Tom Zhang is a senior brand and growth strategist with 13+ years of experience across Europe/US and APAC markets. He specializes in consumer-led growth and has spent years working deeply in the food and beverage sector. He has supported global leaders such as AB InBev, Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo, and Jägermeister on strategy planning cycles, brand and product portfolio optimization, and the development of innovation systems tailored to the China market.
Prior to joining Prophet, Tom held strategic roles at Alibaba and Neustar, where he built strong expertise in digital marketing and strategy. In addition to enabling growth for established enterprises, he also focuses on incubation and transformation strategy—supporting brands including Shiseido, COLMO (Midea Group), and BOE on category entry decisions and positioning development.
Tom holds a Master’s degree from Columbia Business School, where his curriculum spanned both PhD and MBA-level coursework. He contributes frequently to prominent industry publications, including Campaign, China Daily, and Vogue Business, and is known for sharp market insight and forward-looking strategic thinking that helps companies navigate complex market dynamics.
As "consumer insights" are repeatedly mentioned and gradually become a safe but hollow buzzword, marketers may need a more honest conversation that does not shy away from real-world friction:
When insights enter the decision room, are they truly the starting point of decisions, or merely used afterward to justify outcomes?
When insights conflict with growth targets, resource constraints, or personal judgment, how do brands actually make trade-offs?
And which insights, seemingly right in direction, fail to be executed due to timing, organizational, or cost constraints?
This panel brings together consultants and leading brands to discuss both methodology and frontline practice. Focusing on how insights are generated, evaluated, prioritized, and executed, the session will explore a critical question: in an increasingly uncertain business environment, how can consumer insights genuinely support key decisions and be translated into sustainable growth capabilities?