Michael Jaafar

Michael “Mike” Jaafar is an Art Director based in Singapore, with more than 10 years of experience across advertising, visual communication, design, UX, and brand storytelling. He currently leads Art Direction in APAC for T Brand International, The New York Times’ brand marketing team.

A graduate of the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Michael began his career with agencies in the Philippines and Singapore before moving to Hong Kong, where he co-founded a travel and lifestyle publication and later led UX design for AccorHotels Group, Asia Pacific.

As T Brand Art Director and a founding member of the APAC team, Michael has overseen integrated advertising campaigns across The New York Times’ print and digital platforms. His work spans design, storytelling, and brand marketing campaigns across Asia-Pacific, supporting clients with strategic creative solutions that align with both audience engagement and business goals.

Throughout his career, Michael has worked with luxury travel, place-branding, and technology brands including Raffles Hotels, Sofitel So, Okura-Nikko, Rosewood Hotels, Banyan Tree, the Department of Tourism Philippines, Singapore Airlines, Korean Air, TCVB, and Brand Hong Kong. With strong experience across regional campaigns, hospitality, travel, and branded storytelling, he brings valuable design judgment and APAC market insight to the jury panel.