L&C CEO Steven Moy G’95 Redefines Marketing Leadership
In the ever-changing realm of digital marketing, where trends evolve the blink of an eye, advertising mogul Steven Moy G’95 lives by a simple yet powerful philosophy: “Speed is the new black.”
“Speed is important, because look at the world. Technological innovation is driving our culture,” said Moy, using Amazon, TikTok, and generative AI as recent examples. “There are a lot of new elements in the cycle. You have to focus on progression, experimental or incremental innovation, then perfection. [Speed] is a strategic competitive advantage for any brand.”
If anyone knows about the implementation of strategic brand marketing, it’s Moy. With over three decades of experience in advertising, he has a demonstrated history of building high-performing teams through innovative service offerings, strategic acquisitions, and high-growth partnerships.
Throughout his career, Moy has held leadership positions at esteemed firms such as Barbarian, R/GA, Isobar UK, and Publicis.Sapient. His portfolio is rich and varied, comprising global brands like American Express, McDonald’s, Marvel, Shiseido, Johnson & Johnson, CVS Health, Kendo Brands, Post Consumer Brands, Samsung, and AT&T.
Now Moy is once again breaking down barriers in the advertising industry by becoming the first-ever CEO of L&C, an award-winning independent creative agency founded in 2020 by Peruvian creatives Gian Carlo Lanfranco and Rolando Cordova.
An immigrant from Hong Kong and a passionate advocate for the AAPI community, Moy said he immediately recognized an alignment of values with Lanfranco and Cordova due to their shared identity as immigrants.
“Being an immigrant gives me a little bit more of a different perspective. I grew up with a lot of Chinese traditional values and was also educated in America, which definitely informs some of my thinking,” he said. “I think we stand out in representing the rest of the advertising industry. I think we need to embrace it and recognize it.”
The advertising industry has long struggled with diversity. A recent report by the American Association of Advertising Agencies (commonly known as the 4A’s) indicated that advertising is predominately a white industry. In 2022, the number of advertising agencies led by white CEOs rose from 73% to 90%, making Moy’s role that much more critical to the diversification of the industry.
“The problem is progression,” said Moy. “You don’t see a lot of Asians at the top. There’s got to be a more diverse world. You have to assemble your team in a diverse way. Having a diverse team is important, just like anything else. How can you design a campaign that is diverse: designed for different beliefs and different preferences?”
Moy’s contributions to the advertising industry have not gone unnoticed; he was named to Campaign’s A-Lister in 2017 and included in Campaign’s 40 Over 40 list in 2020. In 2021, FastCompany recognized Barbarian's 2020 Social Commerce Innovation Mucinex Sickwear as a World Changing Idea, and Moy was invited to join the Fast Company Executive Board as an official board member. In 2023, Advertising Club NY honored him as an advertising industry ICON. Most recently, L&C, under the leadership of Moy, was recognized by the International ANDYS for their work with the Nativa Meter, AB InBev.
Additionally, Moy has lent his insight to various initiatives and speaking engagements over the years, appearing at prestigious conferences like AdAsia 2023, RISE Conference, WebSummit, Advertising Week, Johnson & Johnson Digital Conference, Shiseido Global Digital Summit, Adobe Annual Conference, Braze Annual Conference, and TransPerfect Annual Conference.
Despite his extensive knowledge and 30 years of experience, Moy said he’s still learning what it takes to be an effective leader but emphasized the importance of authenticity, transparency, and empathy.
“There’s no manual to becoming a great CEO. It's a journey of trial and error, learning from experiences, and being open to feedback,” he said. “A lot of people say, ‘Oh, you’re the CEO. You know the answer.’ Sometimes I do, but sometimes I don’t. I don’t have a silver bullet, there’s no secret sauce. I’m still learning, but I love to learn.”