Uber Advertising has appointed Michael Levine as head of APAC sales, a newly created leadership role that reflects the company’s growing investment in the Asia-Pacific region and its commitment to localised advertising solutions.
Based in Sydney, Levine will oversee Uber Advertising’s sales and operations across six diverse markets: Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
Chatting exclusively to B&T following his appointment, Levine said that the role has been created “in response to the momentum that we’re seeing across the region and our commitment to supporting advertisers with localised solutions”.
“It is a region that is extraordinary in its diversity, in its makeup of cultures and capabilities and innovation. And I think with that comes a wealth of untapped potential and exciting customer challenges for us to solve”.
Levine brings deep experience to the role, having launched Uber Advertising’s first international market in Australia and New Zealand just over three years ago. “I was fortunate to be the first of the international country leads bringing Australia and New Zealand online,” he said.
“We’ve had undeniable momentum and a positive response from advertisers and agencies here in Australia. But I’ve also been supporting across the region… and already partnering closely with local teams and cross-functional leaders to lay the groundwork for our long-term success”.
In his new role, Levine will lead a growing team of over 50 advertising professionals across the region, with a focus on product localisation, strategic expansion, and measurement innovation. “It’s about being really intentional as we think through expansion opportunities,” he said.
“One of Uber’s greatest advantages is this unwavering commitment to localisation. So for me, a core priority as I scale up the team is ensuring that we grow in a way that is both strategic and sustainable, always rooted in deep local insights and cultural fluency.”
Levine’s approach is grounded in what he describes as Uber’s unique ability to connect brands with consumers in real-world, high-intent moments. “Brands that win are the ones that show up in key moments,” he explained. “These key moments are where intent is high, attention is focused, and decisions for consumers happen fast. Uber’s platform sits at that intersection.”
That philosophy is underpinning new product innovation across the region. “Today, we are launching ride offers in Australia as a strong new addition to our product suite,” Levine revealed. “This allows brands to reward Uber riders with high-value offers on their next eligible ride… showing up as a brand in users’ lives with relevance, utility, and purpose.”
Ride Offers can transform how brands show up for consumers, providing value in the form of discounted Uber rides. By sponsoring these rides, advertisers foster brand affinity and customer loyalty and reinforce their relevance during pivotal everyday moments.
The announcement of Ride Offers was made at Cannes Lions back in June. B&T’s own Tom Fogden caught up with Uber at the time.
Uber is also evolving how it shares insights with advertisers, launching data-driven consumer events across APAC. “We have pioneered events like Delivered for QSR marketers and retail media events across markets like Taipei and Tokyo, and next month in Sydney for CPG brands,” Levine said. “We’re doing a really nice job of helping partners understand consumer behaviour and driving growth on our platform by sharing those insights.”
Uber’s work with Red Rock Deli is a prime example of this. Recently, the brand leveraged Uber and Uber Eats to drive impulse snack sales, embedding the brand into alcohol purchase occasions. The campaign seamlessly connected Red Rock Deli with high-intent alcohol shoppers, creating a compelling and frictionless chip and wine pairing opportunity.
The campaign delivered a 608% ROAS, 163% incremental ROI, and 70% new-to-brand customers, demonstrating how Uber’s platform can drive impact at scale.
“We saw strong return on ad spend,” Levine said. “We can measure an increase in chip orders. We can measure incrementality on their return. We can measure new-to-brand customers, and more traditional metrics like ad awareness and time spent with the brand.”
With a strong foundation in ANZ and rising advertiser demand across verticals such as QSR, retail, grocery and financial services, Levine says the opportunity ahead is significant. “The energy and momentum of what we’re building is incredible, and I couldn’t be more excited about what’s next.”
