Tamera Campbell (pictured) has joined Gong cha as Chief People Officer | Photo credit: Gong cha

Gong cha has announced two new senior management appointments to strengthen its human resources (HR) and marketing divisions. 
 

The Taiwanese bubble tea chain has appointed Tamera Campbell as Chief People Officer and Bahar Kiransa as Global Marketing Director in a move it said will bolster its ambitious international expansion strategy. 

Campbell joins Gong cha from restaurant chain Nando’s, where she served as Chief People Officer for the brand’s North America division and more recently as Group Head of Social Impact and Sustainability.  

Based at Gong cha’s headquarters in London, UK, Campbell will be responsible for attracting, retaining and developing ‘world-class talent’ to facilitate the bubble tea chain’s growth plans. 

Kiransa has more than 15 years of marketing and brand development experience at some of the world’s largest consumer goods corporations, including Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Kraft Heinz.  

She is tasked with implementing new marketing campaigns to enhance Gong cha’s international visibility, alongside leveraging insights to identify opportunities for both innovation and expansion. 

CEO Paul Reynish said the appointments also significantly reinforce Gong cha’s ‘position as a champion of female talent’.

“By setting the standard for female representation across our stores, corporate headquarters, and regional offices, we recognise the vital role that women play in inspiring our success. This year, we plan to significantly bolster our presence in Europe, including doubling our footprint in the UK, and Tamera and Bahar’s insights and knowledge will prove invaluable as we realise the potential of our ambitious international expansion strategy,” he said. 

Founded in 2006, Gong cha currently operates 2,000 stores across 23 countries. The bubble tea chain is seeking to open a new store every day, on average, this year, with Europe and North America cited as key growth markets. 

In June 2023, Gong cha outlined an ambitious goal of opening 500 stores in the UK and is expected to enter new European markets in the next 12 months to add to its presence in Belgium, France and Portugal. 

The bubble tea chain is also seeking to reach 500 US outlets by 2025.