McCann Worldgroup's China CEO Emily Chang steps down after 3 years

McCann Worldgroup's China CEO Emily Chang (pictured) is stepping down later this year due to her need to relocate overseas for personal family reasons. 

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Chang said she has been co-locating in another market for some time in order to be close to family. "During this time, I have been overseeing China operations from afar, in between visits to Shanghai. However, this is not sustainable in the long-term, so we have been mutually discussing a transition plan for quite a while. As I have worked in China for the last 13 years away from my family,I now feel it is time to stay closer to home," she added. 

When asked where she is headed next, she said her priority must be her family right now. "We only have this one precious life to live, and we have limited time with our parents. After 13 years abroad, it’s time to come home. Not only for me, but also so my daughter can build a meaningful relationship with her grandmother. Investing in family, loved ones, and quality time together - while no decision is easy, these decisions we will never regret," she said. 

While a successor is not named, Chang said she is so proud of these three years, leading McCann Worldgroup in China. "We have crafted a high-performing leadership team who have step-changed our product and partnership approach. This strong management team will take the reins. We are not anticipating any disruption to the business as this transition has been planned for some time. A successor will be announced in due course," she added.

Having joined McCann in 2020, Chang has been leading McCann China with over 400 creative people in three offices across McCann, MRM and CRAFT agencies. She has also been partnering with some of the global brands to create innovative stories and customer experiences to earn a meaningful role in consumers' lives.

Previously, Chang had been the CMO of Starbucks China for two years, according to her LinkedIn. During the time, she was responsible for marketing, sales, loyalty, customer engagement, and the digital ecosystem across 4,000 stores.

Most recently, McCann Erickson Malaysia's creative director Yow Kuan Wai has left the agency to join The Clan Malaysia. Yow will be reporting to Casey Loh, The Clan’s creative chief.  Yow has worked with brands such as Citibank, Cadbury, Nike, Honda, Nestlé, L’Oréal, Nissan, Oreo, Celcom, Nivea, and Cathay Pacific. According to his LinkedIn, Yow worked at McCann Erickson from 2016 before joining The Clan. He also worked at FCB KL from 2010 to 2016, before which he was a senior copywriter at Publicis Communications from 2004 to 2010.

Yow will be working closely with senior leadership, Casey Loh and Syed Nasir, as well as The Clan’s newly hired general manager, Sandra Heung, to make The Clan a destination for both industry talents as well as a credible institution for potential clients.

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