40 Under 40 2023: Marion Micoud, CBA Design

Marion Micoud

Managing director Asia-Pacific
CBA Design
Singapore

With over 15 years of experience in Asian markets, Marion Micoud is more than just a seasoned professional with a flair for team building and driving business growth, she’s a natural at it. Starting her career in fashion working for the likes of Jean Paul Gualtier in sales and merchandising, today Micoud is the managing director of agency CBA Design studio in Singapore. She spearheaded the launch of the studio in Singapore in November 2020, and in 2023, expanded further by consecutively opening two additional studios in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Shanghai, China.

Micoud’s impressive track record as a business builder includes winning and growing key global and regional clients such as Unilever, Nestle, Clarins, Savencia, and Dole across more than 15 markets. Notably, Lux, Unilever's personal care brand, remains one of her key clients, and under her leadership, it won Gold for the Global refresh of its visual identity system in 2022. She’s also developed strong partnerships within the WPP group, creating specific collaborations with Wunderman Thompson and Ogilvy, receiving mentorship from key leaders like David Dahan, managing director of WPP Unilever and Ogilvy.

As they continue to grow, Micoud’s goal is to elevate CBA Design to collaborate with more leading global brands, emphasising meaning and performance for consumers. In the last three years, she’s managed to successfully assemble a multicultural team that blends creativity and business, adapting to clients' cultural needs and has helped to put the agency on a winning trajectory.

Micoud’s leadership style has been described as warm and personable, and she’s valued for her passion, empathy, and attention to detail—attributes she honed during her early career working for luxury fashion brands like Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Dior, Givenchy, and Maxime Simoens. 

Outside of work, Micoud has a love of continuous learning, having earned a Certificate of Management of Excellence from Harvard Business School in 2020. She’s also dedicated to supporting children in need, evident in her involvement with the redesign of the Association Azuréenne des Enfants du Vietnam (AAEDV association), a Franco-Vietnamese charity supporting children in the Mekong Delta, a highly agricultural region located over 180 kilometers southwest of Ho Chi Minh City. 

Actively engaged in the industry, Micoud chaired the Martech Summit Singapore 2022, spoke at the Futr Innovation Singapore 2022 and Retail Asia Singapore 2022 events, as well as the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) Vietnam CEO & CMO Summits in 2023. She is also a part of the MMA Smarties pre-screening jury for APAC and Vietnam, and sits on the WPP APAC leaders committee, showcasing her significant impact and leadership within the broader industry.