Malaysia Airlines global marketing head exits

Emily Tan is taking off to another destination, putting an end to her three-year tenure at Malaysia Airlines as its head of global marketing.

Tan announced her departure in a LinkedIn post, reflecting on her tenure at the national carrier and the marketing team’s efforts to strengthen its global brand presence, digital capabilities and storytelling.

Looking back on her time at Malaysia Airlines, Tan said she joined with an ambition to elevate the airline’s commercial brand presence globally, double digital conversions and pioneer a social and digital-first approach to storytelling.

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Among the work highlighted by Tan was the development of destination and “micro-moments” short films, which she said contributed to a 27% year-on-year increase in brand value. She also pointed to partnerships with sporting franchises including Manchester United and Mumbai Indians, as well as the introduction of Maya, an AI-powered virtual cabin crew designed as a digital brand ambassador.

Tan also cited the global repositioning of Malaysia Airlines’ premium status through the “Time For” campaign, featuring its A330neo aircraft, alongside the launch of more than 20 destinations over her three-year tenure.

During her tenure, Malaysia Airlines also expanded its strategic partnership with Google around AI-powered marketing, data-driven strategies and personalised customer experiences. Tan represented the airline at the partnership ceremony in 2025.

Tan also credited the airline’s leadership and wider Malaysia Aviation Group team for supporting the work, with particular thanks to Dersenish Aresandiran, chief commercial officer of the airlines business at Malaysia Aviation Group.

She also thanked her commercial and marketing colleagues across the organisation, describing her time leading global marketing at MAG as a privilege.

“As I prepare for my next destination, I know I will always look up to the skies for that familiar emblem and cheer for each new height reached by our beloved national carrier and the amazing people soaring with it,” Tan said.

Tan joined Malaysia Airlines in January 2024, taking on the role of global head of marketing for the airlines business after more than two years as head of marketing at ShopBack Malaysia. Prior to that, she spent almost four years at Klook, where she was associate marketing director, and held marketing roles at AirAsia.

Separately, Hemanth Jayaraman has also stepped down from Malaysia Aviation Group, where he most recently served as head of loyalty for Enrich. Jayaraman joined MAG as head of marketing in 2023 before moving into the loyalty business in 2024.

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