U.S. – Global bubble tea brand Gong cha has announced several senior leadership appointments, including new regional chief marketing officers and operations heads, as it moves to strengthen its leadership team across key markets.
On the marketing front, Sepanta Bagherpour has been appointed chief marketing officer for the Americas and EMEA. He joins Gong cha from Nando’s North America, where he spent 13 years overseeing marketing, communications, menu, and pricing portfolios and led the rollout of the brand’s first mobile app and loyalty programme. Bagherpour brings more than 20 years of experience and has also held senior roles at Nando’s South Africa and AMEA.
Gong cha has also promoted Maya Murasawa to head of marketing for Japan. Murasawa previously served as marketing and menu development director. In addition, Jina Chung, formerly marketing director in South Korea, has been elevated to chief marketing officer for Korea and APAC.
Separately, the company has strengthened its operations leadership with the promotion of Keaton Myburgh and Jemma Smoker to general manager roles for APAC and EMEA, respectively. Both were previously international franchise business leaders at Gong cha.
Since joining the company in 2023, Myburgh and Smoker have supported franchise partners across the Middle East and the UK. In their expanded roles, they will take on broader responsibilities for regional development and work more closely with franchisees on operational standards and expansion.
Commenting on the appointments, Paul Reynish, global CEO of Gong cha, said, “Creating an A-list team across all functions is fundamental to realising our long-term growth plans, and with these changes and appointments, we believe we now have all the right components in place. This will enable us to get closer to our markets to become even more consumer-centric and better support our franchisees, creating a win-win-win for all.”
“As part of this, I am really excited to welcome Sepanta, who joins with an impressive track record, to the Gong cha family. But I am also especially proud that a number of these changes have been made internally. I believe we have an industry-leading team at Gong cha, and these changes showcase our continued commitment to learning and development. We wish each individual the very best in their role, as they play their part in turbocharging our growth,” he added.
Founded in 2006, Gong cha operates more than 2,200 stores across 33 markets globally. The latest appointments come as the brand continues to adjust its marketing and operational structure to support its presence across key regions.
