Rebecca Chan
Marketing Manager - The Arnott's Group
Rebecca is an accomplished marketing leader and brand lead for one of Australia’s most iconic brands, Tim Tam. In her current role, she leads cross-functional teams to deliver commercially driven business outcomes with direct input and ownership across profit and loss, strategic planning, communications and expansion opportunities.
Her innovative approach has catalysed three consecutive years of growth for Tim Tam, capturing increased market share, attracting new consumers, and pioneering unique product occasions — most notably, a Tim Tam perfume, Gluten Free Tim Tam and premium Tim Tam Deluxe range. Rebecca's leadership style is characterised by her ability to inspire and cultivate passion within her teams, aiming not just for results but for excellence in how those results are achieved. She is particularly passionate about diversity within leadership and fostering Asian female talent within the industry.
Career & Background
What inspired you to do what you are doing now?
Funnily, I wanted to be a lawyer throughout my childhood until I went through high school work experience and realised all the paperwork wasn’t for me. I thrive on working with cross-functional teams and doing something that allows me to flex both my creative and entrepreneurial side, which ended up being marketing – the rest is history!
Could you tell us a bit about your professional background and where you are headed in your career right now?
Prior to my current role, I worked at multinational companies including Ferrero and McPherson’s within the Proctor & Gamble fine fragrance division. My experience in brand management has spanned across local, global, owned and agency brands including Tim Tam, Nutella, Tic Tac and luxury fragrances Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Hugo Boss and Lacoste.
I personally believe careers are a marathon and not a sprint and that you must first and foremost enjoy where you work, as we spend a majority of our days doing so. A great leader, sponsor and empowering environment are so invaluable and is what continues to drive me and how I show up with my own team. I ensure I continue to stretch with breadth by having an element of learning and an open mindset in my day to day.
Your favourite food for thought
Books
- Not going to lie, I’m only recently getting back into reading so don’t have a list that I can recommend yet!
- Instead of books, my reco would be to seek broader perspectives. Have chats with friends, family, colleagues or someone in your extended network that can impart some wisdom or
their own learning journey. Being able to listen to someone else’s experience will add so much more depth but allow you to play out your own thoughts and uncover more on why
you are feeling the crossroads in the first place.
Podcasts / Thought Leaders
- My staple podcasts on my drive to work are generally related to quick news updates
* From the Newsroom
* The Daily Aus
* What The Flux
I then go through different podcasts depending on the day and mood I’m in (Some days I just need a jam music sesh).
Some new podcasts that have made the rotation are:
* How to fail with Elizabeth Day
* Mamamia out loud (I know, I’m late to the party!)
Beyond podcasts and books, I think having a conversation and actively listening is such an important skill for broadening your perspective.
What drives and inspires you
What are your core values?
- Family
- Integrity
- Empathy
Who is your biggest inspiration and why?
My parents and family are my biggest inspiration and motivation! As immigrants who came to Australia without a word of English, they are the catalyst for all my amazing experiences, opportunities and have instilled my core values of hard work, family and resilience. They keep me grounded and are my biggest why – particularly my niece when I think of the role model I want to be for her.
You as a Mentor
Why have you decided to become a mentor?
In a nutshell, to be the mentor I wish I had. I want to give back by fostering young talent, ultimately working to close the gap on diversity within leadership and more senior roles. And to learn a thing or two myself on how to be a great leader for the next generation of talent.
Earlier in my career, I didn’t realise mentorship programs existed, nor did I have the network (or confidence in fact) to chase after any of the opportunities within the industry, never applying for industry programs or putting myself out there for recognition like 30 Under 30. And if I’m completely honest, there wasn’t anyone in a position that I felt I could relate to.
What are the top skills or qualities you bring to mentoring?
- Collaborative
- Empathic
- Humble
- Non-judgemental
- Resilient
Ready to apply?
The best time is right now. Take a chance – you never know where an Assisterhood mentor can take you.