Women to Watch 2024: Natalie Lowe, The Orangeblowfish

Natalie Lowe

CEO and founding partner
The Orangeblowfish
China

Born and raised in Australia with Chinese heritage, Natalie Lowe worked for over 20 years across the region from Singapore to Australia before moving to Shanghai in 2010. Having worked on both the client and agency side of business marketing and leading projects across Asia Pacific, Europe, and the US, she co-founded independent creative agency The Orangeblowfish in 2012, now headquartered in Shanghai, with teams in Australia, the UK, and North America.

Lowe is currently the leader of The Orangeblowfish which specialises in hospitality, retail, and B2B. Lowe and her team provide strategic counsel to Fortune 500 companies as well as local brands, and offer creative branding services that combine storytelling with branding, visual arts, spatial design, and brand experience.

Clients such as Hilton, Marriott, Cartier, LinkedIn, and Lululemon consistently seek services for repeat business, demonstrating organic growth year after year across various client portfolios, regions, and markets. In addition to expanding its international and local teams, the agency has received prestigious industry awards. 

Lowe’s client-agency relationship is built on collaboration and partnership, which leads to high retention rates and referrals. As an independent agency leader, she is leading The Orangeblowfish to promote an open-door policy and culture that extends to digital platforms. As a result of this, the growing and multidisciplinary team conducts monthly company-wide and team-sharing sessions in non-judgmental, non-hierarchical spaces.  

As the CEO and co-founder, she also mentors interns and emerging professionals by providing coaching and training to help them develop their skills and interests. She leads the strategic vision and growth of The Orangeblowfish, enabling the achievement of creative deliverables through a comprehensive 360-degree approach.  

Lowe and her team showcase outstanding creativity and contributions to the industry through various initiatives. One notable project is the ‘We Love Wukang’ exhibition, which was organised in collaboration with Daiyin Bookmall. This exhibition, held over two months, celebrates the 100th anniversary of the iconic Wukang Building in Shanghai.

Contributing across the industry, she also chairs the Creative Industries and Marketing Committee for the British Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. Meanwhile, her speech at TEDxNYUShanghai in 2024 resonated with emerging and established business leaders. 

Under her leadership, the agency has participated in an internship programme with Shanghai Community International School (SCIS), offering work experience opportunities for Grade 10 students. Additionally, the agency provides pro-bono services for non-profit and social impact initiatives, including Heart to Heart Shanghai and Wild Aid. For three consecutive years, The Orangeblowfish has sponsored young women in rural Western China to help them gain access to high school and university education.