Mawarni Adam returns to adland, takes up new role at Ampersand Advisory

Consultagency Ampersand Advisory has appointed Mawarni Adam as its new senior consultant, effective today (5 May).

Most recently, Mawarni headed Toyota Malaysia's strategic brand management, and was in the role with the automotive company for a year since May 2024. 

Having been on the client side for most of her career, Mawarni shared in conversation with A+M, that with her hybrid experience in tech startup and SMEs, she believes that she has a good understanding of the problems faced by companies internally and externally which may impact their foundations for growth. "I believe I have a lot to contribute in this area," she said. 

Don't miss: Study: Local MY brands thrive amid consumer-led brand boycotts

"Whether I am on the client side or consulting/agency side, I always say to peers and colleagues that it's two sides of the same coin. We are all working towards the same goal, that is, for the betterment and improvement of the brands we work for or with," she added. 

On moving on from Toyota Malaysia, Mawarni noted that while it was exciting to work on and contribute towards one brand, she is excited to make a difference for more companies and brands in her new capacity as a consultant at Ampersand. 

"I’ll leverage my experience from driving real-world marketing transformations for global MNCs to help more companies under the Ampersand Advisory umbrella. What used to be as an internal resource in my previous roles, which was driving it from the inside, will now be from the outside in. My previous experience at M Consulting Asia will be useful in this role, too," Mawarni explained. 

Prior to her role at Toyota Malaysia, she was the regional brand and public relations advisor for Sompo Holdings (Asia), between May 2019 to September 2020. She held the role in tandem with leading Berjaya Sompo Insurance's brand, marketing communications and customer experience for over two years. 

At Berjaya Sompo, Mawarni built the brand and marketing communications team from the ground up, and was responsible for the company's overall branding, marketing, digital marketing strategy, integrated communications, and more. 

Between 2015 to 2018, Mawarni founded M Consulting Asia, a branding, marketing and communications consultancy which serviced clients such as Sime Darby Group, Tune Hotels, and iFlix. The company later rebranded as Marqetr in December 2020, as a female-first content production and marketing company. 

She began her profession in branding and marketing as a marketing coordinator for Dow in the United States. After moving back to Malaysia, she joined McCann Worldgroup as a brand executive for a year in 2004.  Besides those roles, Mawarni had also held positions within BIG Loyalty, Tune Protect Group, and Citibank.

Speaking on the experience she has gained from her self-founded companies Lemonada, peer-to-peer marketplace Pantsuits Collective, and Marqetr, Mawarni said that her knowledge and skills gained by wearing these different hats will be transferable to the companies she will be consulting through Ampersand. 

"It’s amazing because I get to work on tech-based solutions, mostly using low-code and no-code tools, across various industries, and reusing my previous skills from my past ventures in original equipment manufacturing (OEM) and click-and-mortar models, which I hope will contribute to the greater good," she said.

"They all operate at different speeds, cycles, and demands, so while one can be fast, the rest can have medium to slower speeds, so they complement each other and keep me busy and curious to learn more all the time. Not to mention, pushing me out of my comfort zone, where, as cliché as it sounds, is where growth and progress happen," added Mawarni. 

"So, in a nutshell, I help companies and brands with Ampersand Advisory, I help women through Marqetr and Pantsuits Collective, I help individuals through MawarniAdam.com, and for all the moments when life gives us lemons, a fun brand called, Lemonada," she stated. 

Join us this coming 21 May for #Content360, an extravaganza centered around three core thematic pillars: Challenging the norm; Conquering Media Fragmentation; and Unlocking Imagination. Immerse yourself in learning to curate content with creativity, critical thinking, and confidence with us at Content360!   

Related articles:
Mawarni Adam revives consulting firm after more than 2 years with Berjaya Sompo
Ampersand Advisory expands creative team with slew of new hires
Ampersand Advisory nabs new chief knowledge officer