AS Watson promotes Malina Ngai to Group CEO

AS Watson has announced the promotion of Malina Ngai to Group CEO, effective from May 1, 2024.

The company said that Malina Ngai currently holds the position of group chief operating officer, AS Watson, and chief executive officer, AS Watson (Asia & Europe).

Commenting on Ngai’s promotion, Dominic Lai, group co-managing director of CK Hutchison and group managing director of AS Watson said in a statement: “After a very fulfilling 17 years of leading the AS Watson Group, I think it is the appropriate time to pass on the baton. Malina has been crucial in successfully driving AS Watson’s digital transformation, implementing the O+O (Offline plus Online) business model, and fostering positive cultural change in the past decade.”

“Malina will be fully in charge of defining our vision, leading the team to formulate strategies to meet our strategic objectives of putting customers first and continuing the growth journey of our global portfolio,” added Lai.

Ngai joined CK Hutchison (formerly Hutchison Whampoa), the parent company of AS Watson, in 2000. She started with Hutchison Port Holdings, and then at Hutchison Whampoa corporate affairs department. She was transferred to AS Watson in 2001 and has taken on various leadership roles, becoming group chief operating officer in 2013 and CEO of AS Watson (Asia & Europe) in 2019. Before joining CK Hutchison, Ngai worked in sports marketing consultancy and the Hong Kong SAR Government's statutory body for sports development.

The company added that Ngai has a doctoral degree and a master’s degree in business administration, a master’s degree in finance, and a bachelor’s degree in sports administration. She was a competitive athlete and won a bronze medal for Hong Kong at the 1994 Asian Games.