Women to Watch 2020: Elman Lee, Dairy Farm

Elman Lee

Marketing director, group convenience, 7-Eleven
The Dairy Farm Group
Hong Kong

Driven to succeed not only at reshaping brands but also at helping those less fortunate, Elman Lee has both an impressive marketing CV—including roles at Wellcome, ParknShop, Fortress, Shell and Kathmandu along with two different tenures at Dairy Farm—and a master’s in public nutrition. She has also spent a few years steering a non-profit in Nigeria that works on public health awareness about malaria and provides underprivileged women with training in business and life skills.

Lee’s twin commitments to marketing excellence and public health came together when the pandemic struck. After consulting with NGOs that said food was a pressing need, she devised a programme to help the NGOs by selling meal vouchers to Hong Kongers in 7-Eleven’s ubiquitous stores. The result: the equivalent of 530,000 meals donated and a target of 70,000 surpassed in 24 hours, not to mention an increase in brand equity and goodwill in the community. For this and other efforts, Lee won an award from 7-Eleven International in recognition of her leadership in giving back to the community.

Colleagues applaud Lee for being a people-oriented leader who fosters an open, honest and inclusive environment, in which all team members, regardless of background or experience level, help shape marketing strategy. She believes this simply makes business sense, as the perspectives of junior team members are critical for a brand built on fun and convenience.

Lee has also driven a thorough digital transformation of 7-Eleven’s marketing in Hong Kong and Macau. Digital spend is up to 70%, and she has spearheaded a content-led approach with an extensive network of local publishers and KOLs delivering significant earned-media value annually. The brand boasts one of the largest social-media followings among retail brands in Hong Kong, with 552,000 Facebook fans and an Instagram following that more than doubled in 2019.