Women to Watch 2025: Bia Fernandez, DDB

Bia Fernandez

Executive creative director
DDB MNL
Philippines

Bia Fernandez didn’t originally set out to work in advertising. In fact, she was dead set on becoming a journalist until a college ad talk derailed her plans and the Philippine ad industry’s been better for it. Fast forward a decade or so, and she’s now ECD at DDB MNL, creating some of the most resonant, culturally attuned campaigns in the Philippines and beyond. 

When Fernandez took the reins at DDB in mid-2024, the agency was in flux. Morale needed lifting, the creative bar needed to be raised, and client confidence could do with a boost. Less than a year in, Fernandez has already ticked all three boxes. She’s helped win three new business pitches, brought positive client feedback flooding back, and has been instrumental in putting the agency on course to hit its financial targets for the year. 

She’s the kind of creative who doesn’t just want to shine at award night—though the trophy shelf is very much filling up—but works towards moving culture. That much is clear from the campaigns she’s created. Take the widely celebrated GCash Stories series to Lazada’s Hit Jingle campaign, now a case study in creative commerce. Under her leadership, DDB’s Girls Got Game radio spot won Bronze at the 2025 Kidlat Awards, and her commitment to inclusive, tech-forward storytelling has made its mark on brands like Gatorade, PLDT, SM, and Globe.

A single mother, mentor, and self-described “softie with a spine,” she’s known for building teams that feel seen and supported. She’s fought for family-friendly working hours and opened doors for creatives from public schools, because she believes that the best ideas don’t just come from the same old places.

A vocal LGBTQ+ ally and one of the most visible champions of inclusivity in Philippine advertising, Fernandez makes representation a standard operating procedure. Elevating the voices of trans creators, championing underrepresented communities in financial campaigns, or working with nonprofits like Girls Got Game PH, Bia builds platforms, comes naturally to her.

Colleagues, clients and leaders across the industry point to her rare mix of analytical muscle and creative empathy. As Neil Trinidad, CMO of GCash, puts it: “Bia’s creative leadership unlocked real stories that are not often seen in mainstream media… stories that serve as inspiration that financial progress can be achieved by all.”

In an industry still figuring out what meaningful creativity looks like, this ECD is already doing it: with vision, with impact, and truly with heart.