Laura Ashton

Laura M. Ashton (née Allen) is a Canadian marketing executive based in Singapore. She founded Xunama: Growth-as-a-Service for Startups in July 2018. In November, 2018 she was involved in coaching and training North Korean scientists in entrepreneurial skills in Pyongsong.[1] She had been Asia Pacific Director of Business Development, Marketing & Communications for Baker McKenzie, an international law firm, since early 2016.[2] She served as an independent non-executive director and Chair of the Remuneration and Nominating Committee on the Board of Asia Pacific Digital, an Australian Stock Exchange-listed digital services firm from August 2015 until October, 2017.[3][4][5][6] Asia Pacific Digital was subsequently acquired by Trimantium GrowthOps in August 2018.[7] Ashton was the Singapore recipient of a full scholarship for the Australian Institute of Company Directors International Directors course. She successfully completed the diploma program in 2019.[8]

From 2014 until 2015, she was Asia Pacific Regional Marketing Leader at A.T. Kearney, a management consulting firm.[9]

From August 2011 until December 2013, she was Vice President, Head of Marketing for Philips Lighting's Growth Markets unit.[10] [11] [12] [13] She was formerly senior vice president for marketing in Asia-Pacific for Electrolux, as well as president of Electrolux India.[14] Prior to that, she worked in global and regional roles for Royal Dutch Shell in the Netherlands, England and Singapore.[15]

In 2013, The Internationalist, a magazine for advertising and marketing personnel, named Ashton to its Asia 50 list of 50 "pioneering marketers working in one of the world's most diverse and fastest-growing regions who influence activities from Japan to India."[16]

She frequently speaks at public events, including the 2018 B2B Marketing Leaders Forum[17] in Singapore. Other speaking events in recent years include the 2015 Campaign Asia & Content Marketing Institute conference "Content Marketing Singapore",[18] the 2013 iMedia Agency Summit[19] and ad:tech Singapore 2014.[20]

Ashton has been a judge for Haymarket/Campaign Asia’s “Asia Pacific Agency of the Year Award” including the 2018 edition[21], and “Asian Brand Marketing Effectiveness Awards”.[22][23] She is a member of the Singapore Institute of Directors. Ashton is also a member of the Singapore chapter of McGill University's alumni association.[24][25][26]