Singapore – Couchbase, a global software company, has announced the appointment of Felicia Li-Gaillard as senior director of marketing for Asia-Pacific, a move underscoring the company’s ambition to expand its presence in one of the world’s most dynamic regions.
In her new role, Felicia will be responsible for spearheading Couchbase’s growth strategy across APAC, with a focus on driving adoption of the company’s modern database platform among industries increasingly reliant on data-intensive applications, such as financial services, telecommunications, and retail.
“My role as senior director of marketing for APAC is to drive Couchbase’s growth in one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse regions,” Felicia said in an exclusive interview with UpTech Media. “With demand for modern applications rising, especially in data-heavy industries like financial services, telecom, and retail, there’s a growing need for a database platform that delivers unmatched versatility, performance, scalability, and financial value. My mission is to position Couchbase as a key enabler for enterprise organisations to unlock innovation, accelerate AI transformation and redefine customer experiences wherever they happen.”
Felicia’s appointment comes at a time when companies across APAC are accelerating digital transformation efforts, seeking to modernise legacy systems and leverage AI to deliver smarter, faster, and more scalable services. She highlighted her main objective: turning Couchbase’s strong regional momentum into measurable, scalable growth.
“The key objective is to turn our momentum into measurable, scalable growth — whether that’s increasing brand visibility, enabling go-to-market teams, or building strategic partnerships,” she explained. “My focus is on creating real market impact by aligning closely with sales leadership and bringing a regional lens to global strategy.”
A dual-focus strategy: Short-term execution, long-term brand leadership
Felicia outlined a clear roadmap for her marketing leadership in APAC. In the short term, her strategy centres on delivering high-impact campaigns, refining regional storytelling, and driving close collaboration with sales and partner teams.
“In the short term, my strategy is about executional excellence: prioritising high-impact campaigns, localising global narratives, and activating vertical-specific messaging in our key-focused markets,” she said. “We’ve increased our event footprint significantly and built stronger collaboration across marketing, sales, and partner teams — and we’re already seeing the results.”
For the long term, Felicia has her sights set on building a scalable marketing engine that not only generates leads but positions Couchbase as a thought leader in the modern database space.
“Long term, I’m focused on building a marketing engine that scales — one that’s not just driving leads, but also elevating Couchbase’s brand as a thought leader in the modern database space,” she added. “That means investing in ecosystem engagement, strategic partnerships, and regional storytelling that speaks directly to the priorities of CIOs, CTOs, and business leaders across APAC.”
Bringing global experience to APAC growth
Felicia’s extensive experience includes leadership roles at Aboitiz Data Innovation (ADI) and Meta, and she says these past positions will directly inform her approach at Couchbase. For context, Felicia served most recently as the chief marketing and sustainability officer at ADI, where she was responsible for unlocking ADI’s growth in Southeast Asia through blending marketing and sustainability initiatives.
“Across both roles—at a global tech leader like Meta and a data/AI-driven regional innovator like Aboitiz Data Innovation — I’ve seen firsthand how critical local insight is to unlocking growth in APAC,” she shared. “What I bring to the table is a unique ability to bridge global strategy with local execution: scaling US-based technology brands in the region while also injecting global best practices to empower ambitious growth and innovation among APAC’s rising industry leaders.”
Felicia highlighted lessons learned at each company that she plans to apply at Couchbase.
“At Meta, I learned how to build brand equity and demand at scale using data-driven marketing, cross-functional alignment, and customer-centric storytelling,” she explained. “At Aboitiz, I operated much closer to the business frontlines — understanding how data and technology create value in regulated, traditional industries. At Couchbase, I bring both perspectives — I understand how to think globally and execute regionally, and more importantly, how to empower the APAC organisation to succeed as a strategic growth engine for the company.”
Tapping into APAC’s database market opportunity
Discussing the broader opportunity, Felicia pointed to a growing demand in APAC for database platforms that can handle complex, high-volume, real-time data needs, especially as companies pursue AI initiatives.
“We’re seeing a clear shift in APAC: organisations want faster, smarter, more scalable ways to build and run applications — whether they’re in banking, telco, or manufacturing,” she said. “That’s where AI-driven database platforms like Couchbase come in. There’s a real opportunity to help businesses move away from legacy systems and embrace platforms that are built for agility and growth.”
“Couchbase supports this by helping customers reduce complexity, lower operational costs, and improve customer experiences — all critical business outcomes,” she continued. “What excites me most is how we’re enabling innovation in high-growth markets — not just by selling a product, but by becoming a strategic partner to their transformation journey.”
Embracing AI and NoSQL innovation
Felicia also emphasised the importance of NoSQL technology and AI integration in delivering business efficiencies across the region.
“NoSQL databases are designed to handle large volumes of data with greater flexibility and speed than traditional databases,” she explained. “Unlike rigid, table-based systems, NoSQL allows businesses to work with dynamic, real-time data — which is essential in today’s fast-moving digital economy. For companies across APAC, this means faster application development, simplified operations, and the ability to quickly adapt to changing customer needs.”
“Couchbase takes this a step further by combining NoSQL flexibility with enterprise-grade performance and familiarity, reducing complexity while accelerating innovation,” she added. “As AI becomes a core driver of business efficiency and customer engagement, Couchbase is evolving to support this shift. With built-in capabilities that power AI-driven applications and real-time insights, we’re helping APAC companies unlock new efficiencies and deliver smarter experiences for their customers.”
Marketing as a strategic enabler
Felicia concluded with a vision of marketing that extends far beyond traditional boundaries — one that is tightly integrated with business strategy and execution.
“In today’s fast-moving and often unpredictable landscape, the role of marketing has evolved — it’s no longer just about awareness or lead generation, but about being a unifying force that drives business impact,” she said. “Marketers must challenge outdated playbooks, rethink how we operate, and lean into deeper alignment with sales, product, and regional leadership. It’s about moving beyond functional silos and becoming strategic enablers — translating global ambition into local execution, and unifying insights, execution, and storytelling across markets.”
“At Couchbase, that’s exactly the approach I’m taking,” she added. “When we bring together clarity of purpose, cross-functional collaboration, and market alignment, we’re not just delivering campaigns — we’re accomplishing the mission we set out to achieve together.”
Felicia’s appointment reflects Couchbase’s commitment to investing in local leadership and tailoring its strategy for APAC’s unique opportunities, as it continues its mission to help organisations modernise, innovate, and lead in an AI-driven future.
