Burger King Malaysia CEO Ng Lee Tieng takes on dual role as SG chief

Burger King Singapore's CEO Goh Chin Hou (pictured left) is leaving the company on 22 July and will be succeeded by Ng Lee Tieng (pictured right), current CEO of Burger King Malaysia. Ng now oversees both the Malaysia and Singapore markets. In Singapore, Ng will continue to accelerate local store expansion and drive the brand's digital transformation from multichannel to omnichannel in the near future. According to Burger King, the investment will enable it to consistently deliver personalised experiences for shoppers across all its channels and devices. 

Goh has helmed the role since 2016 while Ng is also a shareholder and executive director of 99 Speedmart, the owner of Burger King's franchise in Singapore and Malaysia. According to the company, Ng is known to have driven the turnaround of Burger King Malaysia, tripling its store count under her tenure.

Meanwhile, Burger King said Goh has always sought to ensure that the brand has meaning locally, spearheading marketing campaigns including "Taste of Singapore", which is also the brand's annual opportunity to showcase limited-edition burgers inspired by Singapore. Goh's foresight to digitalise its Singapore's operations also resulted in all restaurants being 100% digitally-enabled, the company said, including a full integration across all delivery partners.

At the same time, he also encouraged the company to build up and futureproof its eCommerce arm. Doing so has resulted in the company's competitive advantage being elevated within Singapore, Burger King said. In just five years, Goh was said to have doubled its store count and also drove the brand's revitalisation locally through the remodelling of restaurant designs. The outlets were made brighter and more welcoming and in the case of flagship stores such as Bedok Heart Beat and Jewel Changi Airport, Goh ensured they were more in tune with their locality. For example, Bedok Heart Beat's floor mimics a running track to promote a national healthy lifestyle, while the counters at Jewel reflect airport check-in counters at Changi Airport.

"I appreciate Goh's significant contributions to the Singapore business, and I wish him continued success in his future. He has laid a strong foundation supported by a strong team which will make for a smooth handover," Ng said. She added that with the solid foundation already laid, it will continue to invest in its people as it believes that is the key to grow the Burger King business exponentially and sustainably while it pursues future opportunities.

Meanwhile, Burger King Malaysia said earlier this year that it is investing RM30 million to open 25 new outlets by year-end, adding on to the 120 restaurants it currently oversees. This plan came shortly after Burger King rebranded in January to feature a minimalist logo that was inspired by the retro one used from 1969 to 1999. The blue curve used since 1999 is also now gone. In April, Fernando Machado, global CMO of Restaurants Brands International, which manages Burger King, Popeyes and Tim Hortons, left the company to join Activision Blizzard as CMO. He also previously led marketing for Burger King Corporation for close to six years, his LinkedIn said.

Related articles:
Burger King CMO speaks out about IWD post: 'The intention is actually good'
KFC grills Burger King over IWD fiasco on social media
Burger King slammed for IWD post stating women belong in the kitchen
Burger King MY invests RM30m to open 25 outlets, shifts focus to digital
Burger King serves up retro-inspired identity in first brand refresh after 2 decades