Agenda
20 August 2025
Networking and registration
Opening remarks
9:00am
[Opening fireside chat]
Breaking through in an age of disruption: Balancing influence, policy, and public perception
Ben LaBolt
Former White House Communications Director and Senior Advisor to Joe Biden
President, BPI
Moderator:
Rezwana Manjur
Editor-in-Chief
MARKETING-INTERACTIVE
9:45am
[Panel discussion]
The governance dilemma: Navigating policy shifts, reputation, and risk in an era of uncertainty
Umesh Nair
Communications and CSR Director, East Asia, Singapore and Malaysia
Alstom
Andrew Nicholls
Managing Director
CARMA
Fatimah Alsagoff
Director, Government Affairs and Corporate Communications, Asia Pacific
Hasbro
Moderator:
Christopher Daguimol
Moderator
10:15am
Morning break
10:45am
[Case study]
Rebuilding influence in the era of white noise: From fragmented trust to strategic authority
Lars Voedisch
Group CEO
PRecious Communciations
11:00am
[Panel discussion]
Social journalism: PR’s strategic response to the new media landscape
Julie Chiang
Director
Robin Goh
Senior Vice President and Head of Group Communications and Marketing
Certis Group
Wendy Hah
Senior Vice President, Communications, South Asia
LOUIS VUITTON
Moderator:
Justin Low
Chief Communications and Talent Experience Officer, APAC
Omnicom Media Group
11:35am
[Case study]
Authenticity is the new currency: Ensuring trust in a blurred reality
Russ Horell
Chief Revenue Officer, APAC
Isentia
Prashant Saxena
VP, Revenue and Insights, SEA
Isentia
11:55am
Networking lunch
12:55pm
[Fireside chat]
PR on trial: The CEO’s verdict
Walter de Oude
Founder and CEO
Chocolate Finance
Moderator:
Rezwana Manjur
Editor-in-Chief
MARKETING-INTERACTIVE
1:30pm
[Case study]
From press release to press intelligence: How AI is rewriting PR for growth
Manisha Seewal
Group President
Redhill
2:00pm
[Case study]
Rewriting the narrative: Navigating crisis through community-led messaging
Anis Yusof
Group Chief Communications Officer
QSR Brands
2:30pm
[Fireside chat]
In the eye of the OpenAI storm: Navigating global hype and tech storytelling in an AI-powered world
Jake Wilczynski
Head of Communications, APAC
Moderator:
A'bidah Zaid Shirbeeni
Senior Journalist
MARKETING-INTERACTIVE
3:00pm
Networking break
3:30pm
[Panel discussion]
The crisis spiral: Why brands must reinvent reputation management in an age of instant backlash
Preeti Gupta
Corporate Affairs Director
BMW Group Asia
Sabrina Azmi
Research Solutions Director
CARMA
Lai Lai Yeong
Senior Assistant Director, Strategic Communications and Public Relations
Sentosa Development Corporation
Nina Yusman
Global Lead, Health Strategy and PR
Moderator:
Papri Dev
APAC Communications Head
Roblox
4:05pm
[Fireside chat]
Journalism without gatekeepers: How social platforms are shaping the news
Jaime Ho
Editor, The Straits Times
SPH Media
Moderator:
Rezwana Manjur
Editor-in-Chief
MARKETING-INTERACTIVE
4:45pm