40 Under 40 2025: Shanker Joyrama, Orion Digital

Shanker Joyrama

Founder & CEO
Orion Digital
Malaysia

Shanker Joyrama’s career has always been a blend of commercial precision and creative ambition. Starting with roles at Citibank and DiGi Telecommunications, he gained foundational expertise in finance and marketing before founding Orion Digital in 2011. From that first venture, Joyrama built a purpose-led agency that has since won multiple awards and expanded across Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.

Between January 2024 and May 2025, he personally led every strategy, pitch and negotiation across 103 new contracts—a 21% increase on the previous year—including marquee brands such as Great Eastern Takaful Berhad and Shake Shack Malaysia. This surge in business supported Orion’s regional expansion, including a Singapore office for subsidiary Digital People, and a 14% increase in headcount to meet rising client demands. 

Awards have followed performance. In 2024 alone, Orion won seven industry honours at the Dragons of Asia, including two Golds, one Silver, three Black Dragons at Dragons of Malaysia, and a Bronze at Dragons of Asia. The agency was also a finalist in two categories at Campaign’s Agency of the Year and others. Beyond the agency, Joyrama has applied his digital expertise to co-founding a bespoke travel company and a lifestyle e-commerce brand, always with a focus on purposeful growth.

Joyrama leads with empathy and trust, placing people at the centre of every decision. He has built a culture where teams are encouraged to be autonomous, creative, and accountable. He is a champion for diversity across Orion’s offices. As Ronan Lee, CMO of Plaza Low Yat, sums it up: “Shanker doesn’t just elevate marketing outcomes; he uplifts the people he works with.”

Beyond Orion, Joyrama mentors emerging entrepreneurs through Malaysia’s Coach & Grow Programme, serves as Malaysian Alumni President for the University of Technology Sydney, and contributes as a long-standing juror for the Dragons of Asia Awards. Through these roles, he shares knowledge, fosters talent, and helps shape the digital and creative marketing ecosystem in the region.

For Joyrama, purpose and performance are inseparable. Through strategic vision, hands-on leadership, and a people-first approach, he has scaled Orion Digital with a regional presence. Valerie Tan, regional business development manager at Royal Caribbean Cruises, observes: “Shanker’s commitment to meaningful, results-driven collaboration is why we continue to trust him—and why he is exceptional.”