40 Under 40 2025: Neil Yan, EternityX

Neil Yan

Managing director, global
EternityX
Hong Kong 

Neil Yan began his career in performance marketing, specialising in digital campaigns for airlines and travel retailers targeting Chinese consumers. His early work shaped his foundational principle: every marketing dollar must deliver mutual value within China’s complex, fast-evolving ecosystem. Transitioning from tactical execution to strategic leadership, Yan brokered partnerships with top Chinese platforms—Tencent, Baidu, Xiaohongshu (XHS), Bilibili, Ctrip, and LY.com. 

A defining milestone came in 2022, when he led the MediaStorm team to victory at Campaign Asia-Pacific’s MediaWorks competition, earning unanimous acclaim for his ‘Trust Fall’ concept.

Since joining EternityX, Yan has played a pivotal role in transforming the company from a regional digital player into a global cross-cultural marketing and technology leader. Appointed managing director, global, with P&L oversight across Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, he oversaw a dramatic growth trajectory. Revenue surged from US$58 million in 2021 to US$215 million in 2024 (267% increase), while headcount grew from four to 37 people, with more than 75% staff retention.

In 2024, Yan led EternityX’s strategic transformation by aligning three proprietary platforms—PilotX, MediaX, and NaviX—into a unified value proposition addressing key client pain points in China marketing. His landmark achievement was securing EternityX's position as Xiaohongshu’s leading overseas partner.

His regional expansion playbook delivered clear wins: new partnerships were secured with the Saudi and Abu Dhabi Tourism Boards, King Power in Thailand, and JATO and Disney in Japan. These deals expanded EternityX’s operational reach and embedded its solutions into high-growth sectors like tourism and retail.

In campaign delivery, Yan led the award-winning Ocean Park project, which earned Bronze at the IAB Hong Kong Awards for Best Use of Omnichannel Strategy. The campaign was a case study in cross-cultural media orchestration and real-time optimisation.

Yan’s leadership style combines operational discipline with cultural intuition, building diversity into career development. He has mentored team members from varied backgrounds and nationalities (including Hong Kong, Mainland China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Dubai), ensuring they access high-impact roles.

Externally,  Yan also serves on the IAB Hong Kong Commerce Committee and the IAB Hong Kong AdTech and Programmatic Committee, underscoring his commitment to having a strong industry voice. He further promotes inclusive marketing frameworks through his work with the Greater Bay Area Youth Development Association and Inno4life Creative Culture and Technology Innovation Exhibition.