40 Under 40 2024: Mamaa Duker, VML

Mamaa Duker

Head of growth
VML
Singapore

Since assuming her position as head of growth at VML, Mamaa Duker has taken full charge of driving the agency's APAC business expansion, emerging as an inspirational leader who leads by action while spreading her infectious enthusiasm across the wider WWP group.

Her professional evolution was propelled by a quest for knowledge, and she committed to this by starting her journey with VML in Ghana through a WPP Fellowship programme in brand strategy in 2016. She became the first and only Ghanaian participant in the programme's 22-year history and also became the first Asia media strategy lead for brands under LVMH like Moët & Chandon, Dom Perignon, and Kendo, as well as beauty brands including Fenty, Marc Jacobs Beauty, and Kat Von D.

Her dedication to inclusivity and empowering minority voices has also earned her industry recognition and a spot on the UK HERoes Top 100 Women Future Leaders List for multiple consecutive years.

She excelled in roles with LVMH and WPP, collaborating with global brands like Unilever and L'Oréal on growth and strategy development before joining WPP UK in 2019, where she continued driving business growth through strategic initiatives while spearheading new businesses under the direct leadership of former WPP UK President Karen Blackett OBE. In 2022, she took on a leadership role at Wunderman Thompson, overseeing new business across 14 APAC markets.

Among her other recent achievements was securing the largest APAC pitch in 2023 for a financial services client, resulting in significant client leads that translated into nearly US$1 million in net sales across Singapore, Vietnam, and Australia. But perhaps the most important milestone in the past year was her pivotal role in the formation of VML through a merger of Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R. As a core member of the VML integration team; she helped orchestrate the transition of 14 markets and 6,000 employees in the APAC region into the new agency, showcasing her unwavering determination and bold leadership.

Under Duker's leadership, she has fostered a collaborative environment and underlined the importance of an interconnected team to drive growth within the company. Her successful proposal to WPP global HQ for funding an APAC network Growth Club has facilitated collaboration across operating companies, breaking down competitive barriers and fostering collective growth.

She also extends her influence to the wider industry by mentoring high school students in Ghana, launching initiatives like the Black Equity Organisation, supporting Colorintech, and publishing reports on consumer equality and the significance of ethnicity for business success. She has been growing Roots, WPP's ethnic and cultural diversity network, globally expanding it by over 400% since 2017, while also being actively involved in creating a WPP anti-racism guide and coordinating numerous cultural events, workshops, and speaking engagements.