Asia-Pacific Power List 2023: Sabrina Cheung, AXA

Sabrina Cheung

Chief brand and communications officer, Asia & Africa
AXA
Hong Kong
New member

With over 20 years of experience under her belt, Sabrina Cheung has helmed various roles with the Adidas Group, Coca-Cola China, McCann Hong Kong and most recently Cigna where she built its brand reputation in a multitude of markets across Asia, Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa.

At AXA, Cheung has been leading the brand, communications, and sustainability strategy across Asia and Africa since 2019. She’s known to lead the charge in delivering products that not only protect customers but also align with AXA’s broader commitment to social responsibility.

Under Cheung’s leadership, AXA has pivoted its focus from the business of payments and payouts to becoming an integrated healthcare player that champions wellness in Asia. With the launch of "Make time for me-time" campaign that aims to normalise "me time" to Asia's overworked sandwich generation, and "Break the Myth," a social-first campaign that promotes AXA's wellness app, Emma, Cheung has solidified AXA’s position as a leading purpose-led brand in the region.

Her team also created AXA's Study of Mind Health and Wellbeing which identifies ten skills that can help one become "fit to flourish" and provides an educational content series to help people develop these skills. The study exceeded KPIs, garnering 161,000+ views, 47,500 impressions and 3,300 engagements on social media upon launch along with an impressive uptick in brand awareness, image and consideration.

A passionate advocate of mental health, Cheung is a member of the founding council of One Mind at Work, a global coalition of leaders committed to improving workforce mental health. Her team is promoting the development of a new, science-based Mental Health at Work Index, of which AXA is a major founding partner. 

Outside of her 9 to 6, Cheung is an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and leads the annual campaigns and initiatives for Pride Month, International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, and International Women's Day.

Her contributions to the larger industry are significant; she’s a multi-awarded marketer for her thought leadership and prior sports marketing achievements during her 10+ years of tenure at the Adidas Group. A member of the Effie Awards Jury in 2022, she will serve as the head of the jury in 2023.

Natalie Lam, Publicis Groupe’s Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa CCO endorses Cheung in a shiny testimonial, for being a mental health and wellness champion and an “amazing creative advocate and collaborator.”