Sheila Berman is a cross-industry leader in marketing, data, and digital transformation, based in Singapore. She has co-led initiatives across retail, tech startups, and regional and global NGOs, including She Loves Data, where she oversaw global marketing activities. At Brenntag, Berman drives data management and governance, bridging insights, technology, and marketing to create meaningful business impact. She also co-hosts the B2B Marketing Asia Podcast, spotlighting innovation across the region. Berman shared with Shivangi Agarwal of The Himalayan Times her perspectives on building resilient brands, fostering belonging through data-driven insights, and ensuring purpose is lived across organisations. Excerpts: How has your journey through roles in consulting, retail, and tech shaped your thinking on brands and purpose? Having worked across different industries, I was able to see and experience the importance of a lived brand purpose. In some cases, brand purpose was simply text written out for compliance. In other cases, brand purpose was lived. In the latter, there was a collective positive energy shared. There was cohesion in decisions made from operations to sales. It became relatively easier for everyone to work together towards a common goal. And done right, even the customers were able to sense that positive energy and it translated to a positive sales outcome. However, what I have seen was that it was hard to sustain it when leadership changed. The wrong leader can change the culture and steer a brand away from its purpose; while a good leader will amplify it. It is, therefore, important that a proper vetting of future leaders be made during succession planning. Having worked in very different industries (start‑ups, P&L roles, not-for-profit), what do you think makes a brand truly resilient and adaptable? The culture of the business. Brands evolve due to the demands of shareholders, customers, legislation, and other forces. Brands who are able to balance these demands and remain true to their core values, are the ones that will thrive. It goes back to a) everyone in the business knowing what the brand's purpose is, and what its core values are and b), a good number of people in various levels, especially at the top, living those purposes and values. In your role, you help bridge data, technology, and marketing. How can brands use data meaningfully to build trust and belonging with their audiences? Data, when collected, cleaned, and governed properly, can become a business asset. When data is properly extracted and properly analysed, it is the foundation that would enable decision-makers to understand the shifts happening in their target demographics - what is important to them, their preferences, their aspirations - and review and align the business goals and activities. Customers become more trusting if they see positive change from complaints and concerns, as well as reinforcement of praised actions. It shows that the business is listening. When people, in general, believe they are listened to, that fosters trust, which in turn leads to a sense of belonging. As someone who has changed roles and industries, how do you foster a culture of learning and belonging within your own teams? I try to lead by example. One cannot foster a culture of belonging if one fosters exclusivity. Each person is unique and will have their own idiosyncrasies. As long as these idiosyncrasies don't disrupt the working environment, people should be encouraged to be who they are. In all my roles in the different industries, I make it a point to keep learning, either through online or offline courses, reading books, coffee / tea catch-ups, or coaching / mentoring sessions. And I share those learnings with my team where appropriate. I also make it a habit to acknowledge people's ideas publicly. It makes others more willing to share their knowledge, and find ways to improve. Given your experience in different continents (Asia, Australia, etcetera), what role does cultural context play in shaping a brand's creativity and strategy? Cultural understanding is very important. It is easy to commit faux pas if one doesn't understand the nuances of their markets. Some mistakes could have minor consequences, such as Pampers using an image of a stork in its packaging in Japan, when the majority of Japanese at that time were unfamiliar with the folklore. But some could result in backlash, like the Dolce & Gabbana ad in China where it was deemed racist and patronising and resulted in boycotts and the cancellation of a fashion show, or that time when Australian parents were outraged over Kmart Australia's kidswear design accusing the brand of sexualising children. Kmart designers thought they were tapping into the nation's cheekiness but they forgot they were a family-oriented company. This resulted in the range being pulled out and the company publicly apologising. These mistakes will always have an impact on a company's bottomline. There could be a slight dip in monthly or quarterly earnings, or that could mean an entire product line or division being shut down or pulled out of a market. Brands will need to carefully balance creativity and brand purpose to ensure cultural lines are not crossed. For the BrandFest 2025 audience, what is one insight about 'branding in the age of belonging' that you feel is particularly important, especially for purpose-driven organisations? A brand's purpose needs to be clear and simple enough for everyone to understand. It will help to articulate the values that are important to the business and will attract like-minded employees and customers. A brand's purpose and values should not be limited on paper. They must live. They will also need to be reviewed periodically to ensure they remain relevant, and that business goals and activities are aligned with the purpose and values.