Women in the Industry: Bessie Lee

A postgraduate in communications studies from an American university, Bessie Lee was always interested in the media industry. But her media agency career was unplanned, having set out to work as an account executive at JWT in her native Taiwan. Finding no such opening at the agency, she decided to give media a try.

That decision has been to GroupM’s distinct advantage. Now based in Shanghai, Lee became chief executive for China five years ago and is responsible for the network’s development in one of the most strategically important markets in the region.

Since her appointment, Lee has been placed among China’s top 10 most creative media professionals by the China Economic Newspaper Association, and named one of the market’s top female business leaders by the All-China Women’s Federation. Under her leadership, GroupM China has achieved distinction from the rest of the network and was last year declared a regional operation in its own right.

Prior to her current role, Lee was chief executive of Mindshare China. She is a proud mother and constantly strives to achieve a balance between a hectic working schedule and spending quality time with her daughter.

How did you get into the media industry?

By accident. I was aware of the ad industry and thought it looked like fun. I wanted an account executive position at a top agency. But when I had an interview at JWT [Taiwan], the director told me he didn’t have any such positions available, only media planning and buying. He asked if I would be interested and I said yes.

Who was you career inspiration?

When I first started, it was my MD, but the more senior I became the more I identified with [Sir] Martin Sorrell. I don’t have his entrepreneurial side but his ability to keep expanding is quite inspiring. I have worked within WPP for the past 20 years and ever since I joined Mindshare and relocated to Shanghai, I have been trying to expand the bandwidth from multiple offices to multiple agencies. It’s something I find very interesting and exciting.

What is your philosophy towards work?

A lot of people talk of having a work-life balance. That is something I find very difficult to do but I have priorities in both my professional and personal life. In my personal life, my number 1 priority is my daughter; over the weekend I make sure that I spend 100 per cent of my time with her. During the week, work is a higher priority. I also try to exercise. If you manage your time effectively you can squeeze things in. I haven’t found a true balance yet but am still trying.

Why aren’t there more women at the top in media?

I’d say the problem is quite the opposite. We need more men! Four out of the biggest five groups in China are headed by women. If I look at those four, their history with and loyalty to their parent groups is longer than that of the average man. Women tend to be more loyal and look for a stable life, while men have a stronger urge to be entrepreneurial and become business owners.

Is the industry doing enough to attract female talent?

Probably too much! Our industry in general does need a stronger entrepreneurial spirit and people who want to try new things. The female-to-male ratio in China and Taiwan is about 60:40; Part of the reason is perhaps that all MNCs demand English language ability, and women tend to have stronger language skills. The media business also requires delicate thinking, something which women are typically better at than men. So the industry needs to do more to attract male talent.

What advice would you give to young women looking to advance their careers in media?

Don’t believe people who have told you that there is a glass ceiling. There is none in the media industry. If you have a lot to offer, just do as much as you can, as fast as you can, and try to go as far as you can.

What was your biggest challenge in 2009?

To convince people that we would all survive. The year opened with people thinking that we wouldn’t. The biggest challenge was the process - we monitored expenses more closely than we had at any other time - and giving people the confidence that we knew what we were doing.

And your biggest achievement?

Eventually people came to the global realisation that you need to look at China as being distinct from Asia Pacific. Since last year, GroupM China has not been part of the regional network; it was spun out to become a region of its own, so now I report to global headquarters. That was the biggest achievement - for me on a personal level, and for the operation as a whole.

What are your expectations for 2010?

Having managed a strong performance in 2009, I believe that 2010 will be much stronger. We are planning several new initiatives, including setting up new strategic partnerships and a better talent development programme. I wouldn’t be surprised if the industry [in China] starts seeing double-digit growth again in 2010.