Asia-Pacific Power List 2021: Shelly Chiang, L'Oreal

Shelly Chiang

Chief digital and marketing officer, SAPMENA
L'Oreal
Singapore
New member

Shelly Chiang's rise to her top-tier position in a critical region at L'Oreal is a 21-year story of steady learning and progress. During that time she made only one brief detour outside the company (to Kao Corp in Taiwan), and today she holds responsibility for a massive swathe of the cosmetic maker's worldwide territory.

After one year as CMO for L'Oreal Asia Pacific, the company promoted Chiang to chief digital and marketing officer for its SAPMENA (South Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa) region in April 2020. In fact, Chiang's new role coincided with L'Oreal's creation of that region and its designation of Singapore as the headquarters responsible for it. 

The company considers the region a "millennial epicentre"—a fertile territory for customer acquisition, where the average age of the consumer is 28. Eyeing the region as the place where "the future of beauty will be shaped", L'Oreal expects to have 600 people working in its enlarged Singapore offices. They will be charged with developing beauty innovations, new ways of working and sustainable practices that will meet the expectations of young, ambitious and connected consumers, the company has said.

For her part, Chiang is determined to propel a digital transformation across the region, in part by recruiting and developing digital-savvy marketing talent. Her own background sets her up well for this remit. In addition to marketing management and communications, she has skills and experience in digital strategy, data management and ecommerce.

Prior to being APAC CMO, she held roles as APAC digital director, which followed a series of roles at L'Oreal Taiwan: CMO, media integration director, senior CRM and digital marketing manager, and marketing manager for the Biotherm brand (the last two positions in the company's luxury division). Prior to that, she spent less than two years at Kao as an assistant manager, after starting her career as an internet communications executive at L'Oreal in Taiwan.

On social media, Chiang frequently speaks out about the importance of progress toward sustainability, as well as diversity. "When you have the opportunity to work with super-talented women and men with great diversity of expertise, experience and nationality, all sharing the common passion and drive to bring impact, every day is a rewarding day and a winning day," she wrote on LinkedIn on International Women's Day this year.