Bonnie Wan, a distinguished partner and the Head of Brand Strategy at (GS&P), is at the forefront of redefining strategic approaches for both renowned brands and individuals navigating their daily lives. Her innovative thinking and impactful strategies have solidified her position as a key figure within the agency and the broader industry.
Since joining Goodby Silverstein & Partners in 1998, Bonnie Wan has been instrumental in expanding the agency’s strategic capabilities. She pioneered new revenue streams through groundbreaking offerings like Brand Camp. This intensive, six-week strategy sprint fosters radical collaboration, empowering client leadership teams to collaboratively develop and align around distinctive, actionable brand strategies. Brand Camp provides a secure environment for clients to engage in candid discussions and make crucial decisions, paving the way for incisive and impactful strategic frameworks.
Initially conceived for start-up ventures in 2016, Brand Camp has become a significant growth engine for Goodby Silverstein & Partners. This model has broadened GS&P’s appeal to businesses of varying sizes and stages of development. It facilitates deeper engagement with brands across diverse client portfolios and presents a novel avenue for companies to leverage Goodby Silverstein & Partners’ profound strategic expertise.
Bonnie Wan’s strategic prowess has garnered industry-wide recognition. She was honored as a finalist for Chief Strategist of the Year by both Ad Age and Campaign in 2019 and 2020. Furthermore, her leadership has been pivotal in shaping some of Goodby Silverstein & Partners‘ most acclaimed campaigns. Recent highlights include Comcast/Xfinity’s heartwarming holiday campaign featuring Steve Carell, HP’s poignant “Windows of Hope” campaign, and the agency’s impactful initiatives addressing pressing social issues such as police brutality, racial injustice, and anti-Asian violence through the powerful “Not a Gun” campaign and the innovative Respond2Racism Twitter activation. These projects underscore Goodby Silverstein & Partners‘ commitment to impactful and culturally relevant advertising under Bonnie’s strategic guidance.
Beyond her influential role in the advertising industry at Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Bonnie extends her strategic acumen to empower individuals in their personal lives. As the creator of “The Life Brief,” she equips people with tools to cultivate greater clarity, creativity, and courage by guiding them in crafting strategic briefs for their own lives. “The Life Brief” is rooted in her philosophy that “you cannot have it all, but you can have all that matters.”
“The Life Brief” has evolved significantly from its origins as an internal agency talk. It has expanded into a comprehensive workbook, engaging workshops, and recurring speaking engagements at prestigious platforms such as Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, Jane Goodall’s Activating Hope Summit, the 3% Conference, SXSW, Bain & Company, and Change.org. Adding to its growing impact, Simon & Schuster has recently signed a deal to publish “The Life Brief” as a book, further amplifying Bonnie Wan’s reach and influence beyond Goodby Silverstein & Partners and the advertising world.
Bonnie Wan resides in San Anselmo, California, with her husband and four children, balancing her demanding career at Goodby Silverstein & Partners with her personal life and her passion for empowering others through strategic thinking.
