Singapore – The LEGO Group has announced new key leadership changes in the Asia-Pacific region, namely Claus Kristensen as the new senior vice president and Uma Ramanan as the new head of marketing. It is also worth noting that these changes also come with Eric Maugein stepping down from his role as regional president for the company in the region.
In his new role, Kristensen will oversee the APAC region and its newly reshuffled business units, aligned to growth priorities and its evolving landscape. His appointment took effect on January 1 this year, and he will report to Colette Burke, chief commercial officer at The LEGO Group and be part of the markets and channels leadership team.
He joined the company in 2012 as the head of executive strategy and agenda and in 2016, moved to Sydney to become vice president and general manager of the Australia New Zealand Business Unit (BU). Under his leadership, the ANZ BU grew significantly and manifested itself as the biggest BU in APAC.
In 2021, he stepped into his current role as vice president of APAC marketing and B2B e-commerce. Over the past two years, he has established the regional B2B e-commerce for The LEGO Group.
Speaking on his new role, Kristensen said, “I am honoured to have been appointed to lead the LEGO Group in Asia-Pacific, continuing the legacy of success established by Eric. The LEGO Group is such a storied company and has come a long way over the past 91 years – from a small carpenter’s workshop to a modern, global enterprise that is now one of the world’s largest manufacturers of toys.”
He added, “I am so proud to be part of this company and will be focused on working with the team to deliver a step-up in business performance as we empower more kids and adults around Asia-Pacific to unlock the power of creative play.”
Meanwhile, Ramanan will be responsible for accelerating the LEGO Group’s marketing strategy in the region. With over nine years of experience in the company, Uma brings a perfect blend of strategic vision and boundless imagination to the world of bricks.
She was promoted from her previous role as the APAC brand director in December 2023. Along with her team of brand managers, she led the charge to deliver APAC’s growth targets through integrated marketing and along the way inspiring millions of kids and adults in learning through play with LEGO bricks.
Uma first began her LEGO journey in the UK/Ireland market as senior brand manager, before working her way up to become brand director and subsequently, global brand director for Asia, based in China.
The new leadership changes also come in line with the company implementing a new organisational structure effective from 1 January 2024 by introducing two new business units – India & Emerging Asia (IEA), and Singapore, Malaysia and Travel Retail (SMTR).
“This change deepens our commitment to these markets and sets us up to accelerate growth by unlocking new possibilities with dedicated resources, synergies in tackling similar challenges, and continuous innovation to enhance our ongoing relationships with our partners. The change also signifies our continued commitment to drive growth in Asia-Pacific,” Kristensen also added.
These announcements come off the back of the company’s latest expansion in Travel Retail with its two new LEGO Airport Stores (LAS) at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 3 and Terminal 4. The company also recently invested more than US$1b with the opening of its sixth global factory and its first carbon-neutral facility in Binh Duong Province in Vietnam.