CHAGEE Appoints Ex-foodpanda Comms VP as Senior Director

CHAGEE has appointed Evelyn Tay as Senior Director of Communications and Public Affairs, the tea brand confirmed on April 9, 2026. The hire marks Tay's return to full-time corporate work after a consulting period and extended sabbatical.

Tay Brings 25+ Years of Multi-Market Experience to CHAGEE

Tay announced the appointment on LinkedIn, saying she is "fully recharged and back to the grind" and focused on telling stories about CHAGEE's agriculture ecosystem, baristas, and customers.

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Her most recent role was senior advisor and consultant at Emergent Public Affairs from 2025 to 2026, where she advised technology companies on public affairs. Before that, she served as Vice President of Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability at foodpanda from 2020 to 2023, leading corporate communications, public policy, and corporate social responsibility programs across 11 APAC markets. She also served as interim Global Head of Public Affairs at foodpanda's parent company, Delivery Hero. She stepped down in 2024 to travel and recharge.

Earlier career roles include positions at Tesla Hong Kong (2018 to 2019), Uber (2014 to 2015) where she managed communications across 50 cities in 14 countries, and SPTS Technologies (2010 to 2014) as Global Corporate Marketing Director.

"The process of getting to know the company and its people drew me in with every engagement," Tay said in her LinkedIn post.

Trusted Network Cited as a Key Factor in the Decision

Tay noted that the opportunity to work alongside APAC CMO Eugene Lee, and to reunite with former foodpanda colleagues Katrina Khoe and Lawrence Wen, were central to her decision. "After three weeks, the admiration and excitement grows by the day," she added.

The appointment follows CHAGEE's earlier hire of Ang Qianling as Head of Social and Digital Media for APAC in 2025. Ang oversees social strategy, content direction, and platform engagement, translating CHAGEE's "CHAGEE Together" philosophy into digital spaces.

The two appointments represent two senior communications hires within approximately 12 months, covering separate functions. Tay leads earned media, corporate communications, and public affairs, while Ang leads owned and digital channels.

CHAGEE Builds Out Regional Communications Infrastructure

The dual-hire structure reflects a deliberate separation of corporate communications from digital and social media functions. This approach is more commonly associated with large multinational consumer goods companies than with emerging tea brands.

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Tay's background in navigating gig economy regulations across 11 APAC markets at foodpanda, combined with her experience at high-scrutiny consumer brands including Uber and Tesla, positions her to manage regulatory relationships as CHAGEE expands across diverse Asian markets.

Her stated communications focus at CHAGEE centers on the brand's agriculture ecosystem narrative, signaling that the communications function will play a role in brand differentiation, not only media relations or crisis response.

CHAGEE has not announced further details on its regional expansion timeline or additional communications hires at this stage.