Top 5 job changes that caused buzz in HK marketing industry in 2022

Hong Kong’s marketing industry has gone through massive amounts of turbulence since the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020, especially when it comes to talent woes. This is further exacerbated by the fact that more than 10% of skilled workers have left the city, according to a survey conducted by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC) in March this year.

As talent crunch will most likely continue across various industries, nearly half (44%) of surveyed Hong Kong employers see an increased business need to retain older employees in the workforce and expect this to be a key focus over the next five years, according to Aon plc.

With marketing being a rather people-centric industry, there have also been people movements that caught our readers' attention. Here are the top five job changes in Hong Kong that had readers clicking.

1. Former L'Oreal HK CMO Larry Luk heads over to Esprit

Larry Luk made waves last year as he joined Esprit as chief digital and marketing officer. In his new position, Luk will be responsible for pushing forward Esprit ’s eCommerce expansion through customer experience strategies and deeper storytelling marketing campaigns.  Luk was previously with L'Oreal Hong Kong as CMO. 

“I am excited to join this distinguished team to enhance the Esprit experience and offerings. It is an honour to be part of this iconic brand and to play an active role in the international comeback. The power of digital in branding and marketing is truly limitless. I am excited to be taking the brand even further and accelerate our next phase of growth with a new brand experience,” said Luk.

2. Klook appoints Kenny Sham as HK GM

Former LEGO director and head of marketing for Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau Kenny Sham joined Klook as Hong Kong general manager in May last year.

In his new position, Sham is responsible for enhancing the brand's popularity in the Hong Kong market and reinforcing the company's business development. Boasting many years of industry experience across various sectors, Sham supports the company in establishing strategic partnerships with different enterprises and expanding the merchants' portfolio.

Klook said in a statement that Sham joined the company in April 2022 and has a passion for impactful marketing which can help translate into sales via virtual or physical retail channels.

3. SmarTone names Peony Wu head of marketing and digital

Telecommunications firm SmarTone made headlines when it appointed Peony Wu as head of marketing and digital in July last year. Wu is now responsible for marketing, digital and eCommerce, customer relationships development and business analytics.

Prior to joining SmarTone, Wu was at Accenture Song as managing director of growth market, focusing on business, marketing and experience transformation across the retail, travel, hospitality, finance and consumer services sectors.

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE previously, Wu said: "Customer-centricity has long been a core DNA of SmarTone. I am excited to be part of our dynamic team and bring in my experience in customer experience design, marketing, branding and customer engagement. SmarTone has always been committed to building network with heart. Through innovative digital and marketing initiatives, our goal is to take our brand and customer experience to new heights and bring the best network experience to our customers,” Wu added.

4. PHD HK names Antony Yiu as new chief executive officer

PHD Hong Kong bolstered its leadership strength by appointing Antony Yiu as its chief executive officer in September last year.

Tasked with transforming the agency, Yiu now leads PHD's vision, development, operations and talent growth in his new role. With over 20 years of in-depth experience in digital and performance media across the US and APAC, Yiu joined PHD Hong Kong from DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, where he was most recently senior vice president of digital acquisitions & martech.

Yiu said: "I am excited to join the PHD family and bring my experience to transform PHD into a next-generation agency. The mission is to lead PHD as an innovative, agile, and result-driven agency, uniting our talents at all levels to deliver thought leadership and award-winning work. My focus is on driving innovation and business transformation with our clients. Now is the time for PHD to be courageous, be different, and leave our mark in the agency-client ecosystem."

5. Hang Seng Bank names Jordan Cheung as new CMO

Hang Seng Bank has appointed Jordan Cheung as chief marketing officer effective 19 December 2022. He will also become a member of the bank’s executive committee.

Cheung will be reporting to Diana Cesar, executive director and chief executive of Hang Seng Bank. Within his new position, Cheung will oversee the bank's marketing function, brand strategy, product marketing, digital marketing and research.

Prior to joining the bank, he was vice president, CRM and performance marketing at yuu, Dairy Farm International.

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