Asia-Pacific Power List 2025: Suhayl Limbada, KFC

Suhayl Limbada

Market lead & chief marketing officer
KFC
Bangkok
New member 

As market lead and CMO of KFC Thailand, Suhayl Limbada is reshaping what bold, socially grounded marketing can look like for a quick-service restaurant (QSR).

Having arrived at KFC during the peak of the Covid pandemic in 2022, he quickly elevated brand metrics across multiple parameters. Since then, he has elevated creative output, and—most recently—taken the reins as market lead in 2024, overseeing more than 1,000 restaurants nationwide.

Under his leadership, KFC’s 40th anniversary celebrations in Thailand became a high-impact brand moment, supported by major campaigns and activations that reinforced the brand’s cultural relevance. His marketing vision earned the brand Advertiser of the Year and Best Brand on Social Media at the Thai AdPeople Awards 2024, alongside over 80 creative accolades—including a Grand Prix at the London International Awards and a Gold Clio.

One standout campaign was ‘Rice Bowl’—a culturally rooted campaign that turned a local insight into a global success story, earning international creative acclaim. Limbada’s approach blends commercial sharpness with cultural fluency, empowering teams to produce work that’s as brave as it is relevant.

Beyond brand storytelling, he champions initiatives with lasting social impact. Through Harvest & Colonel’s Kitchen, KFC has provided over two million meals to underserved communities. Meanwhile, the Bucket Search Program helps out-of-school youth access mentorship and vocational training—demonstrating KFC’s ongoing role as a community force.

Limbada is also driving KFC’s sustainability agenda through its Green Stores initiative, with goals to cut plastic usage by 20%, install solar panels to reduce electricity consumption, and promote in-store recycling. These efforts fall under the brand’s ‘Done the Right Way’ principle which underscores a commitment to quality, responsibility, and environmental care.

Limbada is a regular speaker at industry events—including Campaign360, Marketing Oops! and the Adman Awards—where he consistently calls on the industry to tap into Southeast Asia’s creative firepower. He also engages directly with university classrooms and local forums, helping shape the next generation of Thai marketers. Plus, he’s a frequent jury member at global and regional awards including the APAC Effies, Bookmarks, and Campaign’s Agency of the Year.