Women to Watch 2023: Cindy Eliza Vaz, Mediabrands

Cindy Eliza Vaz

Chief digital officer
IPG Mediabrands
Malaysia

After a short stint in the legal industry, Cindy Eliza Vaz embarked on a career in call centre management before transitioning to marketing. However, it was her venture into data-driven strategies at a financial institution that led to her pursuing a career in the digital sphere.

Having served as head of digital across 14 markets in the APAC region for Huawei Technologies, Vaz brought her wealth of knowledge and expertise to universal McCann (UM). Now, with a promotion to IPG Mediabrands’ chief digital officer earlier this year, Vaz is on a mission to build world-class digital superstars while delivering personalised experiences to customers at every touchpoint.

Ever keen to expand horizons, Vaz has introduced new technologies and best practices by crafting a proprietary e-commerce strategy that delivers exponential growth across UM’s client portfolios, with a proven track record of tripling clients' Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), bearing testament to her expertise in this area.

Under Vaz's leadership, UM has seen significant improvements in performance efficiency, seeing up to 37% increase in conversion rates and 48% decrease in cost-per-acquisition for key clients. By automating up to 80% of client reporting across UM, Vaz has improved work efficiencies by 50%. As a result, overall digital investment has grown, with the share of non-traditional activity growing to 75%.

Leading a team of 20 digital staff, Vaz has achieved an impressive employee retention rate of 90%. As chief digital officer of IPG Mediabrands, she has undertaken the formidable task of integrating multiple teams to streamline the organisation's products and services offering.

Vaz is also dedicated to developing a talent pipeline and has mentored 12 interns at UM, with five of them securing permanent positions within Mediabrands. In addition, Vaz is an active mentor for online mentorship platform FutureLab, where she engages with students, working professionals, jobseekers, and entrepreneurs across the region.