Woodpeckers Group appoints new commercial growth GM, overseeing marketing

Woodpeckers Group (WPG), the parent company of llaollao Malaysia, ChaTraMue Malaysia and Shae.co, has appointed Jovina Tan (pictured above) as its new general manager for commercial growth and performance.

Tan officially stepped into the role on 1 April and will lead the group’s commercial growth agenda across all brands, taking full ownership of the end-to-end customer and revenue funnel – from brand strategy and demand creation to conversion, retention and lifetime value.

Her remit brings together marketing, menu innovation, digital ecosystems and channel performance into one integrated growth engine, with a focus on ensuring every initiative translates into measurable business outcomes.

Tan was most recently vice president of group marketing and recruitment at Taylor’s Education Group, a role she held for over eight years. Prior to that, she held brand manager roles at Southern Lion (working on TOP detergent), Kimberly-Clark (managing Kotex), Campbell Soup Company and MAMEE-Double Decker.

Reporting to group CEO Ben Foo, Tan said she is looking forward to the opportunity to build and scale a multi-brand consumer business that is now at an inflection point following investment by Hextar Industries. The investment holding company had in February, acquired a 51% stake in Woodpeckers Group for RM177.48 million. 

Don't miss: ChaTraMue hijacks scam season to make corn the talk of Raya

“I saw a clear opportunity to transform marketing from a support function into a true commercial growth engine, and I’m particularly excited to unlock the next phase of scale, both in terms of brand equity and revenue performance,” she told A+M exclusively.

After more than two decades in FMCG and education, she brings what the group describes as a strong track record of driving double-digit growth, transforming marketing and sales functions, and building integrated brand and commercial ecosystems.

“My experience spans brand building, commercial strategy, digital transformation, and large team leadership, all anchored in data-driven decision making and strong governance to deliver sustainable, scalable growth,” she added.

In tandem with Tan’s appointment, Woodpeckers Group has also brought on board Melody Khoo (pictured below) as group senior manager for marketing, digital and growth.

Reporting to Tan, Khoo will lead the end-to-end marketing engine across all of the group’s brands — from brand, social, content and campaigns to CRM, the app ecosystem and digital growth.

Khoo said her focus will be on building strong brand desirability and translating that into demand, transactions and loyalty across all touchpoints, including in-store, delivery and digital channels.

“This role brings together everything I enjoy, and that's building brands, solving business problems, and driving measurable growth,” she said. “What excited me most is the opportunity to shape multiple brands at once, each with distinct identities, while building a cohesive ecosystem that grows customer lifetime value.”

Prior to joining WPG, Khoo was associate director of strategy at PHD Malaysia for over two years. She has also worked at dentsu Malaysia, Universal Music Group, Taylor’s University and EY. Her background combines data-driven strategy with storytelling, from building brand positioning to delivering integrated campaigns and digital growth initiatives.

Together, Tan and Khoo have been tasked with overseeing WPG’s full portfolio — including ChaTraMue, llaollao, Shae.co, Paddle & Pour, the relaunch of Koji and other upcoming brands — and building a connected ecosystem to unlock cross-brand growth, shared audiences and stronger overall customer value.

“Our immediate focus is to build strong foundations for scale, and at the same time, identify quick-win opportunities to drive traffic, conversion and revenue in the near term,” Tan said.

WPG’s 2026 agenda will centre on “scaling with intent and discipline”. “With growth acceleration in mind, our key priorities for the year would be brand building, driving traffic for commercial growth, and leveraging cross-brand synergies to increase customer lifetime value," she added.

“Ultimately, the ambition is to evolve Woodpeckers Group into a multi-brand consumer powerhouse, with marketing as a core driver of both brand equity and business performance,” explained Tan.

Earlier last month, ChaTraMue Malaysia took an unexpected route for its latest limited-time offering (LTO), turning a festive pain point into a witty hook with its “Jangan kena con, minum corn” ("Don't get conned, drink corn") campaign.

Launched in conjunction with its new Corn Series, the social-first effort leans into the spike in scam cases typically seen during the Raya period, using a phonetic play between “con” and “corn” to grab attention. 

Be part of #Content360 Malaysia, 13 May 2026, where creativity and community collide. Explore how AI-powered imagination, culturally resonant storytelling, and platform-savvy strategies are shaping the future of content. Gain practical insights, discover new tactics, and learn how the region’s top creators and brands are crafting campaigns that truly resonate.

Related articles: 
Ex-Taylor's CMO Ben Foo joins multi-brand F&B retail group as CEO 
Threads is heating up as Malaysian brands serve sass and banter 
TamJai ventures into Malaysia through partnership with Hextar Retail