April Yap
Chief operating officer
Intersections Communications
Philippines
Before entering the industry, April Yap was a university professor teaching creative writing — training students to observe closely, interrogate motive, and build meaning through structure. Advertising arrived almost by accident, through friends who suggested she try media. What she discovered was that a background in writing was among the strongest foundations for strategy, because at its core, insight is narrative.
Because she came in as an outsider, Yap never inherited the industry's assumptions wholesale. She learned to read campaigns the way one reads a manuscript: where is the real motive, what is unsaid, what truth should be surfaced? That stance shaped her approach — strategy as narrative architecture, analytics as plot progression.
At GroupM, she was among the pioneers of data-based thinking in campaign measurement, establishing 3D, a nationwide consumer database. At Carat, she built core data systems instrumental in securing major accounts and contributing to the agency's rise from number 11 to number three in RECMA rankings.
Her most defining achievement came after turning 50, when she founded Intersections during the height of the pandemic — without external investors or safety nets. Within five years, it became consistently profitable. In 2025, profit grew 80 per cent, margins expanded 28 per cent, and key accounts like Nestlé and Netflix showed extraordinary growth. Intersections became the preferred media partner of Hakuhodo, forming H+ in the Philippines with their collaboration delivering 88% revenue gains.
To Quote: "April does not rely on legacy; she builds relevance." - Bobby Simborio, executive director of the Philippine Association of National Advertisers.
