Meet the China 50
To acknowledge today’s international talent and inspire others to recognize China’s marketing significance, its increasing complexity, and its unique set of media solutions, The Internationalist is honoring 50 marketing leaders in China who are setting new standards for their own sprawling market and for the world.
THE CHINA 50 Selection Process: The Internationalist and R3 used two sources to identify the China 50:
- R3 AgencyScope – Interviews with 300 of the top marketers in China, which also requested recommendations for China’s strongest marketer.
- R3 EnSpire – Consumer research that tracks Engagement among the leading 500 brands, marketing stars, and media assets in China.
Rex Wong – AB InBev - Rex has led marketing at AB InBev for over six years, helping establish the “King of Beers” positioning for Budweiser as well as create new relationships with best in class creative, media and digital agencies. Budweiser is now a true market leader in the segment in the China market.
Mandy Kao – Acer – Marketing Director. Mandy is the Marketing Director at Acer, one of Taiwan’s strongest global brands and has helped reposition the brand from a mass-market IT business to a more upmarket and aspirational company.
Simon Millar – adidas – Simon has been a part of the sporting goods industry for 21 years. When he became the Vice President for Sports Style for adidas Greater China, he is now responsible for the development of the strategy and the execution of adidas’ new brands in China.
Jens Meyer – adidas – A former athlete, Jens has been a part of different organizational levels across the adidas brands. Adidas has been in China for 21 years and has grown significantly to make it one of the German giant’s most important markets
YeeWee Koh – Apple – YeeWee was the head of marketing for Nokia in China, Japan & Korea, before leaving after 12 years. He now is the Senior Marketing Director at Apple. He has helped the brand become a true icon in China.
Bruno Gisquet, Head of Marketing, China – Audi – Bruno has worked with Seat, Volkswagen, and was previously the head of marketing for Audi for France before moving to China.
Anthony Lau – Bank of Communications - Anthony left his prior position as Head of Strategic Projects for the Asia Pacific Region at HSBC. He is now the Marketing Director for the bank’s credit card unit, known as Pacific Credit Card Centre..” He and his team drive business growth by being customer-centric.
Clyde Zhu – BMW – The German luxury car surpassed its 2012 goal of 150,000 units in the first 11 months and is on track for similar growth in 2013 . Clyde has helped produce the product strategy in China saying that “for a successful brand in China, localization and internationalization should go side by side.”
Van Lai – Carlsberg Brewery - Carlsberg brewery is trying to better Chinese beer brewing standards in order to provide better beer for more people. Van has been a marketing leader at the firm for over a decade.
Serene Gay – Citi – Serene has a great deal of experience with consumer banking across various Asia markets. Citi Bank has been operating in China since 1902 and became the first American bank to establish operations in China.
Jonathan Seliger – Coach – Jonathan is the president & CEO of Coach China. He joined Coach from Richemont Group, where he was the Managing Director of Alfred Dunhill in China for five years. Last year Coach was the third best-selling brand in the Chinese market; it is succeeding in China because of an accessible luxury strategy.
Robert Foye – Coca-Cola – Robert is the Chief Marketing, Customer and Commercial Officer. He has been with The Coca-Cola Company for over twenty years in various roles such as, Marketing, Finance, Commercial and General Management. He has been based in Houston, Hong Kong, London, Jakarta and presently Shanghai.
Stephen Lau– Colgate-Palmolive –Stephen started his career at Procter & Gamble as the Associate Director. He has since worked with Asia Pulp and Paper Co. Ltd, Wrigley China and Healthitude Investment Group in various management roles. He is currently the General Manager for Colgate Palmolive.
Frank Qu - Danone Dumex – Frank was previously in multiple roles at Unilever China before moving to the role of Vice President – Head of Marketing at Dumex China in the Danone Group. He is a business leader with a rich brand management experience.
Michael Lu – Dell –Michael has worked with Lenovo, Ogilvy & Mather, he now works with Dell. Dell is planning to expand into smaller cities and double its sales outlets in China.
Byron Chang – Diageo – Byron has had various roles at Diageo such as Senior Brand Manager, International Sales Manger and currently the Marketing Director in China. He has a passion in sales and marketing function in spirit and luxury category in Greater China / Asia markets.
Catherine Chen – FedEx - Catherine is currently the Managing Director of Marketing, and brings two decades of sales and marketing experience to one of Fedex’ fastest growing global markets.
Tony Zhang – Ferrero – Tony was previously at Danone in Shanghai and Guangzhou. He is a local who has brought experience and insight to drive Ferrero’s rapid growth and maintain its top position in the local market.
Jo Hsu – Fonterra – China is one of the “fastest growing appetites in the world, demand for top quality dairy nutrition in China is expected to double in the next 10 years.” Jo joins with a decade of experience in South East Asia and China.
Richard Choi – General Motors - General Motors – Richard has almost 30 years of experience in the automotive industry and has conducted business in over 50 countries. He is currently the General Director – Chevrolet. He specializes in being a “relationship builder and creative problem solver in strategic marketing and branding, integrated communications planning and sales network development.”
Jean Hsu – GlaxoSmithKline – Jean is the Marketing Manager for GSK, the global healthcare group that has undergone a transition in recent years from Joint Venture to independence. She manages a national team of more than 20.
May Zheng – Hershey – May is the Marketing Director at Hershey, helping the brand relaunch in China four years ago. She has previously worked for Kimberly-Clark, Cadbury and General Mills.
June Seah – Hilton – Jean is the Director of Regional Marketing, Greater China and Mongolia. Previously she was the Regional Senior Marketing Manager at Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
Wendy Liu – HP – Wendy has had 12+ years of Marketing and Communications experience in HP China, and has seen the IT giant expand into new market segments and businesses.
Jenny Luk – HSBC - Jenny is the Senior Vice President, Brand Development & Management & Digital Marketing , and brings more than fifteen years of experience on the Client and Agency side in Hong Kong and now in China.
Gill Zhou – IBM – Gill is the Vice President Marketing, Communications and Citizenship at IBM. Advertising Age said Gill “Is a model for working women in China.” Gill has been with IBM for about 11 years and has become a role model for Chinese women in Business. She has more than 760,000 followers on Weibo.
Camilla Hammar – Ikea – Camilla started her marketing career in Stockholm in the mid 1990s and moved to China in 2000. She relocated to Hong Kong and worked with high-end and luxury retail, she was Marketing Director at Shanghai Tang before moving to IKEA of Sweden in 2006 as a Commercial Manager. She went on to join the global team as the Global Catalogue Manager before taking the job as Marketing Director for IKEA Retail China in 2010. Her vision is to drive communication, branding and brand development through strategic marketing.
David Sun – Intel – David has been with Intel for sixteen years. He has had various positions such as Global Account Manager, Architecture Manager, Corporate Programs Manger, Business Marketing Director. He is currently the Director of Marketing Services.
June Bu - Johnson & Johnson – June has been with Johnson & Johnson for over twenty years and is currently the Executive Director for Elsker Mother and Baby Care since January 2013. Her role is to promote excellence within the mother and baby care segment catering to the evolving needs of Chinese mothers and babies. She has been involved in several key product launches in China, including Johnson’s Baby, Oral Care, and Women’s Health. During her time with Johnson & Johnson, June has played an integral part in developing a category penetration of over 95% in the last two decades.
Helanya Minsk – Marketing Director, Johnson & Johnson – Helanya joins JNJ in China from a global role with the FMCG and Pharma giant. Prior to this, she has more than two decades of experience at Unilever and other blue chip firms.
Gary Xie – Kimberly-Clark – Gary moved to Kimberly Clark from Danone Biscuit China where he’d been a senior brand manager for three years. In 2009, he began work as the Marketing Director for the Family Care Sector, reporting directly to the China President. In June 2012, he assumed responsibility for the Baby and Child Care Sector. Gary Xie is responsible for managing the category brand marketing team and the professional marketing team.
Haiyan Wang – Kraft – Haiyan began her career for China Resources. She moved to Kellogg’s to become an Assistant Brand Manager. She worked for Nabisco as a Senior Associate Brand Manger before joining Mondelez in 1998 as Category Director. Currently she is the Chief Marketing Officer for Mondelez, China where she manages the marketing for all food lines.
Zhao Hong – Lenovo –Zhao graduated from Tsinghua University. He has been working for Lenovo couple of years, he recently was promoted from TD Terminal Group Leader to General Manager of Mobile Products Department.
Belinda Bao, L’Oreal Paris Brand General Manager – L’Oreal– Belinda is the General Manager at L’Oreal Paris. She is trying to move L’Oreal Paris into a more diversified and young dynamic brand. They are trying to also expand into men care products. She is trying to focus on the pursuit of individuality and beauty in China’s new generation of young people.
Angie Ma– L’Oreal Paris Marketing Director – Angie has recently been appointed Marketing Director at L’Oreal ,recently declared Chinas largest advertisers in 2012,. She continues to be at the forefront of fashion and understanding women’s needs.
Clarence Mak, General Manager–Mars/Wrigley – Clarence recently has been appointed by Mars as General Manager, China from his current position as Head of Marketing at Wrigley China. With the merger , Clarence relocated from Guangzhou to Beijing to take on the new role
Christine Xu – McDonald’s – Christine has worked with a diverse number of major international companies, such as Unliever, Pepsi, Kodak, Philips and HSBC. She has a strong leadership position and enabled McDonald’s to be embraced by Chinese consumers. Christine is the first Mainland Chinese to hold the position of CMO for McDonald’s in China and was recently recognized as one of Advertising Age’s “Women to Watch in China.”
Helen Du –Microsoft – Helen is the Marketing Director at Microsoft, with a broad remit across all of the Business Units. She previously worked at OgilvyOne and Hirons & Company.
Mark Edwards –Moet Hennessy Diageo (China) – Mark is the Marketing Director at Moet Hennessy Diageo. He works to give the brands the value of craft, heritage, and modernity, and wants to promote their status as a modern luxury brand.
Paolo Mercado –Nestle– Paolo worked in advertising for more than twelve years in the Philippines and Paris. He then served as Global Communication Manager for Nestle’s Dairy Strategic Business Unit in the Head Office in Switzerland. He is currently the Head of Marketing & Consumer Communications for Nestle in the Greater China Region.
Simon Pestridge–Nike – Simon brings twenty years of global experience and has been with Nike for seven years. He is currently the Marketing Director at Nike Greater China.
Richard Lee – Pepsi – Richard is the former Vice President of Marketing fro Pepsi, China and recently was re-hired as the CMO. He is trying to make Pepsi into an Iconic Youthful Spirited Brand.
Pierre Berard – Pernod Ricard – Pierre has worked in various positions for Pernod Ricard. He started as the assistant brand manager and worked his way up to being the Marketing Director.
Seb Zhang –Pfizer – Seb is the Brand Director at Pfizer Consumer Healthcare , and has helped them expand substantially across the region, Managing a strong portfolio, Seb has built a highly action orientated team and agency relationships.
Lawrence He– Philips – Lawrence was originally the Marketing Supervisor for Central China Region for Shanghai Pepsi-Cola in 1996. He then joined Danone in 1999 as Brand Manager. Originally he joined Philips in 2001 but took a brief one-year period with Electronic Arts in 2007 as Product Marketing Director. In 2008 he re-joined Philips and is the Vice President and Area Marketing Officer for Greater China.
Jorge Meszaros- Procter & Gamble - Jorge has been with Procter & Gamble for a year. He is said to have “technical mastery in media and knowledge of the media marketplace and trends.” He has also had key P&G marketing roles in other regions, including Latin America.
Ben Wilson – Reckitt Benckiser – Ben is the Marketing Director at Reckitt Benckiser. He comes from a senior role at FMCG giant Johnson & Johnson. Ben has led some of the most innovative campaigns in China for Durex, Veet and other leading brands.
Mabel McCormick Wong–Remy Martin – Mabel is Remy Martin China’s marketing director, bring extensive experience in building and leading the Hennessy brand , and helping start the China office of global innovations agency “What If”. At Remy, the business has grown three times in the last five years .
Andrew Herne –Rolex – Andrew is the Marketing Director at Rolex and has helped build outstanding sponsorships, associations and integrated marketing campaigns to make the brand a true luxury leader in China
Eric Kun Yan – Samsung – Eric is the Chief Marketing Officer, Vice President, Samsung China Headquarters, the fastest growing company in China in 2012, with over three times revenue growth. Prior to Samsung , he has extensive experience at P&G , JNJ and other leading firms
Sophie Zhang – SC Johnson – Sophie is the Marketing Director at SC Johnson, one of the world’s leading household consumer goods firms. She has helped build a marketing team of 20+ professionals, driving leading brands in China.
Marie-Han Silloway –Starbucks – Marie is an international consumer branding executive. She has held senior level marketing and general management roles with the Coca-Cola Company. She joined Siemens Mobile China, and Korn/Ferry International she served as Managing Director and Senior Client Partner. She is currently at Starbucks China as the head of Marketing and Category where she oversees the marketing, branding, digital, food and beverage products, new innovation, and field marketing.
Rane Xue – Tag Heuer – Rane is the Brand Director –Tag Heuer at LVMH Watch & Jewelry. She brings unique experience from the FMCG sector, and has helped make the brand a true luxury leader in China.
Clair Mah – Tiffany – Clair is currently the Director, Marketing & Public Relations, Asia Pacific at Tiffany & Co. She has over a decade at the US luxury goods leader, moving to Asia in 2010.
Joanna Hutchins, North Asia Skincare Director – Unilever – Joanna has had 19 years of experience in innovation, brand development, brand strategy and advertising communications. She is passionate about beauty and skin care and blending Western and Asian insights to create inspirational innovations. She has been with Unilever for over a decade and has worked in various positions.
Kevin Chen - Uni-President– Chen Chia-Heng joined Uni-President China Holdings Limited in June 2003, he was the head of instant noodle products and the head of Combined Drink Products Business of the Group. He has over 26 years of experience in the food and beverage industry. He is currently a director of Shenyang President Enterprises Co., Ltd., Beijing Food President Food Co., Ltd., Kunshan President Enterprises Food Co., Ltd., Hefei President Enterprises Co., Ltd., Guangzhou President Enterprises Corp., Fuzhou President Enterprises Co., Ltd, Wuhan President Enterprises Food Co., Ltd and Chengdu President Enterprises Food Co., Ltd.. Mr. Chen holds a master’s degree in business administration from National Cheng Kung University.
Vivian Pan – VISA – Vivian started her marketing career at Unilever for about 7 years where she ultimately became the Marketing Controller of Oral Care. In 2002 she joined the Citibank as retail banking marketing head and in 2007 she became the Citigroup Corporate Marketing Director. In 2010, she took the position of Greater China Marketing Director for Visa.
Melissa Bell – Volkswagen – Melissa has won the Young Direct Marketer of the Year award in Australia and recently Campaign Asia and Ad Age recognized her as a “Woman to Watch.” She was able to fulfill her role as Marketing Director for Volkswagen where she managed fifteen different product lines for over two years. She develops local creative briefs in which correspond to Chinese consumer requirements
Li Dan, General Manager, Marketing Head, Corporate marketing and Brand Management - Yili – Li Dan leads a strong marketing team for Yili , one of the most progressive local marketers in China. Recent campaigns for new premium products in the portfolio have shown the flexibility of the brand
Vincent Huang, Vice President, KFC Marketing– Yum! – Vincent has been the Vice President of KFC Marketing for three years. Prior to this , he has extensive experience in the FMCG and retail sectors