The Hong Kong and Asian advertising communities mourn the sudden and tragic passing of Kitty Lun, Head of Creative Shop, Greater China at Meta, whose remarkable career spanned decades of transformation in advertising, from traditional creative agencies to the emergence of digital platforms and social media.
Kitty’s legacy goes far beyond the positions she held or the awards she received. She was a creative leader, a pioneer for women in advertising, a generous mentor, and a fearless advocate for talent and ideas.
“Kitty was one of Asia’s leading women in digital and advertising—a mentor, a fearless woman, and a longtime friend and colleague. She will be missed.”
I had known Kitty for many years. Our paths crossed regularly at Cannes Lions, Spikes Asia and ADFEST, and in the Philippines, where we invited her to speak at the CreativeFest and the adobo Festival of Ideas. We also shared common ground through the Cathay Pacific account, which I had worked on during my time at McCann.
Beyond the festivals, conferences and advertising world, I had the pleasure of spending time with Kitty and her husband, David Chan, a renowned Hong Kong artist and calligrapher. Those more personal encounters revealed the warmth and generosity behind Kitty’s formidable professional presence.
A career that evolved with the industry
Born in Hong Kong, Kitty studied advertising at Hong Kong Baptist University before earning her master’s degree at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications. Both universities would later honor her as a distinguished alumna.
Kitty began her career as a copywriter at Leo Burnett and rose through the creative ranks, working with agencies including McCann, Euro RSCG, Arnold and Lowe. Her career took her across Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China, making her one of the rare creative talents of her generation who combined creative excellence with extensive management experience.
In the 1990s, Kitty championed public service advertising, creating an extraordinary body of work that included the famous ICAC campaigns and Fight Youth Crime’s “No Take 2” campaign. Her work earned her the unofficial title “Queen of Public Service Advertising in Hong Kong.” She later joined Euro RSCG Partnership Hong Kong as Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer in 1997.
Kitty was fascinated by the possibilities of digital technology long before digital transformation became an industry catchphrase. In 2000, she joined Asian women’s portal miclub.com as Chief Executive Officer, an early indication of her willingness to move beyond the familiar and explore how technology was changing communications.From 2006 to 2016, Kitty served as Chairman and CEO of Lowe China. Under her leadership, Lowe achieved tremendous business and creative growth, becoming the most awarded agency in China in 2014 and 2015. Its work included what the Gunn Report ranked as the world’s most awarded campaign in 2015.
Throughout her career, Kitty was repeatedly recognized among the region’s leading creative directors and advertising women. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the New York Festivals in 2005 and served on and chaired juries across Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Singapore, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Russia, the United States, Canada and Eastern Europe.
She was also a two-time Cannes Lions juror, serving on the Press Lions jury in 2015 and the Glass Lions jury in 2019. Long before gender equality became a regular subject on global industry stages, Kitty was pushing the conversation forward. In 2011, she initiated and hosted the Cannes Lions main-stage forum “Beyond Mad Men: Towards Gender Balance in Creative Roles.”
In 2013, Ad Age named her one of its Women to Watch in Advertising in China.
Reinventing herself
One of Kitty’s defining qualities was her willingness to evolve.
In 2016, after decades of agency leadership, she made another bold career move and joined Facebook, now Meta, as Head of Creative Shop, Greater China. Rather than watching the digital revolution from the sidelines, Kitty chose to become part of it.
She explored innovative ways of delivering creative content on one of the world’s largest digital platforms, working with brands and agencies across Greater China to understand how creativity could connect with audiences in a rapidly changing media landscape.
In 2022, she also took on additional interim responsibilities for Creative Shop across Southeast Asia and APAC.
As Head of Creative Shop, Greater China at Facebook, she spoke about the growing power of digital platforms and social networking, and the opportunities they were creating for brands and creatives. Her session was part of a festival that brought together more than a thousand students and professionals confronting the enormous changes digital disruption was bringing to the industry.
And Kitty never stopped looking ahead.
Most recently, she delivered an address at the 2026 commencement of the Hong Kong Baptist University School of Communication, sharing with the graduating class the challenge of transforming “storytelling to truth-telling.” It was quintessential Kitty: always thinking about what communication and creativity could become next.
A mentor remembered
Perhaps Kitty’s greatest legacy is reflected not in awards or titles, but in the people she encouraged, mentored and opened doors for along the way.
Claire Davidson, former Head of Creative Services APAC, Creative Shop at Meta, remembers:
“Kitty was one of the most inspirational women I have ever had the privilege of working with—a mentor to so many, a friend, a remarkable role model and an incredibly kind and beautiful person. She led with warmth and generosity, and made a lasting difference in the lives of so many people. She believed in people, encouraged them and helped them see what was possible in themselves. Her influence reached far beyond the work itself; it was in the confidence she gave people, the opportunities she created and the kindness she showed.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to have known and worked with her. She will be so very missed, and it is impossible to believe she is gone.”
Norman Tan, a legend of the China and Hong Kong advertising industry, remembers Kitty as both a mentor and the “Big Sister” of their Lowe China team:
“Kitty opened a door of opportunity for me in 2010, which paved the way for our glorious ‘Golden Five Years’ at LOWE China. She was an invaluable mentor in my professional life. Our team shared a profound bond and fondly addressed her as ‘Ah Jie’ (Big Sister). Her passing is incredibly sudden. May she rest in peace, and may her family navigate this difficult time with peace and strength.”
Polly Chu, Chief Creative Officer of JWT Hong Kong, remembers Kitty for the extraordinary energy, integrity and generosity she brought to the industry:
“Kitty had a radiant, ever-present smile and boundless energy—like a battery forever fully charged, shining brightly and lighting up the lives of those around her. To the younger generation in advertising, she was a guiding streetlamp, rich with inspiration. We remember her integrity and selflessness in creative judging, her unwavering appreciation for great work and her courage to speak up for what was right. We remember her infectious laughter and honest, unguarded authenticity.
As she once wrote in that iconic advertising line, ‘Life has no take two.’ And indeed, she directed her own life with brilliance and inspiration—a story that will continue to encourage all of us lucky enough to have known her.
“We miss you.”
Sheung Yan “Mayan” Lo, former Chief Creative Officer of Wunderman Thompson Shanghai and Chairman of the Wunderman Thompson APAC Creative Council, remembers the same generosity:
“I am saddened to learn about this accident. I will forever miss Kitty’s ever-evolving spirit. She kept reinventing herself and became our role model. I still remember she’s the first one in ‘4As’ who gave me a job interview. And she had given me a lot of advice and encouragement although she didn’t hire me at the end. The generosity she poured into leading and nurturing young talents will be dearly missed.”
Hong Kong artist and former adman Stanley Wong, anothermountainman, remembers Kitty not simply for what she achieved professionally but for the humanity she brought to the industry:
“Kitty, beyond just her contributions and leadership to advertising creativity and the marketing world, should also be remembered for her motivation and passion to embrace the new generations, all of which have been deeply appreciated indeed. We should all learn and captivate from her humanistic values, for industry and life.”
Dan Neary, former Vice President of Meta APAC, remembers:
“Kitty was not only a creative force but she was an incredible person. She had real impact on the industry and on those who were fortunate enough to know her. She will be missed.”
An ever-evolving spirit
Across these remembrances, certain words keep returning: mentor, generous, fearless, kind, evolving.
They describe the Kitty Lun I knew.
Norman Tan’s recollection of Kitty as “Ah Jie”—Big Sister perhaps captures something particularly meaningful about her place within the Asian creative community. She did not simply lead people. She opened doors for them, nurtured them, encouraged them and remained invested in what they could become.
Mayan Lo remembers her “ever-evolving spirit.” Claire Davidson remembers the confidence Kitty gave others. Polly Chu remembers a “guiding streetlamp” for younger generations, with the integrity to stand up for great work and what was right. Stanley Wong speaks of her humanistic values. Dan Neary remembers both the creative force and the person.
Together, these memories reveal a leader whose influence extended far beyond the work.
Advertising changed enormously during Kitty’s career. She moved from copywriting and traditional advertising to agency leadership, digital platforms and the new world of technology and social media. Yet throughout those changes, she retained something fundamental: a belief in creativity and, even more importantly, in people.
For women coming through an industry whose leadership ranks were once overwhelmingly male, Kitty showed what was possible.
For younger creatives, she opened doors, offered encouragement and shared what she knew.
For her contemporaries, she demonstrated that longevity in this business does not mean standing still. It means continuing to learn, change and reinvent yourself.
And for those of us who were fortunate enough to call her a colleague and friend, her passing feels deeply personal.
The Hong Kong and Asian creative industry has lost one of its formidable voices.But Kitty leaves behind generations of people whose careers and lives she touched—and an example of creative leadership grounded not simply in achievement, but in generosity, curiosity, courage and humanity.
Perhaps the line Kitty herself once wrote says it most powerfully:
“Life has no take two.”
Kitty made hers count.
On behalf of adobo magazine, I extend my deepest condolences to Kitty’s husband, David Chan, her family, friends, colleagues and the many people across Hong Kong, China, Asia and around the world who were fortunate enough to know her.
We will miss her dearly.
Rest in peace, Kitty.
