2021

Asia's Top CMOs

A formal, independent and original InfluenceAsia ranking of the marketing leaders who most visibly shaped Asian consumer, enterprise, cultural, platform and brand demand in 2021.

Edited and researched by InfluenceAsia Editorial Desk. Annual InfluenceAsia Marketing Leadership Index.

InfluenceAsia 100 Asia's Top CMOs 2021 placeholder banner

100Leaders ranked

99Top index score

7Assessment dimensions

8Market groupings

Ranking Introduction

The CMO Became A Builder Of Recovery

InfluenceAsia 100: Asia's Top CMOs 2021 identifies the senior marketing leaders whose work defined an exceptional year for Asian markets. The 2021 marketing environment was shaped by pandemic recovery, uneven reopening, accelerated e-commerce, streaming expansion, platform-led culture, financial digitisation, creator economies, consumer caution, brand responsibility and renewed scrutiny of trust. In that context, marketing leadership was no longer confined to communications excellence. It required operating authority across data, digital product experience, commercial growth, cultural sensitivity, purpose, customer reassurance and measurable business resilience.

This list is an InfluenceAsia original ranking. It has been constructed to recognise leaders who, in 2021, exercised substantial influence over the way brands earned relevance, demand and institutional trust across Asian and Asia-facing markets. The selection includes corporate CMOs, regional marketing heads, chief brand officers, chief digital and marketing officers, chief customer and experience leaders, growth marketing executives and founder-brand stewards whose responsibilities were functionally equivalent to a CMO mandate.

This is not a wealth list, not a social traffic list and not an advertising award. It is an independent InfluenceAsia research and editorial ranking focused on marketing authority, brand consequence, customer demand and Asia-relevant market influence.

The decisive CMO of 2021 was a builder of recovery, not merely a custodian of advertising. The strongest leaders combined brand discipline with commercial immediacy, using marketing to reframe digital adoption, stabilise trust, strengthen category leadership and carry Asian consumer culture into new channels. InfluenceAsia therefore gives priority to executives whose work connected brand authority with demonstrable market consequence.

Editorial thesis

Role equivalence

For the 2021 edition, InfluenceAsia treats a leader as CMO-equivalent when that individual held material responsibility for one or more of the following functions: enterprise brand stewardship, regional or global marketing strategy, customer experience, digital engagement, growth and acquisition, creator or platform marketing, brand communications, marketing technology, consumer insight, category demand creation, cultural partnerships or commercial brand transformation. This rule is essential because many Asian enterprises use market-specific titles even when the executive's mandate is substantively equivalent to that of a chief marketing officer.

Selection lens

InfluenceAsia intentionally ranked a combination of classic CMOs and CMO-equivalent leaders. The 2021 market made this necessary: in many high-growth Asian businesses, the executive most responsible for brand influence may carry a title such as chief digital and marketing officer, head of marketing, chief customer officer, regional marketing director, chief commercial officer, executive vice president of marketing, creative president or founder-brand steward. InfluenceAsia therefore evaluated marketing authority by function, consequence and market influence rather than by title alone.

Representative Leaders

Eight Leaders That Define The 2021 Thesis

Raja Rajamannar

Payments and Fintech

Mandate: Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Mastercard
Market: Global, India-origin, Asia-facing payments
Index: 99

Rajamannar set the benchmark for modern marketing leadership by fusing brand, data, sensory identity, inclusion and commercial trust across one of Asia's most important digital payments categories.

Chris Tung

E-commerce and Marketplaces

Mandate: Chief Marketing Officer, Alibaba Group
Market: China and global commerce
Index: 98.8

Tung remained one of Asia's most consequential commerce marketers, steering ecosystem-level brand relevance across retail media, livestream commerce, merchant enablement and large-scale consumer festivals.

Asmita Dubey

Beauty and Personal Care

Mandate: Chief Digital and Marketing Officer, L'Oreal
Market: Global, Asia-rooted beauty and digital commerce
Index: 98.6

Dubey's 2021 leadership represented the ascendance of beauty-tech marketing, combining content, consumer data, platform commerce and Asia-informed digital acceleration at global scale.

Siew Ting Foo

Technology and Enterprise Platforms

Mandate: Chief Marketing Officer, Greater Asia, HP
Market: Greater Asia
Index: 98.4

Foo earned high placement for reframing personal technology around home-based work, learning and creativity while strengthening digital experience across a rapidly changing device market.

Kainaz Gazder

FMCG, Food and Beverages

Mandate: Senior Vice President and CMO, P&G Asia Pacific, India, Middle East and Africa
Market: Singapore and regional FMCG
Index: 98.2

Gazder combined portfolio discipline, purpose-led brand craft and regional scale, giving one of the world's largest consumer-goods systems a distinctly Asia-relevant marketing edge.

Stuart A. Spencer

Banking and Insurance

Mandate: Group Chief Marketing Officer, AIA
Market: Hong Kong and pan-Asia insurance
Index: 98

Spencer elevated insurance marketing through health, wellness, digital engagement and brand reassurance, demonstrating how a legacy financial institution could act with contemporary customer empathy.

Suresh Balaji

Banking and Insurance

Mandate: Chief Marketing Officer, Asia-Pacific, HSBC
Market: Hong Kong and regional banking
Index: 97.8

Balaji advanced a regional marketing transformation that strengthened brand architecture, marketing science, agile working and customer relevance across multiple Asian banking markets.

Shelly Chiang

Beauty and Personal Care

Mandate: Chief Digital and Marketing Officer, SAPMENA, L'Oreal
Market: Singapore, South Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa
Index: 97.6

Chiang embodied 2021's digital beauty mandate, translating a complex multi-market region into a growth laboratory for young, connected and mobile-first consumers.

Full List

The Full List

100 leaders shown

No matching leaders found.

Rank	Leader	Platform	Market Base	Primary Sector	Index	Signal
1	Raja RajamannarPayments and Fintech	Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Mastercard	Global, India-origin, Asia-facing payments	Payments and Fintech	99	Rajamannar set the benchmark for modern marketing leadership by fusing brand, data, sensory identity, inclusion and commercial trust across one of Asia's most important digital payments categories.
2	Chris TungE-commerce and Marketplaces	Chief Marketing Officer, Alibaba Group	China and global commerce	E-commerce and Marketplaces	98.8	Tung remained one of Asia's most consequential commerce marketers, steering ecosystem-level brand relevance across retail media, livestream commerce, merchant enablement and large-scale consumer festivals.
3	Asmita DubeyBeauty and Personal Care	Chief Digital and Marketing Officer, L'Oreal	Global, Asia-rooted beauty and digital commerce	Beauty and Personal Care	98.6	Dubey's 2021 leadership represented the ascendance of beauty-tech marketing, combining content, consumer data, platform commerce and Asia-informed digital acceleration at global scale.
4	Siew Ting FooTechnology and Enterprise Platforms	Chief Marketing Officer, Greater Asia, HP	Greater Asia	Technology and Enterprise Platforms	98.4	Foo earned high placement for reframing personal technology around home-based work, learning and creativity while strengthening digital experience across a rapidly changing device market.
5	Kainaz GazderFMCG, Food and Beverages	Senior Vice President and CMO, P&G Asia Pacific, India, Middle East and Africa	Singapore and regional FMCG	FMCG, Food and Beverages	98.2	Gazder combined portfolio discipline, purpose-led brand craft and regional scale, giving one of the world's largest consumer-goods systems a distinctly Asia-relevant marketing edge.
6	Stuart A. SpencerBanking and Insurance	Group Chief Marketing Officer, AIA	Hong Kong and pan-Asia insurance	Banking and Insurance	98	Spencer elevated insurance marketing through health, wellness, digital engagement and brand reassurance, demonstrating how a legacy financial institution could act with contemporary customer empathy.
7	Suresh BalajiBanking and Insurance	Chief Marketing Officer, Asia-Pacific, HSBC	Hong Kong and regional banking	Banking and Insurance	97.8	Balaji advanced a regional marketing transformation that strengthened brand architecture, marketing science, agile working and customer relevance across multiple Asian banking markets.
8	Shelly ChiangBeauty and Personal Care	Chief Digital and Marketing Officer, SAPMENA, L'Oreal	Singapore, South Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa	Beauty and Personal Care	97.6	Chiang embodied 2021's digital beauty mandate, translating a complex multi-market region into a growth laboratory for young, connected and mobile-first consumers.
9	Lilly YipFMCG, Food and Beverages	APAC CMO and Chief Sustainability Officer, PepsiCo	China and Asia-Pacific FMCG	FMCG, Food and Beverages	97.4	Yip connected youth culture, entertainment, sustainability and digital experience, giving an established beverage and snacks portfolio renewed relevance in China's fast-moving consumer landscape.
10	Danielle JinPayments and Fintech	Senior Vice President, Head of Marketing, Asia Pacific, Visa	China and Asia-Pacific payments	Payments and Fintech	97.2	Jin's leadership stood out for data-led localisation, trusted digital payment adoption and the ability to connect a global payments brand to distinct Asian market conditions.
11	Mary ZhouE-commerce and Marketplaces	Chief Marketing Officer, Lazada	Southeast Asia e-commerce	E-commerce and Marketplaces	97	Zhou strengthened marketplace relevance through livestreaming, seller enablement, shopping-event architecture and a more participatory e-commerce experience for Southeast Asian consumers.
12	Sapna ChadhaTechnology and Enterprise Platforms	Senior Country Marketing Director, India and Southeast Asia, Google	India and Southeast Asia	Technology and Enterprise Platforms	96.8	Chadha's work made platform marketing more socially consequential, using search, video, education and small-business narratives to serve markets under acute pandemic pressure.
13	Rupen DesaiFMCG, Food and Beverages	Global Chief Marketing Officer, Dole Sunshine	Singapore and global food	FMCG, Food and Beverages	96.6	Desai gave food marketing an explicitly purpose-driven operating model, linking nutrition, access, sustainability and inclusive storytelling from an Asia-based global mandate.
14	Pratik ThakarFMCG, Food and Beverages	Global Head of Creative Strategy and Integrated Content, Coca-Cola	Singapore and global beverages	FMCG, Food and Beverages	96.4	Thakar's 2021 influence lay in global creative stewardship shaped by deep Asian agency and brand experience, with strong emphasis on integrated content and cultural adaptability.
15	Jessica BeatonEntertainment, Media and Platforms	Director, APAC Media and Marketing, Direct-to-Consumer, Disney	Singapore and Asia-Pacific streaming	Entertainment, Media and Platforms	96.2	Beaton helped accelerate streaming adoption through disciplined launch marketing, platform performance and franchise storytelling adapted to diverse Asian audience behaviours.
16	Thomas ChenQSR and Restaurants	Chief Marketing Officer, Yum China	China restaurant platforms	QSR and Restaurants	96	Chen stood at the intersection of QSR, mobile ordering, loyalty, youth culture and food-service digitisation, making restaurant marketing in China more technology-led and experience-rich.
17	Dhiren AminFMCG, Food and Beverages	Chief Marketing Officer, Asia, Kraft Heinz	China and Asia FMCG	FMCG, Food and Beverages	95.8	Amin's contribution was notable for category growth in competitive food segments and for using purpose, culture and product relevance to modernise a mature packaged-food portfolio.
18	Lisa RonsonRetail and Customer Experience	Chief Marketing Officer, Coles Group	Australia and Asia-Pacific retail adjacency	Retail and Customer Experience	95.6	Ronson helped turn a traditional supermarket brand into a more digitally responsive, caring and customer-centred retail institution during a high-pressure consumer year.
19	Sweta MehraBanking and Insurance	Chief Marketing Officer, ANZ	Australia and Asia-Pacific banking adjacency	Banking and Insurance	95.4	Mehra advanced a financial-wellbeing brand agenda while integrating data, digital sales and customer life-stage thinking into a major banking marketing system.
20	Andrew HicksRetail and Customer Experience	Chief Marketing Officer, Woolworths Group	Australia and Asia-Pacific retail adjacency	Retail and Customer Experience	95.2	Hicks combined everyday retail trust, loyalty mechanics, purpose-led community work and grocery category leadership at a time when household reliability carried unusual brand weight.
21	Bo SunTravel, Aviation and Experiences	Chief Marketing Officer, Trip.com Group	China and global travel	Travel, Aviation and Experiences	95	Sun's marketing response to restricted travel transformed a transaction platform into a content, inspiration and livestream-enabled travel ecosystem.
22	Lie LiuTechnology and Enterprise Platforms	President of Global Marketing, OPPO	China and global smart devices	Technology and Enterprise Platforms	94.8	Liu strengthened OPPO's premium technology narrative through product-led storytelling, global launch discipline and a brand vocabulary built around design, imaging and human-centric innovation.
23	Naho KonoE-commerce and Marketplaces	Marketing and Executive Leadership, Rakuten	Japan commerce and telecom ecosystem	E-commerce and Marketplaces	94.6	Kono's influence came from connecting commerce, loyalty, mobile services and ecosystem marketing as Rakuten extended its customer proposition beyond retail.
24	Lijun SunTechnology and Enterprise Platforms	Global Vice President, Greater China and APAC Chief Marketing Officer, SAP	China and enterprise technology	Technology and Enterprise Platforms	94.4	Sun gave enterprise technology marketing a high-authority local voice through digital-transformation narratives, senior-client engagement and capability-building in China.
25	Eugene LeeQSR and Restaurants	Regional Director of Marketing, Asia, McDonald's	Asia QSR	QSR and Restaurants	94.2	Lee's rise reflected the power of hyper-localised QSR marketing, youth relevance and disciplined adaptation of global brand platforms to Asian cultural moments.
26	Jasper DistelMarketing Leadership	SVP, Group Head of International Marketing, Gojek	Singapore, Indonesia and Southeast Asia	Marketing Leadership	94	Distel helped extend a super-app brand across regional markets, translating mobility, delivery and payments into a coherent growth story during a pivotal consolidation year.
27	Kevin MintaragaE-commerce and Marketplaces	SVP, Ads Solution and Marketing, Tokopedia	Indonesia e-commerce	E-commerce and Marketplaces	93.8	Mintaraga advanced Tokopedia's merchant, advertising and consumer growth proposition, positioning marketplace marketing as a driver of Indonesian entrepreneurship.
28	Barbie DapulTelecom and Connectivity	Vice President of Marketing, Broadband, Globe Telecom	Philippines telecom	Telecom and Connectivity	93.6	Dapul made broadband marketing both practical and aspirational, linking home connectivity, app adoption and customer self-service to the realities of pandemic-era Filipino households.
29	Axton SalimFMCG, Food and Beverages	Chief Marketing Officer and Director, Indofood	Indonesia FMCG	FMCG, Food and Beverages	93.4	Salim blended product instinct, youth culture, social attention and mass-market fluency to keep one of Asia's iconic food portfolios culturally alive.
30	YoeGin ChangBeauty and Personal Care	Senior Brand Director, Global, SK-II	Singapore and global beauty	Beauty and Personal Care	93.2	Chang stood out for premium beauty storytelling that treated purpose, animation, athlete narratives and Asian beauty expectations as a sophisticated brand system.
31	Hikaru AdachiRetail and Customer Experience	Senior Marketing Leader, FamilyMart	Japan convenience retail	Retail and Customer Experience	93	Adachi brought a turnaround marketer's precision to convenience retail, applying customer insight, product visibility and brand modernisation to a high-frequency Japanese category.
32	Hung VoMarketing Leadership	Chief Marketing Officer, Biti's	Vietnam footwear	Marketing Leadership	92.8	Vo revitalised a homegrown footwear brand through cultural relevance, youth identity and resilient local-brand storytelling in a market crowded by global labels.
33	Abdul Sani Abdul MuradBanking and Insurance	Group Chief Marketing Officer, RHB Banking Group	Malaysia banking	Banking and Insurance	92.6	Abdul Sani used emotionally intelligent financial marketing to deepen bank trust, strengthen national relevance and humanise a competitive consumer-banking category.
34	David PorterEntertainment, Media and Platforms	Senior Marketing and Media Leader, Unilever Asia-Pacific	Asia-Pacific FMCG	Entertainment, Media and Platforms	92.4	Porter held exceptional regional influence by shaping media responsibility, advertiser capability and brand growth discipline across fast-growing consumer markets.
35	Jun MasudaMarketing Leadership	Senior Marketing and Business Leader, Line Corp	Japan and Asian messaging platforms	Marketing Leadership	92.2	Masuda's influence came from helping a messaging platform expand into services, payments, content and ecosystem marketing as platform utility became central to daily life.
36	Ravi SanthanamBanking and Insurance	Chief Marketing Officer and Group Head, HDFC Bank	India banking	Banking and Insurance	92	Santhanam advanced a data-rich banking marketing model in which analytics, customer experience, digital origination and brand trust operated as one integrated growth system.
37	Deepika WarrierFMCG, Food and Beverages	Chief Marketing Officer, Diageo India	India premium beverages	FMCG, Food and Beverages	91.8	Warrier shaped premiumisation and responsible celebration narratives while bringing deep consumer discipline to a complex beverage portfolio under unusual social constraints.
38	Karthi Kumar MarshanBanking and Insurance	Co-President and Chief Marketing Officer, Kotak Mahindra Bank	India banking	Banking and Insurance	91.6	Marshan remained a defining voice in Indian financial-services marketing, combining category trust, wit, customer insight and long-term institutional brand building.
39	Deepali NaairTechnology and Enterprise Platforms	Director, Marketing and Chief Marketing Officer, IBM India and South Asia	India and South Asia enterprise technology	Technology and Enterprise Platforms	91.4	Naair's 2021 relevance lay in making enterprise technology more accessible, client-centred and culturally fluent during a year of accelerated business digitisation.
40	Sukhleen AnejaFMCG, Food and Beverages	Senior Consumer and Purpose Marketing Leader, Reckitt South Asia	India and South Asia FMCG	FMCG, Food and Beverages	91.2	Aneja's leadership connected health, hygiene, social purpose and brand growth, giving essential categories stronger cultural legitimacy during the pandemic.
41	Atit MehtaMarketing Leadership	Head of Marketing, BYJU'S	India edtech	Marketing Leadership	91	Mehta helped build one of Asia's most visible edtech brands through mass media, digital acquisition, sports association and parent-student trust narratives.
42	Sunil SureshTravel, Aviation and Experiences	Group Chief Marketing Officer, MakeMyTrip	India travel technology	Travel, Aviation and Experiences	90.8	Suresh guided travel marketing through uncertainty by balancing recovery signals, digital engagement, brand memory and renewed consumer confidence in online travel.
43	Kashyap VadapalliE-commerce and Marketplaces	Chief Marketing Officer and Business Head, Pepperfry	India furniture e-commerce	E-commerce and Marketplaces	90.6	Vadapalli's work gave online furniture a stronger mainstream language, combining celebrity visibility, category education and digital conversion for Indian homes.
44	Anil ViswanathanFMCG, Food and Beverages	Senior Marketing Director, Mondelez India	India snacking	FMCG, Food and Beverages	90.4	Viswanathan strengthened snacking marketing through portfolio stewardship, local-first creativity, digital practice and the cultural salience of festive consumption.
45	Gaurav MehtaGaming and Mobile Platforms	Chief Marketing Officer, Zupee	India gaming and mobile platforms	Gaming and Mobile Platforms	90.2	Mehta brought performance discipline, mobile-marketing experience and brand fundamentals to a fast-growing skill-gaming category seeking mainstream legitimacy.
46	Kunal DubeyTravel, Aviation and Experiences	Chief Marketing Officer, Cleartrip	India travel technology	Travel, Aviation and Experiences	90	Dubey represented the next generation of Indian travel-tech marketing, focused on sharper digital demand, brand rebuilding and consumer consideration in a reopening category.
47	Amit DoshiTechnology and Enterprise Platforms	Chief Marketing Officer, Lenovo India	India personal technology	Technology and Enterprise Platforms	89.8	Doshi's 2021 influence rested on device-category credibility, hybrid-work relevance and the ability to make technology marketing speak to both productivity and aspiration.
48	Manasi NarasimhanPayments and Fintech	Vice President and Head, Marketing and Communications, South Asia, Mastercard	South Asia payments	Payments and Fintech	89.6	Narasimhan translated payments innovation into public trust, small-business confidence and consumer adoption within one of Asia's most dynamic digital-money markets.
49	Sujatha V. KumarPayments and Fintech	Head of Marketing, India and South Asia, Visa	India and South Asia payments	Payments and Fintech	89.4	Kumar strengthened card, digital-payment and ecosystem marketing with a disciplined focus on credibility, consumer education and partner-led adoption.
50	Julie NestorBanking and Insurance	Chief Marketing and Experience Design Officer, Asia, Manulife	Asia insurance and financial services	Banking and Insurance	89.2	Nestor's 2021 mandate connected marketing, experience design, wellness platforms and customer insight, reflecting the broadening remit of the modern financial-services CMO.
51	Nick TranEntertainment, Media and Platforms	Global Head of Marketing, TikTok	Asia-origin global social platform	Entertainment, Media and Platforms	89	Tran shaped creator-led cultural marketing at extraordinary speed, helping short-form video become a mainstream language for brands and consumers across Asian markets.
52	Bozoma Saint JohnEntertainment, Media and Platforms	Chief Marketing Officer, Netflix	Global streaming with Asian audience impact	Entertainment, Media and Platforms	88.8	Saint John gave streaming marketing a heightened cultural vocabulary, reinforcing the importance of fandom, identity and entertainment conversation in Asia's content economy.
53	Greg JoswiakTechnology and Enterprise Platforms	Senior Vice President, Worldwide Marketing, Apple	Global technology with Asia-scale demand	Technology and Enterprise Platforms	88.6	Joswiak's product-marketing discipline continued to influence Asian consumer technology through coherent launches, ecosystem clarity and premium device storytelling.
54	Lorraine TwohillTechnology and Enterprise Platforms	Chief Marketing Officer, Google	Global platforms and Asia usage	Technology and Enterprise Platforms	88.4	Twohill's work gave global platform marketing a trust, usefulness and accessibility frame that remained highly relevant across search, video, maps and Android ecosystems in Asia.
55	Alex SchultzEntertainment, Media and Platforms	Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President, Analytics, Meta	Global social platforms and Asian creators	Entertainment, Media and Platforms	88.2	Schultz represented the increasingly quantitative CMO, linking brand stewardship, analytics and social-platform growth in markets where creators and small businesses depended heavily on digital reach.
56	Stephanie ChoiTechnology and Enterprise Platforms	Head of Marketing, Mobile Communications, Samsung Electronics	South Korea and global devices	Technology and Enterprise Platforms	88	Choi helped sustain Galaxy's global relevance through foldable innovation, creator-led product storytelling and premium mobile ecosystem marketing.
57	Don McGuireTechnology and Enterprise Platforms	Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Qualcomm	Global technology with Asia device ecosystem	Technology and Enterprise Platforms	87.8	McGuire's marketing influence extended through 5G, mobile computing and partner ecosystems central to Asia's smartphone, device and connectivity industries.
58	Emily KetchenTechnology and Enterprise Platforms	Chief Marketing Officer, Lenovo Intelligent Devices Group	China-origin global technology	Technology and Enterprise Platforms	87.6	Ketchen strengthened Lenovo's device-marketing narrative around hybrid life, productivity and customer-led innovation in a year when PCs regained strategic importance.
59	Simon KahnTechnology and Enterprise Platforms	Chief Marketing Officer, Asia Pacific, Google	Asia-Pacific technology platforms	Technology and Enterprise Platforms	87.4	Kahn's regional leadership translated Google's global products into market-specific utility, business education and platform relevance across Asia.
60	Shubhranshu SinghMobility and Automotive	Chief Marketing Officer, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles	India mobility	Mobility and Automotive	87.2	Singh brought brand sophistication to mobility and commercial vehicles, connecting functional purchase decisions with national productivity, reliability and business confidence.
61	Sameer SatpathyFMCG, Food and Beverages	Chief Executive, Personal Care, ITC	India FMCG	FMCG, Food and Beverages	87	Satpathy's CMO-equivalent leadership mattered because personal-care marketing in 2021 required health reassurance, portfolio trust and disciplined execution across mass India.
62	Ruchira JaitlyFMCG, Food and Beverages	Executive Vice President, Marketing, Diageo India	India premium beverages	FMCG, Food and Beverages	86.8	Jaitly added depth to one of India's most prominent beverage-marketing systems through category premiumisation, cultural fluency and portfolio-level consumer insight.
63	Prasun KumarReal Estate and Home	Chief Marketing Officer, Magicbricks	India digital real estate	Real Estate and Home	86.6	Kumar's work positioned real-estate search as a digital trust category, emphasising discovery, information confidence and consumer intent in a volatile property market.
64	Karan KumarReal Estate and Home	Chief Marketing Officer, DLF	India real estate and lifestyle	Real Estate and Home	86.4	Kumar applied brand rigour to real estate, blending placemaking, luxury positioning, customer confidence and institutional credibility in a high-value category.
65	Saurabh VarmaEntertainment, Media and Platforms	Chief Marketing Officer, Jio Studios	India entertainment	Entertainment, Media and Platforms	86.2	Varma represented the convergence of film, streaming, telco ecosystems and audience development, bringing marketing structure to a fast-evolving entertainment pipeline.
66	Binda DeyEntertainment, Media and Platforms	Head of Marketing, Red Chillies Entertainment	India entertainment	Entertainment, Media and Platforms	86	Dey contributed to the professionalisation of entertainment marketing through release strategy, fan engagement and cross-format brand visibility.
67	Neil TrinidadPayments and Fintech	Chief Marketing Officer, GCash	Philippines fintech	Payments and Fintech	85.8	Trinidad helped make mobile-wallet marketing a public-utility conversation, connecting financial inclusion, everyday payments and digital habit formation in the Philippines.
68	Francis FloresQSR and Restaurants	Global Chief Marketing Officer, Jollibee Foods	Philippines and global QSR	QSR and Restaurants	85.6	Flores carried a beloved Filipino food brand into a broader global marketing arena while preserving emotional familiarity and mass-market warmth.
69	Kristine TangFMCG, Food and Beverages	Country Marketing Leader, P&G Philippines	Philippines FMCG	FMCG, Food and Beverages	85.4	Tang's 2021 work reflected strong category stewardship in household and personal-care brands where trust, relevance and utility were central consumer needs.
70	Paolo MercadoFMCG, Food and Beverages	Senior Marketing and Communications Leader, Nestle Philippines	Philippines FMCG	FMCG, Food and Beverages	85.2	Mercado's influence came from building consumer trust, brand citizenship and portfolio communications for one of the Philippines' most deeply embedded food businesses.
71	Yin May LauTravel, Aviation and Experiences	Group Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer, Malaysia Airlines	Malaysia aviation	Travel, Aviation and Experiences	85	Lau's mandate linked aviation marketing with confidence restoration, customer experience and national carrier reputation during a difficult travel recovery cycle.
72	Pan HuiyanE-commerce and Marketplaces	Regional Marketing Lead, Shopee	Southeast Asia e-commerce	E-commerce and Marketplaces	84.8	Pan strengthened the high-frequency shopping, entertainment and seller participation model that made marketplace marketing one of Southeast Asia's defining consumer forces.
73	Agatha YapTravel, Aviation and Experiences	Vice President, Marketing, Scoot	Singapore and Asian aviation	Travel, Aviation and Experiences	84.6	Yap's aviation marketing work focused on digital engagement, value-led travel desire and brand readiness while passenger demand remained fragile.
74	Hazlina DayangkuTravel, Aviation and Experiences	Regional Head, Marketing and Brand Strategy, Samsonite	Singapore and Asia travel goods	Travel, Aviation and Experiences	84.4	Hazlina sustained a travel-goods brand through suppressed travel demand by emphasising durability, lifestyle utility and long-term category memory.
75	Angelina VillanuevaQSR and Restaurants	Marketing Director, KFC Asia	Asia QSR	QSR and Restaurants	84.2	Villanueva contributed to regional QSR relevance through menu localisation, youth activation and the disciplined adaptation of a global food icon to Asian markets.
76	Shiyan JayaweeraFMCG, Food and Beverages	Head of Marketing, Lion Brewery	Sri Lanka beverages	FMCG, Food and Beverages	84	Jayaweera's work reflected high-context local marketing, balancing heritage, social occasions and category resilience in a challenging consumer environment.
77	Harikumar RajasekharanBanking and Insurance	APAC Head of Digital Communications and Social Media, Deutsche Bank	Asia-Pacific financial communications	Banking and Insurance	83.8	Rajasekharan advanced digital communications in a highly regulated financial environment, showing how social, reputation and executive engagement could work with precision.
78	Akira MitsumasuTravel, Aviation and Experiences	Vice President, Global Marketing, Japan Airlines	Japan aviation	Travel, Aviation and Experiences	83.6	Mitsumasu gave airline marketing a thoughtful blend of service trust, national hospitality and global brand presence during an era of constrained mobility.
79	Jenny MelhuishBanking and Insurance	Group Head, Brand, Advertising and Media, Westpac	Australia and Asia-Pacific banking adjacency	Banking and Insurance	83.4	Melhuish's 2021 brand work stood out for humanising banking around life moments and customer reassurance while maintaining disciplined media and brand stewardship.
80	Brent SmartBanking and Insurance	Chief Marketing Officer, IAG	Australia and Asia-Pacific insurance adjacency	Banking and Insurance	83.2	Smart brought creative effectiveness to insurance, demonstrating how distinctive brand platforms could build meaning in a category often dominated by rational comparison.
81	Susan CoghillTravel, Aviation and Experiences	Chief Marketing Officer, Tourism Australia	Australia and Asia-facing tourism	Travel, Aviation and Experiences	83	Coghill's tourism marketing mandate carried Asia-facing significance because destination recovery depended on sustained brand memory, emotional salience and market-specific readiness.
82	Moadh BukhashBanking and Insurance	Chief Marketing Officer, Emirates NBD	United Arab Emirates banking	Banking and Insurance	82.8	Bukhash strengthened banking marketing in West Asia through digital trust, institutional confidence and a contemporary brand voice for an increasingly mobile-first customer base.
83	Boutros BoutrosTravel, Aviation and Experiences	Divisional SVP, Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand, Emirates	United Arab Emirates and global aviation	Travel, Aviation and Experiences	82.6	Boutros remained a defining aviation brand steward, maintaining global salience for a carrier whose hub model was central to Asian and intercontinental travel confidence.
84	Tarek AbdallaTechnology and Enterprise Platforms	Regional Marketing Director, Google Middle East and North Africa	West Asia and North Africa digital platforms	Technology and Enterprise Platforms	82.4	Abdalla's work connected platform education, small-business enablement and digital culture in markets where online tools became essential infrastructure.
85	Asad AyazEntertainment, Media and Platforms	President of Marketing, Walt Disney Studios	Global entertainment, Pakistan-origin leadership	Entertainment, Media and Platforms	82.2	Ayaz represented franchise marketing at its highest level, with 2021 releases requiring a sophisticated balance of theatrical recovery, streaming adjacency and fan communities.
86	Ahmet OlmusturTravel, Aviation and Experiences	Chief Marketing Officer, Turkish Airlines	Turkiye and Asia-Europe aviation	Travel, Aviation and Experiences	82	Olmustur sustained a globally recognised airline brand across constrained travel conditions, using hub connectivity and national hospitality as strategic brand assets.
87	Sarah WanTravel, Aviation and Experiences	Regional Marketing and Commercial Leader, Klook	Hong Kong and Asia travel experiences	Travel, Aviation and Experiences	81.8	Wan helped keep experiences marketing alive through domestic demand, local discovery and digital inspiration while cross-border tourism remained disrupted.
88	Edward BellTravel, Aviation and Experiences	General Manager, Brand, Insights and Marketing Communications, Cathay Pacific	Hong Kong aviation	Travel, Aviation and Experiences	81.6	Bell's 2021 relevance came from stewarding a premium airline brand through pressure, preserving customer affinity and preparing communications for eventual recovery.
89	Colin CurrieTravel, Aviation and Experiences	Chief Commercial and Marketing Leader, AirAsia	Malaysia and ASEAN travel	Travel, Aviation and Experiences	81.4	Currie represented the merger of commercial and marketing authority in travel, where recovery depended on pricing, digital demand, loyalty and consumer reassurance working together.
90	Aashim MalhotraFMCG, Food and Beverages	Vice President and Managing Director, APAC, Dole Packaged Foods	Asia-Pacific food	FMCG, Food and Beverages	81.2	Malhotra's CMO-equivalent leadership linked packaged-food growth with portfolio innovation, healthier consumer choices and regional market execution.
91	Thomas SchemeraMobility and Automotive	Global Chief Marketing Officer and Customer Experience Leader, Hyundai Motor Company	South Korea and global mobility	Mobility and Automotive	81	Schemera's influence came from connecting mobility branding, customer experience, electrification narratives and global design-led aspiration.
92	Wonhong ChoMobility and Automotive	Executive Vice President, Customer Experience Division, Hyundai Motor Company	South Korea and global mobility	Mobility and Automotive	80.8	Cho strengthened the customer-experience architecture behind Hyundai's brand transformation, aligning product innovation with service, digital touchpoints and premium perception.
93	Masahiko UotaniBeauty and Personal Care	President and Chief Executive Officer, Shiseido	Japan and global beauty	Beauty and Personal Care	80.6	Uotani's marketing-led executive leadership continued to shape Japanese beauty through brand portfolio clarity, prestige positioning and disciplined globalisation.
94	John C. JayRetail and Customer Experience	President of Global Creative, Fast Retailing	Japan and global retail	Retail and Customer Experience	80.4	Jay's creative stewardship gave fashion retail a distinctive cultural and design voice, showing how brand systems can scale without losing editorial intelligence.
95	Huda KattanBeauty and Personal Care	Founder and CMO-equivalent Brand Steward, Huda Beauty	United Arab Emirates and global beauty	Beauty and Personal Care	80.2	Kattan remained one of West Asia's most influential consumer-brand builders, using founder authority, content fluency and community intimacy as a full-funnel marketing engine.
96	Falguni NayarBeauty and Personal Care	Founder and Executive Chairperson, Nykaa	India beauty commerce	Beauty and Personal Care	80	Nayar's 2021 brand influence was exceptional: Nykaa converted beauty content, trust, commerce and aspiration into one of India's most powerful consumer platforms.
97	Roshni DasTechnology and Enterprise Platforms	Marketing Director, India and South Asia, Intel	India and South Asia technology	Technology and Enterprise Platforms	79.8	Das shaped technology marketing around creators, students, productivity and enterprise transformation, strengthening semiconductor relevance beyond technical audiences.
98	Sumit VirmaniTechnology and Enterprise Platforms	Chief Marketing Officer, Infosys	India and global enterprise technology	Technology and Enterprise Platforms	79.6	Virmani elevated an Indian technology-services brand through purpose, digital transformation narratives and enterprise reputation building at global scale.
99	Mayur GuptaEntertainment, Media and Platforms	Chief Marketing Officer, Gannett	Global media, India-origin marketing technology leadership	Entertainment, Media and Platforms	79.4	Gupta represented the data-driven, product-minded CMO, using marketing technology, subscription thinking and customer centricity to redefine media-brand growth.
100	Vineet MehraRetail and Customer Experience	Global Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance	Global health retail, India-origin leadership	Retail and Customer Experience	79.2	Mehra closed the 2021 list as a senior example of customer-led marketing, integrating health retail, loyalty, experience and brand trust during a year of heightened public-health attention.

Methodology

How InfluenceAsia Built The Ranking

Candidate Universe Formation

InfluenceAsia constructed a longlist of senior marketing leaders active in or materially connected to Asian markets during the 2021 calendar year. The universe included consumer goods, technology, e-commerce, fintech, banking, insurance, travel, aviation, entertainment, beauty, retail, QSR, mobility, telecom, enterprise technology, real estate, gaming and digital platforms.

Eligibility Screening

Candidates were required to demonstrate at least one of the following conditions in 2021: a formal CMO or marketing-head title; a regional or global marketing mandate materially affecting Asian markets; operational control over brand, digital, growth, customer experience or communications; or founder-level public stewardship of a major consumer brand where the founder acted as the effective marketing authority.

Evidence Review

InfluenceAsia reviewed 2021-relevant executive appointments, mandate descriptions, campaign activity, market context, consumer relevance, digital and commerce initiatives, brand transformation signals, regional scope and category significance. Where a title varied by market, InfluenceAsia assessed whether the individual's functional authority was equivalent to a CMO responsibility.

Scoring and Calibration

Candidates were scored against the seven weighted dimensions stated above. Scores were then calibrated by sector to avoid over-rewarding the largest advertising categories and to ensure fair representation across technology, finance, FMCG, retail, travel, entertainment, platform and emerging-market sectors.

Editorial Review

The final ordering was determined by InfluenceAsia's editorial research judgement. The list prioritises 2021 influence, not lifetime fame, social popularity, advertising spend alone, corporate size alone or seniority alone.

Publication Standard

All profiles are written from a 2021 publication standpoint. Ranking drivers are confined to the 2021 assessment period and to mandates already in force during that period.

Assessment Dimension	Weight	2021 Interpretation
Marketing Contribution in 2021	24	The leader's visible contribution to brand growth, demand creation, consumer confidence or market recovery during the 2021 assessment year.
Brand and Cultural Authority	17	The extent to which the leader shaped public meaning, cultural conversation, category memory or institutional reputation.
Commercial Growth Impact	16	Evidence of marketing influence on revenue resilience, acquisition, adoption, traffic, loyalty, conversion or market expansion.
Digital, Data and Commerce Maturity	14	The sophistication of digital experience, data-led marketing, e-commerce, platform engagement, social commerce or performance infrastructure.
Asia and Cross-Market Relevance	11	Scale and relevance across Asian, Asia-Pacific or Asia-facing markets, including regional complexity and localisation demands.
Creative and Experience Leadership	10	Strength of creative platform, customer journey, content system, service experience or campaign architecture.
Stewardship and Enduring Influence	8	Leadership integrity, capability building, inclusive practice, sustainability, talent development and long-term brand value.

Copyright, Data Notes and Editorial Disclaimer

Copyright Notice

Rights and Reuse

InfluenceAsia 100: Asia's Top CMOs 2021, including the ranking order, editorial thesis, assessment language, methodology, selection notes, leader profiles, scoring architecture and explanatory text, is an original InfluenceAsia research and editorial compilation. No part of this publication may be reproduced, republished, resold, redistributed, altered, scraped, translated, transmitted, stored in a retrieval system or incorporated into any commercial database, ranking product, media package, marketing deck, training corpus or derivative publication without the prior written permission of InfluenceAsia Research.

Identification Use

All company names, executive names, brand names and marks referenced in this publication are used solely for identification and editorial analysis. They remain the property of their respective owners. Their inclusion does not imply sponsorship, endorsement, certification, partnership, employment verification or approval of this InfluenceAsia publication.

Research Disclaimer

This publication is an independent editorial research dataset prepared by InfluenceAsia Research for informational, historical and analytical purposes. It is not an official award certificate, not an employment record, not a securities recommendation, not investment advice, not legal advice, not a commercial endorsement and not a statement of affiliation with any listed executive or organisation.

Data and Role Notes

InfluenceAsia applies rigorous editorial judgement and good-faith verification standards; however, marketing roles, executive titles and corporate responsibilities may vary by jurisdiction, announcement date, internal reporting structure and public description. Readers should treat the ranking as an original InfluenceAsia assessment of 2021 marketing influence, not as a definitive legal or corporate registry.

Liability and Advisory Limits

InfluenceAsia accepts no liability for losses, disputes, reputational claims, commercial decisions or damages arising from reliance on this publication. Any use of the list in publicity, investment materials, recruitment materials, award submissions or commercial presentations must preserve the full title, year, methodology context, copyright notice and disclaimer.