Flash Coffee CMO exits for pivot into health tech

After over two years of steering the marketing helm at Flash Coffee, Tempest-Jody Larrichia has stepped down from his role as chief marketing officer, marking the end of a transformative chapter at the fast-growing start-up.

Larrichia first joined Flash Coffeee in 2022 with a mission to revitalise the brand. Now, with growth reignited and a new brand direction in place, he's stepping away to pursue a new challenge. Specifically, he will be making a career pivot into a health tech start-up based in Singapore.

“You know that feeling when you’ve played your best set — and the crowd’s still buzzing, but you know it’s time to hand over to the next DJ? That’s kind of how I felt. I achieved everything we set out to do when I joined the brand in 2022. We’ve redefined the brand, rebuilt the customer experience, and reignited growth — it felt like the right moment to step back, before the encore started sounding like a loop," Larrichia told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. 

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"I’m swapping promotions for purpose. I can’t wait to start to work in a totally new field, and to work in an area where genuinely it’s life changing stuff. It’s thrilling for me," he added. 

Reflecting on his time with the company, he described the journey as “part rocket ship, part rollercoaster — but mostly, a masterclass in reinvention.”

He added, "I’m proudest of helping the brand find its soul again. We moved from being just a caffeine fix to becoming a culture-led brand people actually care about. That shift, from transactional to emotional, is what I’ll always carry with me.”

Under Larrichia's leadership, the Singapore-based coffee chain rolled out an Indonesia-focused strategy and saw sales jumping over 50% in 2024. The expansion into the country included new food and drink menu, as well as multiple store openings across Jakarta and Bandung. At the time, Flash Coffee was already operating 67 stories in Indonesia, with plans to expand even further across the market. 

Earlier this year, the coffee chain also embraced the spirit of Ramadan and launched its first-ever digital campaign "Together with Flash" in Indonesia. The campaign was designed to foster deeper emotional connections with consumers and featured a series of heartfelt videos showcasing the role of coffee and conversation in bringing people together. 

Like many start-up leaders, Larrichia had to navigate the highs and lows of scaling fast in unpredictable conditions, likening the challenges to "building a plane and flying it, often with your coffee still spilling." 

Before joining Flash Coffee, Larrichia held senior brand and creative roles across global lifestyle and fashion brands. He was previously director of strategy, brand and creative at Ted Baker, global director of brand and visual experience at Puma Group, and international head of visual and head of creative at Arcadia Group.

Even in his final days with the company, Tempest was still launching new store openings across Jakarta.

When asked what advice he’d give marketers eyeing a start-up career, he said: 

Trade your playbook for a compass. The best marketers in start-ups aren’t the ones with the fanciest decks — they’re the ones who can read the room, pivot fast, and tell a story that sticks.

"Oh, and develop a high tolerance for chaos. If you can’t laugh at your sixth product relaunch, this may not be for you," he added. 

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