Virtue APAC hires ex-BBH strategist Zoe Chen as Strategy Director based out of Singapore

Virtue, the creative agency powered by VICE, has strengthened its APAC strategy team with the appointment of ex-BBH’s Zoe Chen as Strategy Director. Chen will be based out of the agencies Singapore regional hub.

Chen will draw on the rich cultural insights of the Vice Media Group to work with its clients across the region to push the limits of creativity and drive agency growth.

She joins Virtue after six years at BBH in Singapore and London, where she worked across brands including Chupa Chups, Audi, Nike, Uber, Jollibee, United Overseas Bank and Sentosa, helping transform the forgotten island unloved by locals to a destination for Singaporeans to relax and enjoy life.

Chen is the strategy lead for Japanese skincare brand Clé de Peau Beauté, for which Virtue is the global social media agency of record, in addition to working on innovation projects for Diageo and Coca-Cola. She will also help lead Virtue’s soon to be launched internship programme.

Huiwen Tow, APAC Head of Strategy at Virtue, said: “Zoe is a creative strategist at heart who has an innate interest in art, design and culture and an insatiable curiosity of the world around her. As we continue to grow in the region by building forward-thinking brands from the inside of culture, her strategy experience and collaborative approach make her an ideal addition to our team.”

Chen said: “In my teens I was obsessed with RSS feeds, spending hours pouring over blogs and websites about art, culture and design. Joining Virtue and the VMG network feels like I’m coming full circle and getting first dibs on the most intriguing parts of culture. I’m excited to be at the intersection of strategy and culture to create work that contributes back to culture.”

Virtue APAC has made a number of key appointments in recent months. In March, Nuno Dores joined as Associate Creative Director in Singapore, while Hayden Scott joined as Senior Creative Director and Kartick Krishnamurthy as Business Director for its India agency in Mumbai.