Merlee Cruz-Jayme

This year, the Drum Global Ranking announced the top 100 Chief Creative Officers in the
world, and there were only 8 women in the list. One of them is Merlee Jayme.

She is “Chairmom” and Chief Creative Officer of Dentsu Jayme Syfu. Merlee is also the first Filipino to be awarded the Creative of the Year for Southeast Asia in the Campaign Asia Pacific Agency of the Year. A business-minded creative, she has been recognized with The Creative Guild HALL OF FAME AWARD, the NYF Creative Achievement Award, The Agora Award 2017 and the CEO of the Year 2016 by the IABC Philippines.

Under her leadership, her one-year old integrated agency Dentsu Jayme Syfu has already been named the 2016 Creative Agency of the Year for the Philippines by Campaign Asia.

Being the only woman in ASIA’s top 20 creative directors (Campaign Brief Asia), Merlee has won many “firsts” for her country. Most notable ones include the Cannes Grand Prix for Mobile, a Grand CLIO, NYF Grand Award and the D&AD Yellow pencil.

She has judged in all of the major Award-giving bodies all over the world. In fact, she was the very first D&AD Filipino Jury member and Forewoman.

Just 2019 alone, her Jury duties include:
The first ever all-women jury of The Gerety Awards
The Glass Cannes Lions, Cannes Lions Festivals
The London International awards, The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences :
the Webby Awards.
And as Jury President for Print and Out of Home for The CLIO Awards
And Jury President for Press, Radio & Audio for the Spikes Asia.
One of CNN’s Leading Women, she’s a member of Gabriela-a feminist group, an advocate
for #sistergood: helping women at work, an author of a handbook “Everyone Can Be
Creative”, a mom to 4 beautiful girls, and an inspiration in breaking the glass ceiling in this
mad men’s world.