Why the marketer behind Milo’s plushies has stayed at Nestle for 11 years – and never felt stuck

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When the Milo plushies hit supermarket shelves in Singapore, they sold out fast.

Inspired by local treats – pandan waffles, tutu kueh – and bundled with Milo promotion packs, the collectibles struck a chord and went viral, with people rushing to supermarkets to get their hands on the cute randomised stuffed toys.

Behind the campaign was Ms Joy Lee, 37, senior brand manager for Milo at Nestle Singapore. But the plushies did not come from a creative brief handed down from above. They came from somewhere more personal.

“The inspiration came from the personal stories of our team members. We worked together to create something we all love,” she says.

The collectibles are just one example. From hyperlocal Milo plushies to the uniquely Singapore Milo Van sachets launch, her team has been given room to take calculated risks shaped by what resonates with local audiences.

“When you’re in charge of a brand like Milo, there’s a responsibility to keep it relevant for Singaporeans without being so rooted in nostalgia that you cannot move forward. That balance is both the challenge and the fun.”

It is the kind of creative autonomy that might surprise people at one of the world’s largest nutrition, health and wellness companies. But for Ms Lee, it is consistent with what Nestle has always offered – and a big part of why she is still here, 11 years after her first day.

A first day like no other

That first day did not begin at a desk. Ms Lee was told to show up at the airport with her luggage.

“When my boss said we had to fly to Malaysia on my first day, that sounded crazy to me,” recalls Ms Lee, who joined in 2016. “I didn’t even know if I would recognise her at the airport.”

The trip was for a meeting with colleagues in Malaysia to discuss plans the company had for the year ahead. Rather than being asked to sit in and observe, Ms Lee was brought straight into a cross-market discussion from the outset.

That first day set the tone for what her career at Nestle would look like. In her second year, she flew to Dubai for her first regional meeting – an early glimpse into the scale and interconnected nature of the multinational business.

“It gave me the exposure of working with the many international parts of Nestle,” she says.

What began as a marketing role in the breakfast cereals department evolved, by her own choice, into her current position – a move that felt, she says, like joining an entirely different company without having to leave.

“Growth in Nestle is never only linear,” she explains. “With multiple businesses, functions and countries, ever-evolving market dynamics and agile leadership, growth becomes a natural outcome with every transition.”

Brewing potential

Founded in 1866, Nestle is today the world’s leading nutrition, health and wellness company. It has operations in more than 75 countries, including Singapore, where it established its first research and development centre in Asia.

This global footprint is underpinned by a culture of trust, inclusion and collaboration – qualities that have earned it a spot among Singapore’s best employers in 2026, a list compiled by global research firm Statista in collaboration with The Straits Times.

That emphasis on people is reflected in how employees are developed. Madam Sheffa Mashuri, human resources director at Nestle Singapore, shares that staff development is “continuous, structured and personalised”, rather than a one-off exercise.

This approach is supported by a range of structured programmes. For instance, young talents can take part in a management trainee programme that includes 18-month rotations across various departments, while more experienced employees may opt for short, targeted programmes such as a mini “Master of business administration”.

Such programmes equip employees not just with new tools, but new ways of thinking about consumers, data and creativity to stay ahead in a fast-evolving marketing landscape.

Employees also have access to a global learning ecosystem through the company’s Grow online platform, which combines modules on demand, curated learning paths and facilitated programmes across different job functions and seniority levels. But some of the most important learning, Ms Lee notes, happens simply by doing.

“The people here are helpful and willing to walk alongside you. They don’t leave you out to struggle. If you have any questions, you can just ask and somebody will be there to assist you.”

She has seen it first-hand – colleagues who struggled early on but later found their footing with support from management. The safety net, she says, is real.

It also shapes how teams respond when things do not go as planned. “The question is never ‘who is at fault’,” observes Ms Lee. “But ‘what did we learn, and how do we move forward?’”

This approach, she says, gives teams the confidence to try – and occasionally fail – without fear.

Beyond the workplace

Professional growth is only part of the picture. Nestle also recognises that its people have lives outside work – and that supporting those lives makes for better, more committed employees.

At a time when many companies are recalling staff to the office full-time, Nestle continues to practise flexible work arrangements. Ms Lee works from home two days a week – she says this gives her more breathing room in a fast-paced industry and allows her to spend more time with her family.

This flexibility is complemented by initiatives such as Eat With Your Family Day, where employees are allowed to leave work an hour earlier to enjoy a meal with their loved ones.

Nestle is equally attentive to its employees’ mental wellness, adds Madam Sheffa. An anonymous, 24-hour professional helpline is extended to employees and even their family members, and staff can choose to undergo training as mental health first-aiders to support their colleagues.

For Ms Lee, these are not perks to be itemised – they are part of why the decision to stay has never felt like a difficult one.

She has not had to use the helpline. “I haven’t had a difficult time at Nestle yet,” she says, breaking into a laugh.