McDonald's has appointed veteran marketer Angelina Villanueva as its new chief marketing officer for Asia, effective September 1. Villanueva takes on the role following the retirement of Brenda Ko, who held the position for less than a year.
Ko is a McDonald's veteran with more than 10 years of experience in various senior management roles, and took on the role of Asia CMO in October 2023 following a term as vice president of integrated marketing for Taiwan. Ko's previous roles with the company included senior director and head of marketing for Taiwan, demonstrating a deep understanding of the brand and the region.
During his tenure as Asia CMO, Ko spearheaded several campaigns, most notably McDonald's Taiwan's 40th anniversary campaign. In partnership with Leo Burnett Taiwan (see below), the campaign featured a 1 minute 35 second film starring Taiwanese pop icon Jolin Tsai. A nostalgic journey through 40 years of McDonald's in Taiwan, the film was praised for its innovative use of virtual production technology.
Villanueva most recently served as marketing director for Yum! Brands Singapore and brings more than 20 years of marketing expertise to McDonald's. As Asia CMO, she will oversee marketing for 12 markets including the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Brunei and India. She will focus on improving creative outcomes, driving business performance through value-driven strategies and prioritizing digital initiatives.
A well-known figure in Malaysia's marketing industry, Villanueva was CMO of KFC Malaysia prior to her role at Yum! Brands overseeing the Malaysian and Singaporean markets. She initially began her career on the agency side, with a long stint at Ogilvy Malaysia where she rose through the ranks to become General Manager of Ogilvy Kuala Lumpur.
Villanueva will report to Steen Heytens, head of Asia, and international CMO of McDonald's International Development and Licensing (IDL) for functional areas such as marketing, digital strategy and menu development. Lee will oversee all international regions outside the U.S., including Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
