AS Watson taps Clarice Au to lead Retail Hong Kong

AS Watson Group has appointed Clarice Au (pictured) as the CEO of Retail Hong Kong, AS Watson. Reporting to Malina Ngai, Group CEO of AS Watson, Au's new role is effective from 1 March 2025.

In her new role, she will be responsible for overseeing the management of AS Watson's four diverse retail businesses in Hong Kong, namely Watsons, PARKnSHOP, Fortress and Watson’s Wine.

Au joined AS Watson Group in 1998 and was appointed as the general manager of operations and business development of FORTRESS in 2013. She was subsequently promoted to general manager in 2014 and became the managing director in 2018. 

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Most recently, she was named the managing director of AS Watson's loyalty programme MoneyBack (易賞錢), while continuing to hold the position of managing director at FORTRESS.

During the time she was responsible for leading MoneyBack, driving innovation, and bringing new rewards to members across Hong Kong.

"With over 20 years of extensive management experience at AS Watson, Au has consistently demonstrated remarkable leadership. She has been instrumental in driving digital transformation and advancing the growth of both the Fortress retail chain and the MoneyBack multi-brand loyalty programme. I am excited to have her expertise guiding our retail businesses in Hong Kong into the future," said Ngai.

Au expressed her excitement for this new role, “I am deeply honoured to take on the role of CEO of Retail Hong Kong at AS Watson. Since joining the company in 1998, I’ve had the privilege of working across diverse business areas, from airport retail to leading the Fortress team and, more recently, overseeing the MoneyBack loyalty programme. These experiences have shaped my passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences and fostering innovation.”

“Looking ahead, my priority will be to build on our strong business foundation while harnessing the talents of our combined teams, as well as close collaboration with our business partners to elevate the customer experience across our network of over 500 O+O stores. As Hong Kong's retail landscape evolves rapidly, it is essential for us to remain agile and continuously embrace transformation to seize new opportunities and stay ahead," Au added.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to AS Watson for more information. 

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