Jaz Lee exits Ogilvy Malaysia to reunite with Leo

Jaz Lee, formerly executive creative director at Ogilvy Malaysia, is rejoining Leo as executive creative director of Leo Constellation, Southeast Asia, with a regional remit focused on Samsung.

Lee told A+M exclusively, that he served his final day at Ogilvy last week on 24 July, and will officially begin at Leo this early August.

In this new role, Lee will be tasked with elevating the quality and creative consistency of Samsung’s marketing efforts across Southeast Asia. He will report to Emir Shafri, chief creative officer of Publicis Groupe Malaysia, and Paolo Garcia, chief creative officer of Publicis Groupe Vietnam.

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This move marks a significant homecoming for Lee, who began his creative career at Leo Burnett a decade ago as a junior copywriter, before making his way up as creative group head, and finally associate creative director before shifting to Ogilvy. He said:

Going back to the place where it all began for me 10 years ago feels like the perfect homecoming.

“I come back a little older (and hopefully a little wiser), but the hunger to do great work hasn’t changed. I can’t wait to do incredible things with the incredible people I’ll be surrounded by," he added.

Lee’s return follows a five-and-a-half-year stint at Ogilvy, where he rose quickly through the ranks. Reflecting on his departure, he shared: “A little over five years ago, they took a chance on a 24-year-old kid to be their creative director, and doubled down by promoting me to executive creative director. The rest, as they say, is history.”

He added, “I’ll always be grateful for the belief, the opportunity, and the incredibly clever people I’ve had the pleasure of crossing paths with along the way. I'm proud of what we've built together and I always will be.”

During his time at Ogilvy, Lee helped shape notable campaigns such as “Emoji-Nation” for Guinness, “Flags of generosity” for Cadbury Dairy Milk, “The calorie absorber pro” for Scotts, “Gamer asylum” for Artotel, and “Bau siapa ni?” ('Who's smell is that') for Scentify x Enchanteur.

In January, Publicis Groupe kicked off 2025 by combining Leo Burnett with Publicis Worldwide and calling it Leo. According to the company, this comes as global brands and challenges “require outsized creativity” to drive scaled transformation, personalised content and connected brand experiences.

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