Inside Asian Gaming catches up with Ilma Afzal, Senior Marketing Lead, ANZ & Asia at Light & Wonder, to learn about her well-travelled background and how this has led to her finding her feet in the heart of the Asian gaming industry.
Ben Blaschke (BB): Thanks for speaking with IAG, Ilma. Can you tell us a bit about your background and your memories of growing up?
Ilma Afzal (IA): Growing up across 16 different countries including Singapore, London and Dubai, “home” was a moving target, as my dad worked in Finance and was always moving the family, based on opportunities. Constantly transitioning between cultures and cities taught me more than just resilience; it developed a radical adaptability as I needed to immerse myself in different schools and cities at a rapid pace. It taught me a unique ability to bridge cultural gaps and build immediate rapport. Which is why I see markets and people as more than data points – I see them through the lens of a life spent learning how to find common ground with anyone, anywhere.
BB: What were your main interests when you were young. Did you have any dreams of what you wanted to do for a career?
IA: I’ve always been curious and fascinated by the idea of being a disruptor. Originally, I envisioned that path in science or medicine, fueled by a deep-seeded urge to heal and innovate; however, during my early years, I discovered a different way to impact the world: the power of storytelling. This led me to explore mass communication and led me straight to the heart of the startup world, where I fell in love with the “blank canvas” stage of business – first, establishing my own marketing company helping social and influencer brands grow. For me, marketing isn’t just about a promotion: it’s about the scientific process of building, testing and scaling a vision from scratch to create a lasting industry footprint.
BB: How did you first get into marketing and what was it about this career field that interested you?
IA: After spending several years helping social and influencer brands grow, I then delved into a full-fledged startup career starting at UTU Global where I was one of a few founding team members. UTU was a place where I was given the autonomy to push boundaries from day one. Working with lean budgets across nuanced landscapes of Europe through the lens of Chinese, Korean and Japanese customers, I learned that successful marketing – whether local or cross-border – isn’t just about spend. It’s about agility to test, experiment and optimize in real-time. This “boots on the ground” experience allowed me to dive into the heart of the action, mastering the art of scaling digital consumer products across diverse international borders through pure grit, in-person activations that excited our customers and data-led experimentation that helped us improve and scale.
BB: Can you tell us about some of your earlier marketing roles?
IA: Following my start-up foundations, my career evolved through pivotal leadership roles, including serving as a Senior Strategy Lead for a social media start-up, as well as Head of Strategy for an experiential, data-driven marketing agency, where I led a team of strategists across different markets. My approach has always been anchored in a deep obsession with consumer behavior; I believe that impactful research is a true North Star for any campaign. This philosophy has allowed me to craft high-impact strategies, both global and localized, for some of the world’s most influential brands, including Netflix, Google, TikTok and Riot Games. Whether I was working with a legacy ice cream brand like Magnum or a Web3 pioneer like Yuga Labs, my focus always remained the same: translating complex human insights into immersive, world-class brand experiences.
BB: What are some of the key marketing lessons you learned early on that have helped shape your career?
IA: My career has been built on two non-negotiable pillars. The first is a commitment to holistic problem-solving: our marketing team shouldn’t just market a product; our goal is to solve a problem for the end-consumer while simultaneously creating value for our partners. It’s about building an ecosystem where everyone wins. The second pillar is a rigorous data-driven research process. Marketing should believe in exploring the entire end-to-end customer journey to amplify each touchpoint, from discovery to conversion. By staying on the pulse of trends and emerging localized consumer behaviors, we’ve developed a repeatable framework that takes successful real-world examples and scales them into high-impact, strategic wins.
BB: You joined Light & Wonder in April 2025. How did that come about?
IA: The casino gaming industry wasn’t on my initial radar, however the opportunity at Light & Wonder arose through a chance conversation with a headhunter and I was immediately intrigued. I saw it as the ultimate challenge: the chance to help positively disrupt a well-established industry from an entirely fresh perspective. The people culture won me over and the support from my Light & Wonder marketing peers allowed me to import successful frameworks from previous high-growth verticals – such as tech and experiential marketing – to build a “test, learn and scale” culture. By applying these outsider insights to our region, paired with close collaboration with our global marketing counterparts, we’ve been able to challenge the status quo and help drive innovation through experimentation.
BB: What were your early impressions of the industry? Was it what you expected?
IA: My early impression of the gaming industry was one of deep respect for its legacy; it’s an incredibly established space built by people with decades of expertise across several different business units. Light & Wonder itself has introduced me to its vibrant landscape of products and therefore my goal has always been to honor the core brand principles and legacy, while simultaneously forging new paths to market our latest innovations. In Asia and ANZ, we’re focused on elevating traditional models to create something truly fun, engaging and forward-thinking for our current and Next Gen customers.
BB: What has been the biggest challenge in moving into the gaming industry, and what do you enjoy most about it?
IA: Coming from outside the gaming world, I came in with a pure “clean slate” perspective where I needed to deep dive into research vigorously. I remember prior to the interview process, I spent several hours at Marina Bay Sands and Resort World Sentosa in Singapore, analyzing the floors with a marketer’s curiosity. I quickly became captivated by the intersection of complex math and consumer touchpoints, identifying white spaces where fresh marketing could thrive. The spirit of disruption and Light & Wonder’s brand value of “Dare to be Bold” is what I enjoy the most, and this has really helped me feel so much at home, where we operate with a “Win as a Team” mentality and a shared mission to constantly innovate.
BB: Can you tell us about your approach to marketing, particularly as it relates to this very unique gaming industry?
IA: This year, our marketing philosophy is built on a bespoke 360 channel strategy. Operating across diverse jurisdictions and markets across Asia and ANZ, our goal is simple: we prioritize deep understanding of localized market-specific nuances and regulations and then infuse each tangible consumer touchpoint with creativity through our product launches. By championing localization and dual-language marketing, we ensure our narrative is culturally resonant. At Light & Wonder, we’re committed to an end-to-end approach that removes friction and meets our customers exactly where they are, transforming each interaction into a meaningful brand experience.
By injecting consumer-first frameworks and data-driven decision-making, we’re starting to see impactful results all across Asia with marketing launch campaigns.
BB: What does a typical day in the working life of Ilma Afzal look like?
IA: I’m extremely grateful to have recently been given an opportunity to lead ANZ Marketing, alongside Asia. Since this recent remit, my days begin with a focus on high-velocity collaboration across both markets. My mornings are dedicated to aligning with key global marketing partners, as well as ANZ and Asia sales leaders, to drive 360-degree product innovation through launches, meaningful customer events and localized media. In our industry, the ultimate litmus test is game performance on the floor and therefore by establishing key success metrics, we together craft bespoke campaigns for our partners to fuel game adoption and commercial opportunities across the region.
BB: Who would you say has been the most influential person in your life?
IA: The most influential person in my professional journey was my very first business mentor, Asad Jumabhoy, Co-founder of UTU. Asad is a rare leader – globally well-versed, yet deeply empowering and empathetic. He provided me with an extraordinary opportunity at a young age to become a Founding Member for his company, to help build, scale and lead marketing for several digital UTU products. Although he could have hired anyone with an MBA and several years of professional experience, Asad took a chance by embracing my business case for “next gen” social and brand marketing tactics to target our top five Asian consumers. His belief in my potential has always taught me that true leadership isn’t just about strategy; it’s about identifying and nurturing talent with the same level of boldness he showed me.
BB: Your job requires a fair amount of travel around the world. Do you have a favorite destination, be it for work or pleasure?
IA: With a travel schedule that sees me on the ground every one to two weeks, I’ve developed a deep affinity for the regions I oversee. Macau remains a favorite destination; its vibrant landscape and formidable work ethic of its people have been instrumental in how I approach partnership and strategy. Beyond the boardroom, I find a different kind of inspiration in the Philippines – from the energy of Metro Manila to the natural beauty of Palawan and Boracay. Navigating these diverse, high-growth markets isn’t just a professional requirement; it’s a personal passion. I’m energized by the challenge of driving revenue across such distinct cultures while building lasting, authentic team and partner connections.
BB: What do you like to do outside of work to relax?
IA: When I’m not on the casino floor, on a plane, or at a marketing game launch you can find me at Evolve MMA Gym in Singapore, where I’ve been practicing Muay Thai for over six years. The sport has introduced me to the most down-to-earth folks and inspirational trainers from all over Thailand. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the folks in the community, and it really allows me to find great meaning in learning this spiritual art form that transcends cultures.
