PHD Taiwan nabs Uber Eats' head of marketing as general manager

Omnicom Media Group (OMG) agency PHD has appointed Melissa Chen as general manager of Taiwan, effective immediately.

In her new role, Chen will lead operations, strategy, and capabilities, focusing on next-generation solutions and innovative workflows to help PHD Taiwan and its clients outthink, outpace, and outgrow the competition.

She reports to Kelly Huang, CEO of OMG Taiwan, with a dotted line to Eileen Ooi, CEO of PHD APAC.

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Chen brings over a decade of brand and marketing leadership, spanning consumer brands, healthcare, and technology platforms. Most recently, as head of marketing for Uber Eats Taiwan, she established the brand’s market leadership and expanded the on-demand delivery category, turning Taiwan – one of Uber’s most competitive markets – into a global benchmark for innovation.

Prior to joining Uber, she was a senior product manager at Johnson & Johnson MedTech and served over six years at Johnson & Johnson in Taiwan. According to her LinkedIn, she was also an assistant brand manager at Unilever where she played a role in building Dove's and Clear's brand in the market. 

"Chen's tenacity and forward-thinking mindset align with PHD’s goal of delivering transformative growth under the global proposition ‘Intelligence. Connected.’ Her breadth of experience in brand building and business acumen makes her the perfect candidate to steer PHD Taiwan into the next phase of growth, creating continued value for our clients, our business, and our talent in an ever-evolving landscape," said Huang.

"With a diverse pool of talent at OMG Taiwan, we are unlocking the potential of media across culture, technology, commerce, and experience, transforming it into a true driver of brand growth," she added. 

Speaking to her appointment, Chen said that "Driving sustainable growth and impact for brands comes from connecting data, insights, and talent in meaningful ways. As AI continues to evolve, human judgment and values will become even more critical to ensure that media and technology serve the real needs of people and communities."

"I look forward to partnering with our teams and clients to bring this vision to life and translate these connections into measurable outcomes and lasting value," she added. 

Chen's appointment follows a string of appointments and promotions across the region for the group. In March this year, PHD appointed Kiron Kesav as its chief strategy officer for Asia Pacific. Together with PHD’s regional leadership team, Kesav will drive better business outcomes for clients by leveraging intelligence that connects businesses to the next generation of consumers. Kesav will also lead strategic planning, business growth, innovation and digital transformation.

Most recently, OMG Singapore promoted Daisy Huang to head of strategy, unifying strategic capabilities across all OMG agencies in Singapore. In her role, Huang will drive innovation, product development, strategic training, and provide oversight across global, regional, and local businesses. 

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