CANVA APPOINTS LAURAN KANTOR AS HEAD OF MARKETING FOR SOUTHEAST ASIA  

Canva has named former Foodpanda executive Lauran Kantor as Head of Marketing for Southeast Asia. Reporting to CMO Zach Kitschke, Kantor brings nearly two decades of global marketing experience across agency and brand roles, strengthening Canva’s regional growth strategy in high-potential Southeast Asian markets.  

Lauran Kantor’s appointment as Head of Marketing for Southeast Asia at Canva marks a significant leadership move for the global visual communications platform as it sharpens its regional ambitions in one of the world’s fastest-growing digital markets. Reporting to Zach Kitschke, Canva’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Kantor steps into the role with a career that spans nearly two decades across agency and brand-side leadership, and with deep experience navigating complex, multicultural markets in Asia-Pacific and beyond.

Kantor joins Canva after a long and influential tenure at Foodpanda, where she played a central role in shaping the brand’s marketing identity and sustainability agenda in Singapore. She left Foodpanda last year, having most recently served as Marketing and Sustainability Director for Foodpanda Singapore. Her journey at the delivery platform began in 2016, when she took on the role of Head of Marketing. Over the years, her remit expanded steadily, reflecting both her impact within the organisation and the increasing strategic importance of marketing in Foodpanda’s growth story. From brand building and consumer engagement to purpose-led initiatives around sustainability, Kantor’s portfolio evolved in tandem with the company’s ambitions in a highly competitive sector.

At Canva, Kantor’s appointment comes at a time when the company is intensifying its focus on Southeast Asia, a region that has emerged as a critical growth engine for global technology platforms. With millions of users ranging from individual creators and students to small businesses and large enterprises, Canva’s presence in markets such as Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam has grown rapidly. Marketing leadership in the region therefore demands not only creative excellence, but also a nuanced understanding of local cultures, languages and digital behaviours. Kantor’s career trajectory suggests she is well positioned to navigate these complexities.

Before her time at Foodpanda, Kantor built a diverse professional foundation across the UK, Australia and Singapore, gaining experience on both sides of the marketing ecosystem. She has held roles at Bupa, where she worked on the brand side within a highly regulated and trust-driven industry, and at Ogilvy & Mather, one of the world’s most influential advertising agencies. These experiences exposed her to a wide spectrum of marketing disciplines, from strategic planning and brand storytelling to integrated campaigns and client leadership. The combination of agency rigour and in-house execution has been a recurring theme in her career, shaping her approach to building brands that are both creatively strong and commercially effective.

Canva’s decision to bring Kantor on board underscores the company’s emphasis on seasoned leadership as it scales its marketing operations globally. Since its founding in Australia, Canva has transformed from a design tool for non-designers into a comprehensive visual communication platform used by individuals and organisations worldwide. Marketing has played a pivotal role in that evolution, helping to democratise design and embed Canva into everyday workflows across education, business and social media. In Southeast Asia, where mobile-first behaviour, social commerce and creator culture intersect in powerful ways, the challenge lies in localising a global brand while maintaining consistency in purpose and voice.

Reporting to Zach Kitschke, Kantor will be part of a marketing leadership team that has increasingly focused on storytelling, community building and brand trust. Kitschke, who joined Canva after a long tenure at Google, has emphasised the importance of clear, human-centric communication as the company expands its product suite and enters new markets. Kantor’s background in both marketing and sustainability aligns with this broader vision, particularly as consumers and businesses across Southeast Asia become more conscious of ethical practices, environmental impact and social responsibility.

During her time at Foodpanda Singapore, Kantor was closely associated with initiatives that went beyond traditional marketing metrics. As Marketing and Sustainability Director, she was involved in integrating sustainability into the brand narrative, balancing commercial objectives with long-term societal considerations. In a sector often criticised for its environmental footprint, this role required careful stakeholder management and credible action, not just messaging. That experience is likely to inform her approach at Canva, where issues such as digital inclusion, education access and responsible technology use are increasingly part of the conversation.

Kantor’s career path also reflects the growing prominence of Southeast Asia as a hub for senior marketing talent. Having worked in the UK and Sydney before settling in Singapore, she represents a generation of leaders who bring global perspectives while remaining deeply embedded in regional realities. This blend is particularly valuable for companies like Canva, which operate at the intersection of global scale and local relevance. As Head of Marketing for Southeast Asia, Kantor will be responsible for aligning regional strategies with Canva’s global brand vision, while ensuring that campaigns resonate authentically with diverse local audiences.

Her appointment follows a broader trend of technology companies investing in experienced regional leaders to drive growth beyond North America and Europe. Southeast Asia’s young demographics, rising internet penetration and expanding small-business ecosystem make it an attractive market for platforms that enable creativity and entrepreneurship. Canva’s tools are already widely used by startups, educators and content creators across the region, but competition for attention is intense. Effective marketing, therefore, is not just about visibility, but about building long-term relationships with users and communities.

For Kantor, the move to Canva represents both continuity and evolution in her career. Continuity, in that she remains focused on consumer-centric marketing in digital-first businesses; evolution, in that Canva operates at a different scale and with a broader mission than food delivery. The platform’s emphasis on empowering users to communicate visually aligns with her experience in building brands that connect emotionally and purposefully with audiences. It also presents new challenges, from marketing AI-powered design tools to engaging enterprise customers while retaining appeal among individual users.

As Canva continues to roll out new features and expand its enterprise offerings, marketing leadership in Southeast Asia will play a crucial role in driving adoption and trust. Kantor’s remit is likely to encompass brand strategy, integrated campaigns, partnerships and community engagement across multiple markets, each with its own regulatory, cultural and competitive dynamics. Her track record suggests a collaborative leadership style shaped by years of working across functions and geographies.

Ultimately, Lauran Kantor’s appointment signals Canva’s confidence in experienced, regionally grounded leadership to steer its next phase of growth in Southeast Asia. With a background that spans agency creativity, corporate brand management and purpose-led marketing, she brings a multifaceted perspective to the role. As the platform continues to position itself not just as a design tool but as an essential communication partner for millions, the effectiveness of its regional marketing strategies will be closely watched. Kantor now steps into that spotlight, tasked with translating Canva’s global vision into stories, campaigns and connections that resonate across one of the world’s most dynamic regions.