Reporting to Essence’s chief executive for China, Benjamin Wei, Kong (pictured) will be responsible for leading brand and communications strategy for the agency’s clients, as well as for market initiatives.

With more than a decade of industry experience on both the agency and brand sides, Kong is a seasoned strategy leader in media and advertising, helping marketers to drive growth and differentiation for their businesses.

Joining Essence from PHD in China where she served as group strategy director, Kong was also a key account lead for a wide variety of clients and is said to have been instrumental in winning new business for the agency. Other companies she has worked at include Carat, Razorfish, AKQA and Estée Lauder.

“I’m excited to welcome Gabrielle to our team,” said Essence’s Wei. “As a strategist with creative, digital and media agencies, as well as on the brand side, she brings with her extensive knowledge and experience from across brands and categories.

“I believe her strategy leadership will help uncover more opportunities for growth, spark ideas that will differentiate brands away from the average and deliver better experiences for consumers, further strengthening Essence’s unique position as a full-service media agency for new-era marketers in China.”