Brands
RX hands Asia Pacific reins to 30-year company veteran
SINGAPORE: Thomas, who has clocked three decades at RX, spent the past year overseeing operations in Australia, Singapore, South Korea and Indonesia whilst helping launch RX Bitec, the firm’s new joint venture in Thailand. The promotion hands him control of a region that accounts for a chunky slice of RX’s portfolio, spanning trade shows from construction to jewellery.
RX Global global chief executive Hugh Jones praised Thomas as “a proven leader with deep regional expertise and a strong track record of delivering results”—corporate speak for someone who knows how to squeeze revenue out of exhibition halls. Thomas, for his part, pledged to “build on the strong foundation laid by Chien Ee.”
Chien Ee Yeh’s departure marks the end of an era for RX’s Asian operations, though the company offered no details on what the retiring executive plans to do next. Perhaps count his frequent-flyer miles.
Thomas inherits a business navigating the post-pandemic return of in-person events, rising competition from digital platforms, and the perpetual challenge of convincing companies that trade shows still matter. Whether his 30 years of institutional knowledge will be enough remains the question. Time to find out.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
