Music, Film and Gaming Leaders Talk Navigating Difficult Industries at the 2024 Asia Society Summit: ‘It’s Really Important to Find the Passion’

As part of the Asia Society Summit, Variety‘s Senior Artisans Editor Jazz Tangcay sat down with the president of distribution at Universal Pictures Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, global co-president and CMO of TaP Music Wendy Ong and COO of 100 Thieves Julie Van for the AWE Champions Panel to discuss how the trio navigates their respective industries during one of the most turbulent times in entertainment.

Whether working in gaming, movies or music, the erratic nature of the entertainment business can sometimes wear thin, even for a high-powered executive like Ong. To keep her head high during trying times, she leans on the deep passion for music that motivated her to join the industry in the first place.

“You have to be smart and strategic, but also it’s really important to find the passion. I think it’s easy to starve yourself if you’re just living off passion, but it is a key component of your diet,” Ong said. “Even today, I get upset and frustrated when my comments and ideas aren’t listened to. Sometimes, I’ve just had to let go and really pick my battles.”

For Vandenberg, one of the many facets of being president of distribution at Universal is ensuring everyone feels valued and heard, avoiding the conflicts mentioned by Ong. To keep anyone from feeling left out, she finds “common connections” between herself and her co-workers to make her team feel like a cohesive unit.

“I always try to understand and listen to everybody speaking with me,” said Vandenberg. “Whether that’s my team, my colleagues, my leaders, the clients, the exhibitors that we negotiate with, by trying to find that common ground, I understand what motivates them. That can help me find that path to bringing us together.”