Five Questions with Suzie Shaw

Suzie Shaw is the Regional CEO APAC at socially-led creative agency We Are Social, and a Greenpeace Australia Board Director. A strategic thinker, she specialises in helping brands navigate culture, fandom and the evolving role of social in business growth. Suzie has led award-winning work across technology, sport, travel and consumer brands, and is a frequent commentator on the intersection of culture, creativity and commerce. She is a mum of two and based in Sydney.

Q1. What’s the best part of your job?

The best part of my job is sitting at the intersection of culture, creativity and business and helping people make sense of what’s actually changing, not just what’s trending.

I love spotting patterns early, connecting dots others might not yet see, and then turning that into work that genuinely moves a brand or a business forward. But just as importantly, I get a lot of energy from building teams and watching people grow into bigger versions of themselves. When the work is good and the people are thriving, that’s when it feels most meaningful.

Q2. What skills have been the most useful in your work?

Curiosity, without question – and the discipline to turn curiosity into clarity.

I’ve always been more interested in why things are happening than just what is happening. That instinct has helped me navigate a career where platforms, formats and technologies change constantly, but human behaviour doesn’t change nearly as fast.

The other skill is judgment. Knowing what matters, what doesn’t, and when to push versus when to let something go. That becomes more important the more senior you get, and the more noise there is around you.

Q3. What’s the best advice you’ve been given?

Early on, someone told me: “Don’t confuse activity with impact.”

It stuck with me because our industry often rewards busyness – more work, more output, more visibility – even when it doesn’t actually drive better outcomes. Over time, I’ve learned to value focus, restraint and intentionality far more than volume. The best leaders and the best ideas are usually clearer, not louder.

Q4. What is your proudest achievement?

My proudest achievement is raising my two daughters, who are now adults. While I certainly didn’t get everything right, guiding them through childhood and adolescence, supporting them as they grew into their own people, has been incredibly rewarding. I’m immensely proud of the women they’ve become, and in many ways, I’m not ready for that stage of my life to end – it’s been profoundly meaningful and continues to be a source of pride and joy.

And in a work context, I’m also proud of the cultures and teams I’ve helped build.

Q5. What do you think the industry will look like in 10 years?

Smaller, sharper and more specialised – but also more human.

I think we’ll move away from scale for scale’s sake and towards expertise, credibility and cultural fluency. AI will automate a lot of execution, but it won’t replace taste, judgment or the ability to understand people and culture deeply.

The agencies that thrive will be those that know why they exist, not just what services they offer, and that can genuinely help brands earn attention, not just buy it.