Aaron Lau’s success has been rewarded with multiple top-level roles at Cheil, but there’s little doubt that he can manage all of them-- easily. The South Korea-based marketing solutions company Cheil Worldwide has recently appointed Lau as President of International. In this role, he leads the global network with an eye to enhancing its growing reputation and expanding its portfolio of global and regional clients.
He also retains his role as President and CEO of Cheil Greater China. Aaron Lau has served in China since 2012 and has grown the operations there to become 1,400 staff organization that now ranks as the country's 6th largest agency based on annual revenues. Under his leadership, Cheil’s China revenues are now approaching parity with the agency’s revenues in its home market of South Korea.
Cheil, of course, has been largely known for its work with Samsung. However, the company has also demonstrated its seriousness as a multinational player through the acquisitions of Barbarian Group and McKinney in the US, and now with a stake in London-based Iris Worldwide. In the meantime, of course, Samsung has catapulted to the top echelons of branding by establishing itself as one of the world’s most powerful global brands—with Cheil behind it all the way. Lau will help Cheil achieve a new balance by delivering on the company’s diversified global ambitions, while insuring that Samsung remain strong.
Aaron Lau has been a vibrant part of the advertising industry since 1983, and has worked for a variety of global agencies including Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong and New York, DDB Hong Kong and DDB Greater China where he was appointed to the DDB Worldwide Board as Asia Pacific's only representative and member. He set up his own boutique, Bravo Asia, in 2006 to provide advertising services and develop an integrated services platform. Six years later, Bravo Asia was acquired by Cheil Worldwide, and Aaron took on the role of CEO for Cheil Greater China.
He is an undisputed advertising and communications, and as such has served on a number of prominent advisory boards in Asia, including the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, HK-China Business Council and the Shanghai Xu Hui District Mayor's International Advisory Board.
In his expanded new role, Lau will divide his time largely between China and London, while reporting to Cheil Global COO Michael Kim.