The Clan appoints new general manager

The Clan Malaysia has appointed a new general manager, Sandra Heung, who takes the helm after almost six years in the business. Heung will be reporting to The Clan’s business chief, Syed Nasir.

Before coming into the role, Heung helmed various positions, starting with associate account director, from April 2017 to January 2018, followed by account director from February 2018 to April 2021. After which, she was promoted to business director which was her most recent role before becoming general manager.

When asked about the workings of her role, Heung told A+M that she aims to act as the driving force of productivity, efficiency and quality for The Clan. “As our clients’ success is at the heart of everything that we do, the goal is to foster stronger collaborations not only with them but also amongst our Clanmates, relevant partners and not forgetting the consumers,” she added.

Prior to The Clan, Heung was the associate account director at Saatchi & Saatchi from July 2016 to December 2016. There she was the account lead for MINI, for which she covered digital, above-the-line and below-the-line marketing for the brand. According to her LinkedIn, she spearheaded the ‘MINI Takes Charge’ campaign which attained coverage on prominent publications like Autoworld and Bernama. Heung also worked at VLT KL before working at Saatchi & Saatchi. She started as account executive, from January 2013 to November 2013, where she spearheaded the rebranding of Integrity Interactive to VLT Kuala. She was then promoted to senior account executive when she worked with brands like BMW, Astro, The Big Group and Munchy’s.

Regarding plans for the agency in 2023, Heung said that the focus is on the growth of her fellow Clanmates, both in thinking and creative excellence which will then benefit the clients. “Retaining existing clients is definitely key as well - we are determined to provide more innovative solutions to help grow their businesses further based on their KPIs,” she added. Heung also shared the importance placed on expanding the ventures of its own brands, Green Streets and Sembilan Langkawi in the agriculture and hospitality industries respectively.

“With unending inflation and the possibility of a recession on the horizon, the need to be strategic and brave will be key,” she said about the potential of growth. “Trends aside, growth will come to brands when they prioritise their why and when they are unafraid of standing out in this new digital age, especially when consumers are interconnected in an infinite world of ads and platforms fighting for their attention.”

Business chief, Syed Nasir said that Heung has not only been able to drive the growth of the client base, but has also been a catalyst in creating a strong culture within the agency. “Her transition to general manager was a no-brainer and we are confident she will continue to bring The Clan to greater heights,” he added.

The Clan prides itself on being more than just a creative agency but rather agents of change. Aside from its capabilities in creative, branding, influencer, strategy, film, and media, Clan expanded into the experiential tech space through its sister agency EDT. Some of the brands the agency has worked with include Grab, Toyota, Maybank, Nespresso, and Tourism Malaysia.