As a student, Guan was called into the principal’s office many times because he drew comic characters all over his textbooks. One day, a teacher realized his potential and encouraged his parents, both doctors, to allow Guan to abandon their dream of medical school and pursue his real passion. That turn of events sparked a successful career. Right after he graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, he surprised himself by winning the Best of Show in the LA Creative Student Competition. That win helped him land a job as one of the most successful independent west coast agencies, Kresser/Craig.

Guan later returned to Singapore and worked in several creative hot shops, including Saatchi & Saatchi and Leo Burnett, before taking a regional role at Grey Worldwide. In 2005, Guan joined JWT as Regional ECD of SEA and was later promoted to the additional role of Global ECD of Unilever’s Lux. In 2012, Guan’s team brought home numerous awards for their work on Lux, including a Grand Prix in radio from Spikes.

In 2010, he became the first Singaporean to serve as a Cannes Outdoor jury president. He was also the first Asian to serve as a D&AD jury foreman in the poster category and was the second Asian to ever chair a CLIO jury, when he led the jury for print, poster, innovative media and integrated campaigns. He also is a member of JWT’s Global Creative Council.

Tay Guan Hin is currently the Chief Creative Officer of BBDO Singapore. A member of the BBDO Asia Creative Council. Prior to BBDO, he founded the TGH Collective, a successful creative boutique independent agency.

Guan devotes the same passion and energy that goes into his work to mentoring young talent in Asia. Guan was instrumental in setting up the Singapore Crowbar Awards, AdFest’s Young Lotus, and the Award School Asia, which foster budding talent in this region. He organized Portfolio Night and leads JWT Asia Pacific’s on-the-ground effort as part of the agency’s annual sponsorship of Young Spikes. In 2012, he chaired Singapore’s Young Cannes Creative Competition and for the first time, the young team brought home a gold, Singapore’s first-ever Young Cannes Lion.

Guan continues to hunt for his high school teacher on Facebook in order to thank her.