Inside Retail Asia has released the second annual Top 50 Innovative Retail Leaders in Hong Kong report, recognising the best and brightest innovators across the retail sector this year.
Sponsored by Emarsys, Tofugear and KPMG, the report names 50 people chosen by a panel of judges as driving innovation in retail, online or offline, along with short features on some of the standout performers.
The report is available for digital download here.
“Innovation takes many forms – in retail or in any other industry,” said Robert Stockdill, director of content, Inside Retail Hong Kong. “Innovation is critical in such a fast-changing business environment retailers now work in. This publication is our way of recognising them.”
Whether in product design, store impact, supply chain, technology, social media, e-commerce, customer engagement or HR, innovation is often what separates the winning retailers from the more mundane, said Stockdill.
The Top 50 Innovative Retail Leaders in Hong Kong were chosen by a panel of seven judges. This year the public were invited to nominate retail executives and nominations are already being taken for next year’s list.
“Some of the leaders are overseeing investments of hundreds of millions of dollars in technology. Others run businesses founded on their kitchen table.
“Some lead giant multinational companies which are household names, while others run small, local businesses readers may never have heard of.”
Members of the judging panel brought a broad range of disciplines and perspectives on business and retail to the table. Chaired by Anson Bailey, head of consumer & retail and head of technology Hong Kong at KPMG China, the members were Benson Yip, VP & market director Greater China & North Asia at Emarsys; Dr Marta Dowejko, research assistant professor at Hong Kong Baptist University; Carson McKelvey, managing partner and director of Tofugear Limited; Jennifer Liu, founder of The Coffee Academics; Vanessa Cheung, founder of The Mills Fabrica at The Mills HK; and Inside Retail Asia’s Stockdill.
In choosing the list, the judges adopted the following definition of innovation: “True retail innovators are thinking outside the box: they’re eschewing the old way of doing things in favour of new approaches which enhance customer experience, engage the community or staff, add value to the retail experience or increase speed to market. They may be employing technology, social media, supply chain initiatives, HR reform, marketing, delivery, data or other initiatives. They are not imitators.”
Here are the Top 50 Innovative Retail Leaders in Hong Kong for 2018:
Abby Zhang, Co-founder of Yeechoo
Adam Hershman, GM Greater China at Tumi
Adrian Cheng, founder of K11
Al Hong, MD at K-Style Lab
Alex Bono, CEO at Habbitzz
Alice Woo, Former MD at Shilla Duty Free
Andre Hoffman, MD Asia Pacific at L’Occitane
Annemiek Ballesty, senior VP at Fossil
Antti Hirvonen, GM Asia at Tom Dixon
Arti Mirchandani, co-founder of Sweet World
Bankee Kwan, chairman & CEO at Pricerite
Brandon Chau, co-founder of Attire House
Carthen Lam, GM at Zoff
Cinci Leung, founder of CheckCheckCin
Cristina Ventura, chief catalyst officer at Lane Crawford Group (The Cage)
Danny Shum, CEO at Ztore
David von Gunten, CEO Greater China at Audemars Piguet
Delphine Lefay, co-founder of OnTheList
Dennis Zelazowski, founder of 3DNA
Dickson Poon, founder & executive chairman of Dickson Concepts
Diego Dultzin Lacoste, co-founder of OnTheList
Dominic Lai, group MD at A S Watson
Ellen Ogren, co-founder of Little Starters
Eric Delplanque, founder of The Great Diggers
Jacky Lam, MD at Okian
Jason Kei, founder & MD of Jollymap
Jennifer Liu, founder of Coffee Academics/Habitu
José Blanco, CEO, Greater China at Guess
Lai Ching Kok, business executive officer at Nespresso
Laura Egloff, founder & creative director of Velveteen
Leisia Tsang, co-founder of Little Starters
Lim Boon Cheong, CEO at 7-Eleven
Marc Zielinski, CEO at Decathlon
Norbert Tan, executive director at Coffee Concepts (Starbucks)
Oliver Spring, director, APAC at Richmond & Finch
Peionie Kong, director (asset management Hong Kong) at Link REIT
Peter Leong, GM, Asia at Taschen
Philippe Baumlin, regional director & CIO at Chanel
Polly Cheung, head of Hong Kong at Owndays
Quinn Lai, founder & director of Eoniq
Ricky Wong, founder of HKTV Mall
Roger Chan, co-founder of Attire House
Sarah Garner, founder of Retykle
Sham Kar-Wai, founder & CEO of I. T Group
Shan Shan, co-founder of Yeechoo
Shonee Mirchandani, co-founder of Sweet World
Sibylle Scherer, president merchandising and consumer marketing at DFS Group
Tat Po Tse, co-founder, chairman and executive director of Hung Fook Tong
Victor Chan, GM, Asia Pacific at Heinemann Duty Free
Yen Kuok, founder & CEO of Guiltless
