Christine Mei is on the board of Puig, where she serves on the Governance, Appointments and Remuneration Committee and helps guide strategy, leadership and long-term growth. Her board perspective is informed by over 35 years of experience in leading global consumer businesses, often at pivotal periods of expansion, reinvention or market entry.
She started her career at Procter & Gamble, where she helped develop some of the company’s first brands in China. She later invigorated markets throughout Greater China and Southeast Asia with Nike, directed strategic growth and operations at Coca-Cola, ran a billion-dollar global business at Philips, and drove regional growth at Beiersdorf. As CEO of Gathered Foods, she joined the venture-backed realm, growing a plant-based seafood company to over 20 countries and thousands of retail doors.
Mei brings to the boardroom a down-to-earth understanding of how brands grow, how markets shift and how leaders turn strategy into actual results across cultures and geographies.
Governance Contribution and Boardroom Impact
Christine Mei adds a commercial operator’s mindset to the boardroom. She has led regional and global businesses in P&G, Nike, Coca-Cola, Philips and Beiersdorf, and later became CEO of Gathered Foods, where she grew a venture-backed plant-based brand into over 20 countries. That range allows her boards to have a realistic view of what growth actually demands across supply chains, markets and teams.
At Puig, where she sits on the Governance, Appointments, and Remuneration Committee, she is involved in strategy and leadership decisions with a focus on long term value and not short-term optics.
She knows executive compensation in the context of performance, culture and brand strength because she has had full P&L responsibility herself.
What guides her perspective on governance is practical and experience-driven:
- Growth must manifest itself in the numbers, not just the story.
- Brand and consumer insight are competitive assets rather than marketing slogans.
- Global expansion demands cultural fluency and operational discipline.
- Innovation is irrelevant if it doesn’t reach shelves, customers, and profit.
What She Brings to the Boardroom
Christine Mei brings the perspective of someone who has established businesses across markets, cultures and growth stages. She relates what is happening in the marketplace to what is being discussed in the boardroom, grounding strategy in actual consumer behaviour, operating realities and long-term value creation.
Growth and market building
As CEO of Gathered Foods, Mei spearheaded a venture-backed company from early stage to international scale, growing into over 20 countries. Earlier in her career, she helped support growth and market entry across China and Asia Pacific, providing her firsthand knowledge of how expansion really works beyond strategy slides.
Global brand and consumer insight
Through leadership positions at Procter & Gamble, Nike, Coca-Cola, Philips, and Beiersdorf, Mei created and directed global brands and portfolio and market strategies. She understands how insight from consumers, brand strength and positioning translate into sustained growth and competitive advantage.
Execution and operational leadership
With full P&L and general management responsibility across businesses globally, she has practical knowledge of scaling operations, integrating acquisitions and driving performance across regions and functions. Her perspective reflects someone who has run businesses, not just advised them.
Governance, leadership and future readiness
In the boardroom, Mei is focused on talent, culture and leadership, governance and executive compensation. As a mentor, advisor, and Professor of Practice at the University of Texas at Austin, she also keeps up with innovation and AI-driven business thinking, helping boards stay ahead of the curve while anchored in execution.
Background
Christine Mei brings 35+ years of global leadership experience as a CEO, senior executive, and board director. Her career spans APAC, EMEA, and the Americas, shaping her global perspective. She is a Professor of Practice at the University of Texas at Austin. Mei holds an MBA from Rice University and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
Connect with Christine Mei on LinkedIn HERE.
Directors in Focus
Directors in Focus highlights the board members who shape strategy, navigate complexity, and drive governance excellence across industries. Each profile examines the competencies, decisions, and perspectives that define effective board leadership in an era of heightened scrutiny and global volatility.
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