Samsonite taps ex-Meta marketer as VP for marketing, APAC and Middle East

Samsonite has appointed Richard Que as vice president for marketing, APAC and Middle East, as the company looks to deepen regional growth and strengthen its digital and brand capabilities across key markets.

In the role, Que will lead Samsonite’s regional marketing efforts across Asia Pacific and the Middle East, overseeing brand and product marketing, digital and performance strategies, CRM, and media across all APAC markets. He will report directly to Subrata Dutta, president, APAC and Middle East, with a dotted line to the company’s global marketing and eCommerce leadership.

Speaking with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Que said his primary objective is to lead Samsonite’s regional marketing efforts as a strategic growth engine for the company’s portfolio, while delivering commercial performance and building long-term brand equity across the region.

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Among his priorities in the new role are driving commercial performance through data-driven insights and performance marketing, strengthening the positioning of Samsonite’s brand portfolio, and delivering “a seamless, world-class customer experience across all digital touchpoints”.

Que also said he aims to enhance go-to-market operating models to encourage stronger collaboration between global strategy and local market execution, while championing innovative marketing and product storytelling that resonates with the cultural nuances of the APAC and Middle East markets.

Que joins Samsonite after more than four years at Meta, where he served as head of marketing for SMB and partners in APAC, driving growth through AI-powered product roadmaps and scaled performance marketing initiatives.

Before Meta, he held senior leadership roles at Lazada, Hilton, L'Oréal and Procter & Gamble, leading global and regional brand portfolios across APAC, the US and international markets. 

Commenting on his appointment, Dutta said: “As we set out to fill up this important position, we were looking for a person with experience of having worked in both the conventional marketing environment as also the new digital age. Que with his rich experience and credentials suited the role the best.”

According to Que, the move to Samsonite represented an opportunity to return to the world of consumer goods and travel lifestyle. “While my time at Meta was transformative in terms of leading at the intersection of technology and marketing, I was drawn to the challenge of applying those digital-first, data-driven strategies to a tangible, global leader such as Samsonite,” he said.

The appointment is part of what Samsonite described as a strategic evolution in its regional leadership structure, aimed at further integrating global brand strategy with regional commercial execution as it expands its digital and eCommerce capabilities.

Que added that he will serve as “the key conduit between Samsonite's global brand strategy and regional execution”, ensuring campaigns maintain global consistency while achieving maximum local market relevance.

He added that Samsonite’s strategic focus on the APAC region and commitment to digital modernisation made the role the perfect next step in his career journey.

“These are incredibly dynamic markets with immense cultural and commercial diversity. My focus will be on navigating this complexity to strengthen Samsonite’s leadership and capture growth opportunities across these territories,” he said.

“I look forward to working with Dutta and the entire regional team to build on Samsonite’s legacy and drive our next chapter of growth,” added Que.

The appointment comes amid a wave of senior marketing leadership moves across the region. Earlier this month, Tim Hortons named Minjoo Lee-Zeitler as its new director of marketing for APAC, as the Canadian coffee chain looks to deepen its presence and grow brand relevance across the region. In the role, Lee-Zeitler will lead brand strategy, consumer marketing and product innovation across APAC markets including China, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Pakistan, while overseeing overall marketing performance and advising franchise partners on growth opportunities.

At the same time, KFC appointed Tuck Wai Yue as head of eCommerce, loyalty and digital for South Asia. In the newly created role, Tuck will support KFC’s Southeast Asian markets with a focus on digital, CRM and loyalty initiatives, which he described as key business accelerators for the brand. 

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