Suhayl Limbada has stepped down as market lead and chief marketing officer of KFC Thailand after nearly four-and-a-half years in the role. Limbada, who announced his departure via LinkedIn, has spent more than a decade with KFC across Johannesburg and Bangkok.
He joined KFC Thailand as CMO in early 2022, during Covid, before taking on the additional market lead title in July 2024, assuming full P&L responsibility for around 1,250 restaurants. He was also named in Campaign Asia-Pacific's Power List 2025..
"It’s been the chapter of a lifetime, and one I leave with deep gratitude. I arrived focused on building a career, driving growth, and chasing milestones," Limbada wrote on LinkedIn. "Most of all, though, I leave as a better leader."
He added that the dual market lead and CMO remit challenged him to be as fluent in operations as in marketing strategy. "The foundations are in place for long-term, sustainable growth, with a bold, scary and uncomfortable path forward on how the brand will continue to modernise and show up in culture," he continued.
Under his tenure, KFC Thailand claimed its first-ever Cannes Lions win at the 2025 festival and took Gold in Film for 'Let There Be Cake', a campaign marking the brand's 40th anniversary in Thailand. The brand also picked up Gold and Silver at Spikes Asia 2026 in the Film for Social Behaviour and Film for Travel, Leisure and Restaurants categories, won Advertiser of the Year and Best Brand on Social Media at the Thai AdPeople Awards 2024, and accumulated more than 80 creative accolades, including a Grand Prix at the London International Awards.
Under Limbada's tenure, the brand won the Advertiser of the Year and Best Brand on Social Media at the Thai AdPeople Awards 2024, racked up more than 80 creative accolades, including a Grand Prix at the London International Awards.
Before joining KFC Thailand, Limbada served as marketing director of KFC South Africa from 2018 to 2022. Prior to the role, he spent over two years as KFC marketing manager for Africa, overseeing expansion across 16 markets.
Before Thailand, Limbada served as marketing director of KFC South Africa from 2018 to 2022, and prior to that spent over two years as KFC marketing manager for Africa, overseeing 16 markets. He began his career at Cadbury Schweppes in South Africa in 2006, and spent nearly a decade across Cadbury, Kraft Foods and Mondelēz in South Africa and the EEMEA region.
Source: Campaign Asia-Pacific
