40 Under 40 2022: Angelina Tan, Le Pub

Angelina Tan

Business director, global brands
Le Pub
Singapore

Angelina Tan is the global client partner for Tiger Beer, and built the One Publicis Team Tiger from two to over 20 in the past five years. More recently, she played a strategic role in securing the Tiger Beer business in Brazil, Cambodia, and Singapore.

With Tan at the helm, Tiger Beer has seen one of the most successful global campaigns in 2022, launched in commemoration of the Year of the Tiger. Featuring Korean football megastar Son Heung-Min, it garnered over 1.9 billion impressions in 29 countries and an astounding 100% positive sentiment, allowing the brand to surpass its sales targets for the important festive season.

In an industry where ‘short-termism’ and focus on quick gains have become a norm, Tan is an exception. She is a dedicated and a true-blue brand builder. Her tenacity and rigour can possibly be attributed to her foundational years in smaller but wildly creative shops. Without classical roles like producers or strategists, she had to learn by doing, and she did it all. From cold-calling CMOs using the trusty yellow book and getting ten new clients in a year, to pitching a successful collaboration between The Economist and The Salad Stop based on an observation that both brands are essentially ‘brain foods’, her business acumen has consistently delivered growth for clients and agencies alike.

In her current role, Tan launched the award-winning Heineken Green Room Original Sound Experiments where music meets tech across 36 events in 17 APAC cities. She also gamified the loyalty programme on the McDonald’s app, turning the app into a true ‘My Happy Place’; built one of Airbnb’s most memorable listings called the 'House of Smiles' at the Laneway festival; and expanded Agoda’s global footprint by leading the international coordination team across 10 markets. 

Having been bullied as a curvy Asian girl all her life, it took a bad heartbreak when she was 19 to kickstart her foray into sports. She lost more than 50kg along the way but what she lost in weight, she gained in emotional and mental strength. Today, she is an advocate for mental health initiatives by the Groupe and is vocal about creating a culture where needing help is not seen as a sign of weakness.