URC taps marketing veteran Karen Ong to drive regional brand growth

Universal Robina Corp. (URC) has appointed seasoned marketing executive Karen Ong as its new chief marketing officer, reinforcing its commitment to strengthening brand equity and accelerating regional growth.

Ong brings more than 20 years of experience across multinational companies. She most recently served as Senior Marketing Director at URMunchy’s Malaysia (URM), where she led the company to market leadership in the biscuit category. 

Karen Ong
URC chief marketing officer

Under her leadership, URM successfully consolidated multiple snack and confectionery brands under a unified five-year strategy that focused on brand integration, strategic pricing, and operational efficiencies—resulting in notable category growth and improved profit margins.

In her new role, Ong will lead URC’s marketing operations across consumer insights, advertising, public relations, media, digital marketing, and regional brand management. She is tasked with enhancing brand strength both in the Philippines and in URC’s international markets while helping drive the company’s expansion across Southeast Asia.

She will report directly to URC president and CEO Irwin C. Lee. 

—Ed: Corrie S. Narisma

Featured News
Explore the latest news from InsiderPH
Wednesday, 9 July 2025
Insight to the one percent
© 2024 InsiderPH, All Rights Reserved.