AS Watson, the owner of the Superdrug, Savers and The Perfume Shop chains in the UK, has promoted Malina Ngai to the role of Group Chief Executive, effective 1 May.
She currently holds the position of Group Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer for Asia & Europe.
Ngai will replace Dominic Lai, who said: “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 has worked in CK Hutchison and AS Watson for 24 years. Her career path started in corporate communications and later expanded to international management positions in international buying, technology development, sales operations, marketing, big data, and sustainability. She demonstrated strong adaptability, strategic agility, and the ability to drive tremendous momentum across the entire organisation. Her significant achievements have continued to propel our organisation forward. Malina is perfectly prepared for this role.”
When he steps down, Lai will assume the position of Chairman of AS Watson.
Last month, AS Watson revealed that total revenue across its 16,491 stores in 28 markets increased by 8% to HK$183.34bn (£18.30bn) during the year to 31 December 2023, with EBITDA up 13% to HK$16.23bn (£1.62bn).
