Staff Reporters
Nov 10, 2021

40 Under 40 2021: Samantha Peihua Chen, CAA Sports

Chen is the brain behind some of the company’s most lucrative sports partnerships including the much-talked-about Shopee and Cristiano Ronaldo deal.

40 Under 40 2021: Samantha Peihua Chen, CAA Sports
SEE ALL OF THE 2021 40 UNDER 40
Proven performers with plentiful potential in the APAC marcomms industry

Samantha Peihua Chen

Executive vice president, partnerships and strategic development, APAC
CAA Sports
Singapore

Samantha Chen entered the professional world just when the financial crisis hit in 2008. Her first job amid a tough period taught her that brands that truly understand their audience are most likely to make it through any hurdle—a lesson she carried with her throughout a career at Google and Manchester United Football Club. Now, having learnt a few more things along the way, she spends her time at CAA Sports, where she leads a host of multi-year partnerships with top-tier clients.

In 2018, Chen was hired by the sports and talent agency to build its APAC property sales and talent business. And she took the task seriously. To date, she has secured high-profile partnerships for a range of sports rights holders and talent, negotiating sponsorship contracts in excess of $140 million. These partnerships include Oppo and League of Legends; Oppo and Eddie Redmayne; Unilever (Axe) and League of Legends; Shopee and Cristiano Ronaldo; and Lazada and Lee Min-Ho. On top of that, in 2019, she made history by delivering Oppo as the first-ever Asian partner in the Wimbledon Championship’s 142-year timeline.

Chen’s work was so fruitful, she is regularly pulled in as an Asian advisor to other CAA departments including brand consulting, music, and commercial endorsements across the network’s London, Beijing, New York, and Los Angeles offices. She has also led workshops for her Western colleagues and clients, educating them on the complexities in Asian cultures and business nuances. And as a keen food lover, she often uses food as a tool to break down cultural barriers. This work of attempting to dismantle stereotypes and drive inclusivity earned her a spot on two global CAA committees aimed at promoting diversity across the wider business.

For this and much more, Chen was recognised for her leadership qualities by winning CAA Sports’ ‘Global MVP’ award in 2019. And in 2021, she was rightfully promoted to her current EVP role, one that also entails the task of establishing a new office in Singapore. Forgive the strained sports analogy, but it seems like CAA Sports has scored a home run, a hat trick, and an ace in Chen’s hire.

SEE ALL OF THE 2021 40 UNDER 40
Proven performers with plentiful potential in the APAC marcomms industry

 

Source:
Campaign Asia

Related Articles

Just Published

4 hours ago

October advertiser of the month: 7-Eleven

Doraemon boosts 7-Eleven Thailand's ad awareness by double digits in October, outperforming competitors, new data shows.

5 hours ago

How Trump's presidency will reshape the global tech ...

The US is not an island. Trump's policies will have far-reaching consequences for the global tech ecosystem, with Asia-Pacific feeling the impact acutely, writes Ian Whittaker.

5 hours ago

Malaysia's FashionValet faces corruption probe ...

Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Commission has officially opened an investigation into the US$10 million loss of state funds invested in the local fashion ecommerce platform.

5 hours ago

Move and win roundup: Week of November 11, 2024

Virtue, OpenX, Emotive, Karma Drinks, HOVERAir, APRW, Canara Bank, and more in our weekly roundup of people moves and account wins.