CHAGEE Expands CMO Role to Cover Government Affairs, PR
Chinese tea brand CHAGEE consolidates marketing, government affairs, and PR under CMO Eugene Lee as it scales across diverse APAC regulatory environments.
Chinese tea brand CHAGEE APAC has broadened the responsibilities of its Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Eugene Lee, effective January 1, 2026. Lee now oversees government affairs and public relations in addition to his existing branding and marketing duties, reflecting the company's strategic growth across the Asia-Pacific region.
The expansion aims to consolidate brand, reputation, and connecting with key audiences under unified leadership. Lee explained the decision was made jointly with management to create tighter coordination and ensure CHAGEE presents a consistent voice to all audiences, including customers, partners, media, and government stakeholders.
Unified Leadership Structure
"The objective was simple, to drive tighter synergy, encourage more open collaboration, and ensure that no matter who we're speaking to...we always show up as 'One CHAGEE'," Lee told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. He views his expanded role as "traffic control," preventing fragmented narratives between departments and ensuring alignment so that "one plus one, plus one, truly becomes five."
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Lee acknowledged the broader portfolio requires balancing traditional marketing metrics with the nuanced world of public relations and connecting with key audiences. He emphasized that strategic communications serve as business enablers, contributing to trust building and long-term brand value despite being harder to measure than conventional marketing outcomes.
Regional Communications Manager Katrina Khoe continues leading day-to-day execution across markets, focusing on three priorities: brand protection, trust building, and long-term growth. Her responsibilities span government engagement strategy, reputation management, crisis preparedness, and creative brand initiatives including product launches and cultural collaborations.
Regional Expansion Context
The organizational change comes as CHAGEE pursues aggressive expansion across diverse regulatory environments in the Asia-Pacific region. The Chinese tea brand faces varying government requirements, consumer protection standards, and stakeholder expectations as it scales operations across multiple markets.
Lee defines success through both brand recognition among customers, peers, and government stakeholders, and effective issue management across diverse regulatory environments. The integrated structure enables CHAGEE to "move faster, speak with one voice, and build a more resilient brand across APAC."
Background and Outlook
Lee joined CHAGEE as APAC CMO in April 2025, reporting to the APAC CEO and global CMO. His background includes previous marketing leadership roles at major consumer brands operating across multiple Asian markets.
The consolidated reporting structure represents a broader trend among consumer brands expanding across Asia, where marketing leaders increasingly manage relationships with government stakeholders alongside traditional brand building responsibilities. The approach reflects the operational reality that brand positioning and regulatory navigation often intersect in practice, particularly for companies scaling rapidly across markets with different government requirements and stakeholder expectations.
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