CEO AS Watson steps down after 17 years

After seventeen years at the helm, AS Watson CEO Dominic Lai is passing on the torch to COO Malina Ngai on 1 May. The current CEO will stay on as Chairman at the owner of chains like Superdrug, Rossmann and ICI Paris XL.

“Perfectly prepared”

Ngai is currently Chief Operating Officer as well as CEO for Asia & Europe. She has been with the retail group for 24 years, first in corporate communications and later in international management positions, but now takes over the role from CEO Lai.

The former rower, who won a bronze medal for Hong Kong at the 1994 Asian Games, is perfectly prepared for this role, Lai said in a press release. “Malina has been crucial in successfully driving AS Watson’s digital transformation, implementing the O+O (Offline plus Online) business model, and fostering positive cultural change over the past decade.” He himself will become Chairman at AS Watson.