Asia-Pacific Power List 2021: Dhiren Amin, Kraft Heinz

Dhiren Amin

Chief marketing officer, Asia 
Kraft Heinz
China 
Member since 2018

Dhiren Amin’s challenge as a marketer is less around driving awareness, and more around finding new ways to continue to build on the strength of his portfolio. Kraft Heinz brands are well-established household names, so Amin’s job is to ensure they never plateau. Looking at the sales and brand penetration growth he has driven in the past year, it’s clear Amin is not resting on his laurels.

The most notable growth across both sales and brand has occurred in Kraft Heinz’s US$350 million sauces business in China, where the FMCG sells traditional Chinese soy sauces alongside its portfolio of Western sauces. In September last year, the company opened a new factory in South China's Guangdong province in a bid to boost its competitiveness in the high-end soy sauce market. Amin oversaw the repositioning of local brands Master and Guanghe, and continues to drive awareness of the company’s other products among those interested in Western-style cooking. 

Amin is a firm believer that purpose drives results, and has led the creation of some standout purpose-driven work in his five years at Kraft Heinz, including the ‘Real Husbands Cook’ campaign for ABC Soy Sauce in Indonesia, which he continues to develop. Last year, to mark World Equality Day, the brand turned its focus to teaching young Indonesian men to cook.

Amin has also been instrumental in several Covid-19 relief initiatives, including the brand’s donation of Heinz products and essential food packs to the Thai Red Cross Society; the donation of close to $1 million in relief in Indonesia; and a Master campaign in China that drove incremental earnings for food-delivery restaurants and drivers.

The CMO actively participates in elevating the industry. He’s a board member of MMA APAC, a four-time juror of Campaign’s ‘Women Leading Change’ awards, and a judge in Campaign’s Agency of the Year and WARC’s Global Effectiveness awards.

Amin can be found on Twitter at @waveringthought.