Opinion

24 Hours With… Dentsu Aegis Network Singapore CEO Rosalynn Tay

Rosalynn Tay24 Hours With… spotlights the working day of some of the most interesting people in Mumbrella Asia’s world. Today, we hear about a day in the life of Rosalynn Tay, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network Singapore.

7am. The sound of my alarm, reminiscent of old fire engines jolts me from my REM sleep. Each morning, I wonder why I don’t get my pet dog Bailey jumping at the edge of my bed, excited about his morning walk. Then I remember – I’ve left him in the living room so that his loud snores do not disturb my precious 390 minutes of body recharge. And he’s geriatric, so no outdoor walk required.

7.15am. I roll out of bed and meander to the kitchen to heat my milk for coffee, reach for my boring breakfast cereal while catching up on news.

8.30am. I leave for my daily destiny – work. Traffic pending, I arrive at the office anytime between 8.50-915am. My PA and I sit down for a daily 10 min pow-wow to review my schedule. The race has started.

9.15am. A series of scheduled and unscheduled meetings take place; team members coming through my door waiting to discuss various matters. From individual brands to people matters, reviewing creative work to small office details (like where plants should be placed) – the scope is amazing and I absolutely love it!

10.00am. My monthly country management meeting, where all the busy brand and functional heads come together to review the month. I enjoy hearing about people matters and look forward to the sharing session on product innovations and performance results. As I look around the room, my heart swells with pride at how much our management team has achieved over the past three years.

12pm. A break for my mind and body.

12.45pm. Lunchtime – usually a quick bite at my desk (mee pok from the coffee shop downstairs is my quiet indulgence). I eat, read, sign documents, review work. I have quick chats and a few laughs with the teamies in my daily walkabouts.  

2pm. Next meeting at the other office, 2,000 steps away. I pack up and start the walk to catch up with one of the APAC brand leaders at iProspect on the state of our business – the projects and pitches our teams are working on across brands and region.

3.45pm. I gleefully make myself a cup of soothing, calming tea, indulging in a 10 min reflection.

4pm. I sit it on a creative pitch review, alongside our new ECD Andy Greenaway (whom I am so excited to bring on board). These review meetings give me the chance to see the latest and greatest from our creative and account teams; my candid perspective and comments either send them into fits of laughter or depression?

5pm. Next up is a client meeting – I love engaging with our clients at every level to know how the account is doing. I want to hear the good and the bad, so we can continue to improve and innovate.

6pm. I have my monthly catchup with my manager, updating him on monthly highlights, performance, challenges and any exciting projects in the horizon.

6.30pm. Back to my desk to work off my to-do list. Tick, tick, tick… a productive day makes me happy.

7.10pm. I start driving, making a few work calls to cover what I couldn’t finish in the office. Strains of Red Hot Chilli Peppers, David Bowie and Cold Play in the background help me unwind.

7.40pm. Home sweet home. Bailey greets me swiftly at the door and beckons me to the kitchen. Where’s my dinner mommy? I proceed to feed him (first things first!), warm my simple meal and polish it off in 10 minutes. I walk around, water my plants, play with Bailey, and do some housework.

8.20pm. I change and head for my gym session with the trainer, mentally preparing myself for the voluntary torture coming my way.

8.30pm. 60 minutes of cursing, lifting, strengthening, and I am done! Mission accomplished. My trainer encourages me by highlighting the progress I’ve made.

10pm. I shower and watch a purchased series, usually rationing myself to two episodes. I continue with work and treat myself to a glass or two of claret. Work output is exceptionally high during this hour, due to non-interruption AND presence of the lovely red liquid.

12am.  It’s a wrap! Equipment shut down. Check. Home security. Check. I shuffle to the bedroom and lie in bed, while my overworked mobile phone gets recharged. Human starts shutting down. 

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