8traordinary appoints chief strategy officer to scale ESG and growth ambitions

Boutique creative agency 8traordinary has appointed Thomas Teo as chief strategy officer for Asia, as it looks to accelerate growth and expand its focus on sustainability and ESG communications.

In this newly created regional role, Teo is tasked with leading the agency’s transformation efforts across three core areas: building specialised offerings in ESG and sustainability communication, driving alliance partnerships and inorganic growth, and strengthening internal capabilities to position 8traordinary as a future-ready agency.

He reports to founder and CEO Jeffrey Lim and joins the leadership team behind projects for Shangri-La, Mount Faber Leisure Group, Keppel Electric, Funan and Hotel JEN.

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Teo brings extensive experience in corporate strategy, brand transformation and innovation. Prior to joining 8traordinary, he was the chief of staff and head of CEO office at The Smart Local. Other roles he's held in his career include head of strategy at Changi Travel Services and management consultant at Deloitte Consulting.

His appointment marks a strategic milestone for the agency as it aims to scale purpose-led solutions in a competitive and evolving creative landscape.

“I am privileged and excited to work alongside the truly exceptional team at 8traordinary. We have big plans to create new, relevant offerings in this rapidly evolving landscape. One of the big bets we will be making will be in the sustainability and ESG communication space, investing in both internal capabilities as well as meaningful partnerships," said Teo in conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.

“8traordinary is known for its strong and impactful creative delivery with iconic projects such as Funan and Hotel JEN – we plan to build on these wins to continue to serve exceptional clients across branding, social, and even the user experience space,” he added.

In tandem, Lim said the agency’s expansion ambitions are grounded in reimagining how brands show up in the world.

“Growth and expansion is not just about gaining ground but in seeing with new eyes. Bringing on board a seasoned corporate strategy specialist such as Teo helps us see things in different lights so we can become even more effective in helping our brands and clients do more extraordinary work," said Lim. 

“In the area of sustainability and ESG, there is much to be done. We hope to help brands change how people see the world. When we can see the world differently, we will act differently. Then, I believe, this will change our world. I am extremely excited about the journey ahead with Teo and the team as we leverage our experience in creative communications to create impact in this space," he added. 

8traordinary has been steadily building up their various capabilities across the years. In 2023, the agency enhanced its influencer marketing capabilities by acquiring stakes in regional influencer marketing agency X10 Media. 

The acquired stakes provided 8traordinary with access to X10 Media's tangible return on investment solution for influencer campaigns. 

The collaboration aimed to leverage the power of influencer marketing from the rapid growth of daily content production and circulation that has enabled social media platforms to become the optimal channel for brands to engage with their target audiences.

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