Health and beauty giant AS Watson Group has promoted Malina Ngai, group chief operating officer and CEO of AS Watson Asia and Europe, as group CEO. 

Ngai will start her new role on May 1, succeeding Dominic Lai, who will step down after 17 years leading the group to assume the position of chairman of AS Watson. 

“I think it is the appropriate time to pass on the baton,” said Lai, who is also group co-managing director of CK Hutchison. “Malina has been crucial in successfully driving AS Watson’s digital transformation, implementing the O+O business model, and fostering positive cultural change in the past decade.

“As the Group CEO of AS Watson, Malina will be fully in charge of defining our vision, leading the team to formulate strategies to meet our strategic objectives of putting customers first and continuing the growth journey of our global portfolio.”

Ngai joined AS Watson’s parent company CK Hutchison in 2000 before being transferred to AS Watson the following year. She was appointed as group COO in 2013 and CEO of AS Watson Asia & Europe in 2019. 

Before joining CK Hutchison, Malina worked in sports marketing consultancy and the Hong Kong SAR Government’s statutory body for sports development. She won a bronze medal for Hong Kong at the 1994 Asian Games.