Expand 2026 speaker lineup revealed as global CMOs and CEOs join the stage

Marketing-Interactive has unveiled the first wave of speakers for its inaugural growth forum, EXPAND, bringing together a heavyweight mix of senior marketers and CEOs from some of the world’s most recognisable brands, alongside a new generation of growth-focused operators across Asia Pacific.

Set to take place at Doltone House Hyde Park in Sydney on 29 July, EXPAND is designed to go beyond standard conference theory, zeroing in on where the next wave of growth is emerging and what Australian brands need to do to capture it.

The agenda reflects a broader ambition to show how leading Australian and global brands are unlocking growth both at home and across Asia Pacific, as forces such as social commerce, super apps and shifting consumer behaviours continue to reshape the modern customer journey.

The initial lineup will see newly appointed Domino’s Pizza Enterprises CEO Merrill Pereyra take to the stage, alongside Matthias Blume, vice president of alcohol ready-to-drink for ASEAN and South Pacific at Coca-Cola, Adam Jacka, GM marketing at 7-Eleven Australia, Eunbi Lee, head of campaigns and branding at Australian Pork, plus Michelle Wee, GM of marketing at Hisense ANZ and Allie Sparr, global head of brand and marketing at Flight Centre’s Envoyage business.

You can register your interest for EXPAND here.

The event also brings in a new generation of Asia-based business leaders, including Ronald Wong, group chief marketing officer at Hong Kong-based fast-casual restaurant group Tam Jai International and Sai Tzy Horng, director at Malaysian challenger brand Julie’s Biscuits.

Both will highlight how Asia’s rapidly evolving markets are increasingly shaping the playbook for Australian brands. Their presence also reinforces a central premise behind EXPAND: that Asia is no longer simply a future opportunity for Australian marketers, but an active and immediate growth frontier.

Sessions will tackle some of the region’s most pressing strategic questions, including localisation versus global consistency, social commerce acceleration, cultural nuance, and how brands are balancing media, creativity and data across increasingly fragmented markets.

EXPAND will bring together 150 senior marketers, founders, CEOs and digital leaders in an invite-only setting, with a focus on how brands expand without losing their DNA, a deep-dive into TikTok Shop and livestreaming and how some of Asia's biggest cultural and consumer trends are reshaping brands locally.

As brands increasingly look north for expansion, inspiration and competitive advantage, EXPAND aims to create a sharper conversation around what sustainable growth actually looks like in a more connected, more complex region.

Further speaker announcements are expected in the coming months. EXPAND is supported by partners including Supermetrics, Prizm Group, Bud Communications and Unicom Marketing.