Melissa started her career in marketing over 17 years ago in an agency planning role focusing on consumer insights, data and CRM and since then she has held both senior agency and client side positions.

She worked with some great brands as an agency planner and then jumped ship to experience the client side, heading up CRM then progressing to head marketing for Jaguar in Australia where she won 2001 Australian Young Direct Marketer of the Year.

After leading Marketing for Volvo in Australia and winning Automotive Campaign of the year in 2004 she decided to be thrown in the deep end and head to China in 2005.

Over 6 years later she is still juggling a million projects in the fact paced world of China.

During the last 6 years she has held two senior agency roles before being lured back to client side.

As CSD for Publicis Shanghai she led the Pernod Ricard business and successfully introduced many alcohol brands to China and significantly grew the agency team and business.

Seeking a greater challenge she then took on the role as General Manager for Wundeman and got back into the automotive world leading the Ford and Land Rover business and putting the agency back on the map to achieve massive growth and success and build a great team.

A call from Volkswagen then saw a change back to client side as Marketing Director for Volkswagen and a move from Shanghai to Beijing.

With an Effie, Bronze Lion, Golden Pencil and best brand campaign for Volkswagen, she is looking forward to more marketing and creative innovation with the launch of the Beetle later this year.

When she gets a spare second Melissa loves to travel.