the Philippines in recognition of her position in the industry.