AS Watson Group appoints company veteran Clarice Au as CEO of Retail Hong Kong, AS Watson

AS Watson Group has announced the appointment of Clarice Au as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Retail Hong Kong, AS Watson.

The hire is effective from 1st March.

She will be responsible for overseeing the management of four retail businesses in Hong Kong, namely Watsons, PARKnSHOP, Fortress and Watson’s Wine

"With over 20 years of extensive management experience at AS Watson, Clarice has consistently demonstrated remarkable leadership. She has been instrumental in driving digital transformation and advancing the growth of both the Fortress retail chain and the MoneyBack multi-brand loyalty programme. I am excited to have her expertise guiding our retail businesses in Hong Kong into the future," says Dr. Malina Ngai, Group CEO at AS Watson.

Au comments: “Since joining the company in 1998, I’ve had the privilege of working across diverse business areas, from airport retail to leading the Fortress team and, more recently, overseeing the MoneyBack loyalty programme. These experiences have shaped my passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences and fostering innovation.”

“Looking ahead, my priority will be to build on our strong business foundation while harnessing the talents of our combined teams, as well as close collaboration with our business partners to elevate the customer experience across our network of over 500 O+O stores. As Hong Kong's retail landscape evolves rapidly, it is essential for us to remain agile and continuously embrace transformation to seize new opportunities and stay ahead."

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Digital transformation was a key focus area at the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering.