If you’re leading a comms team, these are the three things that matter more than any algorithm, according to the Ninja Van regional head of comms

What is the work you believe you are here to do?

To build credibility and exchange that for brand trust from the target audiences.

Credibility is the currency of communications, and sadly, we can’t just bank on winning the lottery. Credibility has to be earned and deposited bit by bit through stories told with care, clarity, and consistency. Over time, trust accrues, like compound interest.

And we need that reserve because the world is a chaotic place. One day, you’re loved; the next, you’re not. The credibility we build in good times ensures us against bad times. Crisis isn’t a question of if but when. When reputation takes a hit, it’s the credibility we’ve built that keeps the trust balance from falling below zero.

What principle guides the way you lead, even when it’s hard?

Success is yours; failure is ours. That’s how I encourage my team to explore new territory. If we don’t push boundaries, we’re not just shortchanging the company; we’re shortchanging ourselves. Pursuing new approaches unlocks fresh experiences. It helps us level up, stay curious, and remain fully engaged. It keeps us relevant.

And yes, innovation comes with the risk of failure. Then we learn and grow stronger. We’ve weathered our share of missteps — from launching a zero-budget 360-campaign for a mobile app to offering our in-house communications expertise to loyal customers hoping to strengthen brand loyalty. Each became a valuable teacher.

Experimentation is essential. Yet many of us were conditioned to avoid experimentation (and potential failure) as though it were unspeakable. So I strive to create an environment where my team feels safe to experiment.

Due to our Asian cultural background, our fear of failure runs particularly deep. So my message is clear: When we succeed, the credit belongs to you. When we fail, I’ll shoulder the consequences alongside you.

What is the biggest misconception people have about the work in communication that your company does?

That communications is a silver bullet. I’ll never forget this moment: We had just appeared on national news for the first time. A senior leader pulled up a web traffic monitor and waited to see a spike right there and then. It was bizarre.

It showed me how often those who deal in tangibles struggle with the intangibles. That’s not how they behave as people — and yet, that’s what they expect from people — as if everyone who sees a news segment will immediately engage the brand.

Yes, of course, our work should serve the business. However, measuring the impact of communications with short-term KPIs, such as a traffic spike, is like judging a fish by how well it climbs a tree. And if that’s the bar, don’t hire for communications. I’ve shared that with founders and executives, not out of cynicism, but out of concern.

If communications are brought in without a clear purpose or the patience for long-term results, their true value will never be realised. Communications needs runway and the right belief from the top to deliver what it’s capable of. If you have neither the time nor space for it, then don’t hire for communications. It’s okay. 

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If you could be remembered for one thing through the work you do, what would it be?

My job is to make complex things easier to understand when it matters for outsiders. I love simplification. It’s about understanding something so profoundly that you can reframe it clearly and cleanly, in different ways for different minds.

At Ninja Van, understanding something means sorting parcels, shadowing drivers, and asking any questions I might have, no holds barred.

Then, I can break something down and build it again — different bridges for different rivers. I use Facebook groups to reach Filipino micro-SMEs with stories that resonate with their language, and LinkedIn for MNC supply chain heads who are concerned about cold chain or B2B restocks.

It’s fun to build the right bridge for each audience so that those on the outside know just enough to cross and connect with us on the bridge.

What’s one leadership lesson you wish you learned earlier?

I’ve held leadership positions from primary school to university. I was always “in charge” and wielded that like a weapon. Back then, I thought leadership meant being the loudest in the room and commandeering under the banner of “high standards”. I was just mimicking the leadership I’d grown up seeing: stern, absolute, untouchable.

Then one night, during my agency days, a junior on my team emailed me. She said she feared me and wished she didn’t have to be. That was my turning point. It taught me that leadership isn’t about instilling fear.

Fear might get compliance, but it creates anxiety, lowers trust, and kills creativity. Yes, titles come with a form of assumed respect. But that kind of respect is shallow, transactional, even. Absolute respect needs to be earned, like credibility. 

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When you look at the state of the world today, what gives you hope?

Human relationships matter now more than ever — they’re the one thing AI still can’t fully replicate or replace. Reading the room, sitting with awkward silences, laughing, or commiserating over drinks — these remain uniquely human.

I’m grateful to be in the business of relationships. It’s messy enough to resist AI, at least for now. Trust, empathy, and connection matter more than any algorithm in communications.