Women to Watch 2024: Alice Au, Wharf Hotels Management

Alice Au

Group director, digital marketing
Wharf Hotels
Hong Kong

Alice Au has been at the forefront of several technological shifts in the last two decades of her career. With a background in digital marketing, including CRM and ecommerce, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role as the group director of digital marketing at Wharf Hotels which houses brands such as Niccolo, Marco Polo, and Maqo Hotels in Hong Kong. Her current achievements speak volumes: the launch of 20 new websites, a triple-digit boost in performance marketing return on ad spend (ROAS), and massive revenue growth across Wharf Hotels’ Hong Kong properties.

The highlight of her impact is creating a distinct presence for Wharf on WeChat, XiaoHongShu, Douyin, and Alipay as she seamlessly integrates them into the broader group strategy. This integration with bespoke content across platforms resulted in expanded market reach and higher engagement, driving revenue for both accommodations and F&B. Success like this isn’t by fluke; it’s testament to Au's innate ability to identify opportunities and marry them with emerging technologies.

In the early 2000s, when the internet was still finding its footing, Au fronted the development of performance-marketing models in Hong Kong at PCCW IMS. This was the time when dial-up reigned, ecommerce was nascent, and performance marketing was just emerging. Au built the framework for a new standard for online advertising in a nascent market. Her team simultaneously launched Hong Kong's first MULTOS-chip credit card with HSBC, which enhanced online security in 2000. Ocean Park’s famed Halloween Nights concept is also Au’s brainchild during her time at PCCW.

In her previous role at Langham Hospitality and Sino Hotels, Au showed the same proactive innovation and forward-thinking ability, launching the first mobile loyalty programme long before the trend was commonplace. Not only did this make way for deeper customer engagement and allow the hotels to beat the industry curve, but it also won Au several digital marketing accolades in the Hong Kong circuit.

Beyond quantifiable results, colleagues find her to be a natural leader; she is known to foster a collaborative work environment and manage her team with efficiency. Mentoring and giving back are important to her as she’s created Dreamforce, an internal digital marketing community at Wharf for AI knowledge-sharing with the industry. A regular at the Hong Kong events scene, Au is a passionate speaker who has participated in events such as Campaign’s Spotlight Hong Kong.