Elsie Cheung relinquishes SCMP COO role after 20 years with publication

 After 20 years with the firm, Elsie Cheung (pictured) will be stepping down from chief operating officer of the South China Morning Post on 30 July 2021. In a farewell memo, Cheung said, working at the Post was an exciting time for her with the changes in the media industry and “witnessing SCMP grow from a local newspaper to a global news organisation, and seeing the company successfully transitioning into the digital age”.

Cheung was  appointed COO  of SCMP  in January 2011 to bring about SCMP’s cultural and digital transformation. She spearheads SCMP’s business operations, including advertising, marketing, circulation, and recruitment services, among other functions.  Cheung started her career at SCMP before broadening her experience at other well-established organisations including Television Broadcast Limited (TVB), Hong Kong Telecom, and Sunevision. Upon her return to SCMP. Cheung held the senior leadership positions of head of sales and director of advertising prior to her appointment as COO. 

She added, “ My work has always been a central part of my life, and it has been a fulfilling and successful career.  These past two years have led me to reset my values and priorities in life. I realised that I would like to put my experience and expertise to other purposeful pursuits. Hence, I have decided to take some time off planning for a new beginning.”

Gary Liu, chief executive of SCMP said in an article posted on the website that Cheung has been integral to the transformation of the brand and has been successful in guiding the Post through several fundamental market shifts, including our recent evolution into a digital-first advertising platform.

“She is one of Hong Kong’s foremost executive pioneers and most celebrated leaders and it has been my privilege to lead this company with Elsie. She has groomed and developed extraordinary leaders at SCMP, and her counsel and wisdom will be missed,” he said.

Earlier last month, SCMP also announced that it will rebrand its Advertising and Marketing Solutions team to SCMP Advertising.

The rebranding is part of a strategic initiative to align its advertising business with its well established digital expertise to empower clients with tools that deliver more effective and efficient campaigns. Also, the company said the rebranding "solidifies SCMP Advertising’s position as a leading insight driven brand partner committed to driving client success across APAC, after being the first news publisher in Asia to launch a first party data platform in SCMP Lighthouse and brand suitability tool in SCMP Signal."

“SCMP Advertising’s rebranding reinforces our legacy as a trusted partner that works with brands to make an impact with readers. This is a significant step in our evolution that showcases our commitment to industry innovations that drives performance and our commitment to our clients,” said Cheung had then said.