Eugene Cha - Navarro is the managing director and head of Oceania at CJ CheilJedang, a food & biotech arm of South Korean conglomerate CJ Group operating in diverse industries including food manufacturing, foodservice, bioscience, entertainment & media, retail, and logistics. Under her leadership, she secured the company's first local manufacturing site in the Southern Hemisphere for its iconic dumpling ranges. She has also expanded local production across more food categories and successfully introduced Korean food and culture to major retailers throughout the region.
Before joining CJ, she built a distinguished marketing career with Nestlé, working with prominent brands such as KitKat and Maggi. She held various global and local leadership positions, including Global Strategy Director for the foodservice business in HQ and Marketing Director for KitKat in Japan and Korea.
She holds a Ph.D. from Keio University in Tokyo, Japan, and an MBA from IMD (International Institute for Management Development) business school in Lausanne, Switzerland.
In 2020, Bibigo dumplings generated 670 billion won globally, with 420 billion won from the U.S. and 160 billion won from China. Their success lies in differentiation—blending authentic flavors and innovative concepts to meet diverse market demands. Bibigo excelled in balancing tradition and modernity: standing out in China with its 1,800-year dumpling heritage while introducing dumplings to many first-time U.S. consumers. By studying Bibigo's strategies, product managers can learn how to innovate within traditional categories and adapt to diverse cultural tastes for global impact.