POPMART Head of Southeast Asia & Middle East Jeremy Lee hops on a quick but jam packed conversation with On Call host Paulo on the role of Southeast Asia in POPMART’s Global Business, the opportunities for creators and storytellers in the age of generative AI and new innovations in IP protection, and his learnings on leadership across several years leading regional business development for consumer brands.

This On Call with Insignia episode is part of a series featuring speakers from the NOVA 2025: SG60 Edition event co-hosted by Smobler, the New York Stock Exchange, Gemini, Nifty Gateway Studio, and Skadden.

Timestamps

(00:28) Role of Southeast Asia in POPMART’s Global Business;

(01:33) Role of Role of Singapore and Southeast Asia for Consumer Brand Creation;

(02:51) Learnings on IP Protection and IP Innovation for Brands;

(04:40) Thoughts on AI and Future of Storytelling;

(06:41) GTM Learnings from Southeast Asia;

(07:58) Blind Box Leadership Questions;

About Jeremy Lee

Jeremy Lee is Head of Southeast Asia & Middle East for POPMART. Prior to POPMART, he held regional sales and business development leadership roles across consumer brands, from the Lego Group to J&J. He has also been handpicked across these roles to be a leading Diversity & Inclusion advocate, co-creating a psychological safe space to enable team members to bring the best versions of themselves to the workplace.

Directed by Paulo Joquiño

Produced by Paulo Joquiño

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Directed by Paulo Joquiño

Produced by Paulo Joquiño

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.

Transcript

Discussing Southeast Asia’s Market Growth

Paulo: So let’s start first with the event itself. The theme is SG60, sixty years of Singapore. Obviously, you work at a global brand, and you manage Southeast Asia and the Middle East business as well. What role do you see Southeast Asia playing in terms of the overall business? How much has the market grown for the company you’re in?

Jeremy: Sure. Southeast Asia has been an anchor, really, for the international business. We first hit it off in Thailand; it was huge. And I think a big part of it is really the fact that in Southeast Asia, there’s a big appetite for creativity. If you look at the Philippines, you look at Indonesia, you look at Malaysia, for example, there’s a huge and growing community of designers and graphic artists. So it’s nothing new to our part of the world. So I think when Popmart came in, it just became so exciting. So it’s a big part of the business for us.

Paulo: And I was curious to know how you see the role of Singapore and Southeast Asia in terms of a place where a lot of these consumer brands are coming out of, and a lot of creators are creating their own personal brands or selling on different platforms.

Jeremy: Singapore is, to quote, always a gateway for Asia. It’s the same for us. We came in knowing that if you want to get to Asia and you want to get to Southeast Asia, APAC, Singapore is the way to go. 

And everything that Singapore promises: the infrastructure, the way we are able to have businesses come in, et cetera. In terms of creativity, I think it also protects IP. For us, IP protection is a very big part of the business. And you’ve probably seen that Labubu is not just extremely popular, it’s gone viral. 

But what that also means is the rise of the fake Labubu globally. And to be honest, when you look at how fake Labubus have come up in different parts of the world, different countries have very different guidelines and regulations to protect IP. And I think that’s given the company a lot of thought in terms of, “Hey, where do I really want to develop the brand? Where can I really build the brand while protecting it at the same time?” I think that’s a very important consideration for us.

The Importance of IP Protection

Paulo: What have you learned about protecting IP and brands from your time not just here, but also at Lego?

Jeremy: What I’ve learned is that it’s an extremely difficult process.

Paulo: And any views on how technologies like programmable IP, blockchain, or even AI are trying to make life a little bit easier?

Jeremy: It’s interesting. We’re talking about… I went to NOVA today, and you’re talking about how we are able to do digital verification on locking. And the technology is available. But I suppose from where I stand, which is in very traditional FMCG, traditional retail, it’s a lot of brick-and-mortar stores and selling things. So I feel that there’s definitely some way to go. 

But I do see a potential that there’s something there that can help the business in that sense. But yeah, IP protection in different countries and different industries… I think there’s still a lot of challenge, to be honest. I think recently there was somebody caught in China, and I was trying to… for example, he earned millions from selling the fake Labubu. And obviously, what we’re trying to do is make sure that we are going after them at the source, at the factory. That’s probably the most effective way right now, but it’s an ongoing battle. 

For different brands, different industries, it’s an ongoing battle. And it’s a multi-front kind of battle. But the core of it, I think, is society’s desire to protect intellectual property. You must respect the artists, because if not, what’s the point? What’s in it for the artists, right? If whatever they do or create and pour their heart and soul into becomes something that’s easily taken and copied, that’s not being fair.

AI’s Role in Creativity and Storytelling

Paulo: What are your thoughts on AI’s impact on that? Especially with Pop Mart’s products also being very… Pop Mart started, Labubu started as a comic, I think. Or was it a drawing? A lot of characters in 2D before they became 3D products. What are your thoughts on AI being able to create these 2D generations?

Jeremy: Ooh, I love it. A bit too spicy for five. Look, I think AI has an amazing role in recreating images and giving access to a lot of things that we wouldn’t even have access to. But at the same time, I feel that there’s a fine line between that and really respecting artists to continue doing what they’re doing. 

I think it’s really important to make sure that we create that environment to further nourish and further protect and to also help future artists get there. And we know that it may be assisted by AI, but it’s not going to be replaced by AI. And I think that the environment that we set up today and that we help to nurture is really important just to make sure that we continue to give creativity a spark and a chance to survive and do well.

Paulo: And I think the whole factor of storytelling also plays a role in terms of, I guess, creating a genuine connection with the art and the artist that can’t be done with AI. Knowing that it was done by this person, that they have that background, is probably one of the safeguards, so to speak.

Jeremy: Yeah, that’s a really good point. Apart from the storytelling of the IP character, there’s also the storytelling of the person, the artist behind it. And you are right. So I think a lot of times, in fact, I will share something with you. A lot of times when they see the storytelling of the IP, that storytelling comes primarily, very much inspired by the personality of the creator. 

Oftentimes it’s like that. And I see when it comes… when you see the relationship between the artist and the created IP, it’s a deep relationship and it’s a beautiful story. And you can see how that further even comes to life. It’s wonderful.

Leadership Insights and Personal Experiences

Paulo: I was curious to know, since you manage two different regions, what are the learnings from Southeast Asia that you’ve been able to apply in other regions or that you’ve shared with other regional leaders?

Jeremy: I think the beautiful thing about Southeast Asia is we are not a huge region, right? But we’re super fragmented. We have different races, different languages, and different cultures. So I think the biggest part about Southeast Asia for me is the diversity of cultures and languages, and I think the appreciation of diversity and therefore the belief in inclusion. 

You’ll go to any Asian country, and the way you work with things is you are very willing to accept and you’re willing to be inclusive. And I think that mindset of just accepting and believing in inclusion in the way you approach things works in every culture. I think especially in the Middle East, where you go, “Oh, wow, what’s happening here?” 

But I think if you put on the lens of inclusion and you go, “Let me start by understanding what works on your side of the world, what’s happening in your picture,” and then I think about how my story, my products come into your world, I think that’s the best way to engage.

Paulo: Right. Knowing the market first.

Fun Segment: The Blind Box Questions

Paulo: On that note, I wanted to get into our blind box. I think since we’re doing an interview with Pop Mart, let’s do three questions this time. We have some time.

Jeremy: Okay, sure. Pick one first. What’s your style, actually? Open all at the same time or open one at a time? I got three. So pick three and open all three?

Paulo: Open one at a time.

Jeremy: Okay. Importance of storytelling for your leadership. Are these stories… are these stories really important? Are these stories the big rock of any culture? And I think when you lead a team, no matter how big or small, I think inspiration is really important. Because a lot of times, it’s not just numbers that drive people. It’s not dollars that drive the business. It’s often storytelling, it’s often your vision, it’s often what you build in terms of values in the business that drives people forward, that inspires people. 

So I think the ability for a leader to imbue storytelling into your communication style is extremely important because I believe so. Good storytelling leads to good influence. So I think that’s powerful. Awesome. Second one. Love that question, by the way.

Paulo: Perfect for our chat.

Jeremy: Next one. Okay. This is short. How do you de-stress? Ooh, how do I de-stress? Sports. Any one sport in particular. So I started joining Hyrox this year. It’s like a sports event where it’s a combination of elements from CrossFit as well as running. So they said that it’s a good combination of both endurance sports and strength-related sports. So I find that very thrilling. And I have a partner that I do it with. You run one kilometer, and then you are doing one station, then one kilometer, one station again. 

But do you know why sports is such a good de-stressor? And I always say this as a joke. It’s because when you are running and you’re so breathless and you’re fighting for your life as you are doing the exercises, you have no time to think about work. Your mind is fully focused in the moment because you have no choice. You’re trying to get the next step in and trying to get the next pushup in. So I think it’s a great way to just completely forget about work because you have no choice.

Paulo: Yeah, great advice. Last one.

Jeremy: Last time you failed as a leader. Oh, this is a big one. My last failure as a leader hit me quite hard. It was in a partner company. I won’t mention which company. I would say that it was an overseas experience, and it was my first time leading an overseas team. And I think it went south very quickly. At the end of the day, I actually left the job quite bitter and feeling like I was distrusted. And I felt that I lost a lot of confidence and credibility. 

But I think that failure reminded me that especially when you’re a foreigner in a country, you really have to listen. So I think it’s one thing to go in and say, “Hey, I think I can solve a lot of problems. I’m the leader and I’m expected to know all the solutions.” I think the hard truth about leadership is you are never alone in the journey and you’re not expected to have all the answers. So I think the humbling experience was to listen to your team, work together with the team, and be prepared to co-create solutions. So I think that was very humbling. But it was a great reminder that you truly don’t have all the answers and you don’t need to put the pressure on yourself to have all the answers.

Paulo: Hard thing to let go of sometimes, but it was important.

Jeremy: It was one of the lowest points, I feel. But hey, when you’re at the low points, the only way is up. And I think there’s just so much learning from there.