Beam Suntory's Jing Mertoglu is named as a leading woman

Beam Suntory Global Head of Insights, Jing Mertoglu, is named on Ad Age's Leading Women list.

"Congratulations to Jing Mertoglu, Beam Suntory’s global head of insights, for being recognized as one of Adage’s Leading Women," said Beam Suntory.

Leading a new team

During the pandemic, Jing found herself changing jobs. Speaking to Ad Age, Jing said: "It’s one of the toughest things to do, primarily because you need to try to lead using a 13-inch screen."

Working remotely, Jing led her new team to develop Insights Distillery, a platform that makes market research easily accessible for anyone within the company. Jing called it a “game-changer."

“One of the big foundational things that we need to do as insights professionals is how do you democratize access to information so that you can amplify the impact of insights,” explained Jing.

Encouraging women into industry

When asked what the industry should do to encourage more women and people of color into its ranks, Jing said: "This is such an important topic and one I am very passionate about. I would like to see an increase in blind interviews so that people are judged on their merits and accomplishments regardless of what they look like on the outside.

"Engineering for diversity is also important, whether through employers having diversity quotas as part of their hiring process or required pools of diverse candidates. Last but definitely not least is that challenging the norm should be encouraged in the hiring process. The best candidates don’t always come from the usual places or schools; rather, companies should seek talent from a broader range of sources to create opportunities that these individuals wouldn’t otherwise have."

Experienced advice

And the advice she'd give to her younger self? "As you navigate life, I believe it’s very important to be kind to yourself," Jing advises.

"This is not something I understood the value of when I was younger, but as I’ve grown—both personally and professionally—I’ve come to realize that “a happy you” is the best metric for success. I find that I am now happiest when I try my best to be kind to myself as I navigate my goals. This allows me to be more mindful and enjoy my journey versus just racing to the endpoint."

Leading women in a fast-changing industry

The list of Leading Women reflects a fast-changing industry, a tumultuous world and more roles with global scope.

Ad Age’s Leading Women takes businesses, brands and agencies into a brave new post-pandemic era, in which the world has changed irrevocably. The first ever global Leading Women list includes inspiring women who are pioneering new technologies, driving brands forward in reaction to social and environmental concerns or tapping into popular culture to target fresh audiences.

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