Starbucks APAC VP Samuel Fung steps down

Samuel Fung, vice president of Product and Marketing for Starbucks in Asia Pacific, has officially stepped down, marking the end of a nearly 12-year tenure with the coffee giant. Fung confirmed his departure via LinkedIn post on February 17, expressing gratitude to his team and reflecting on the achievements forged during his time at the company. Recognised for his impactful leadership, Fung was featured on Campaign's CMO Power List in both 2020 and 2024 and recently participated in The CMO's MO interview series.

Fung, who took on the role of (interim) VP of Product and Marketing in 2020, has been integral in shaping Starbucks’ regional strategy to drive growth through digital marketing and customer-centric initiatives.Under his leadership, Starbucks successfully rolled out its brand promise across all 15 markets in Asia Pacific, ensuring a consistent and customer-focused experience at every store.

He spearheaded several high-profile marketing campaigns and partnerships, including collaborations with global brands such as Pantone, Emily in Paris, Line Friends, Kate Spade, Alice & Olivia, and Fila. These partnerships were a key element of his strategy, exemplified by the Hello Kitty x Starbucks collaboration in September 2024 to celebrate Sanrio's iconic character's 50th birthday. The campaign, launched across 13 Asia Pacific markets, featured themed drinks and merchandise, including collectible blind boxes.

Another popular campaign remains the successful collaborations with K-pop group Blackpink and Disney in 2023. This particular campaigns saw unprecedented merchandise sales, with 95% selling out within hours. Beverage sales doubled in peak markets, and social media engagement soared, exceeding typical campaign rates by two to four times.

Fung also drove Starbucks' first NFT program in the region, launching it in Korea. The initiative incentivised customers to use personal cups, rewarding them with limited-edition NFTs. Within two weeks, over 260,000 customers participated, collecting 600,000 eco-stamps, demonstrating Fung's innovative approach to sustainability and digital engagement.

Throughout his tenure, Fung has been a diversity and inclusion champion within his Hong Kong-based regional team. He also served as a mentor to Starbucks employees across the Asia Pacific region, fostering professional growth and leadership development. 

A seasoned marketer with over 25 years of work experience spanning retail marketing, business process re-engineering, organisational transformation, business development and project management. Prior to Starbucks, he led project management offices at Levi Strauss, Bayer, and Schick. He is a graduate of Maastricht University and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

In his farewell LinkedIn post, Fung reflected on the relationships, challenges and impact of his time at Starbucks.

He wrote, “What will stand are the relationships built over years, the trust, the laughter, the challenges overcome together, the impact made, the lessons learned, and the growth gained.”

Campaign reached out to Fung about his future plans but did not hear back at the time of publication. Fung concluded his post with the Starbucks mantra, "Once a partner, always a partner.”