Chief Creative Officer
DigitasLBi
“There is no place like Nebraska.”
For 1993 College of Journalism and Mass Communications graduate Ronald Ng that opening line of the Husker fight song rings true. As an international student from Malaysia, Ng felt the camaraderie from day one.
“It was unbelievable. If I had to do it again I would come back to Nebraska,” he said. “The people were warm. They were helpful. They accommodated my shortcomings and made me who I am today.”
And who he is today is the Chief Creative Officer for DigitasLBi North America. He’s responsible for the six offices in North America, totaling 2,500 employees.
Ng started his career at University of Nebraska–Lincoln in another major, but after a 30-minute conversation with former CoJMC professor Chuck Piper he said, “I knew this is exactly what I wanted to do,” and joined the CoJMC.
“Professor Piper instilled fear in me, but positive fear,” Ng said. “I was always afraid to disappoint him, which is a lesson I’ve kept in my heart till today. And Professor Stacy James instilled passion and patience on the other end of the spectrum, but equally important.”
After graduation, Ng returned to Malaysia and began an incredibly successful career as a creative leader in the advertising industry.
He started as a copywriter for J. Walter Thompson Malaysia, and then moved to senior copywriter at McCann Erickson Malaysia. From there, he worked at Bozell before becoming Head of Copy at Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness.
Ng began his 11 years at BBDO as the Executive Creative Director at BBDO & Proximity Malaysia. He then moved to BBDO New York as Executive Vice President and Executive Creative Director, followed by Executive Creative Director and Head of Asia Creative Council at BBDO & Proximity Singapore.
Looking for a change in 2015, Ng accepted his current position at DigitasLBi.
Wherever Ng goes, success follows. While in Malaysia, the Gunn Report ranked him as the fourth-most awarded CCO globally in 2010. One of Ng’s most notable campaigns is the Jeep “Two Worlds” campaign, which was inducted in to the CLIO Hall of Fame, and his interactive installation for Autism Speaks was accepted into the New York Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection in 2011.
When asked which accomplishment he’s most proud of, his answer is the young professionals he’s mentored who have gone on to be successful.
“The reason we can achieve all that success is because of the people,” Ng said. “I think the way you do that is to always hire people who are smarter than you and create an environment they enjoy working in. It makes me very proud that 1. Get to work with these amazing young people, and 2. Get to help them in their career path to become famous creative people.”
His advice for recent graduates is simple. Find a place where you feel inspired to create good work.
“Find yourself a good agency to be in because when you’re in the right agency – the right opportunity, the right people to work with – you’ll create work. It’ll make you do the work that will make you be in high demand.”