FINN Partners has partnered with Design Hotels to lead its APEC communications efforts. In this partnership, the agency is responsible for the strategic public relations, storytelling, and content creation to strengthen Design Hotels' brand and presence across key markets in the Asia Pacific region, excluding Mainland China.

"We are thrilled about our new exciting partnership with Design Hotels," commented Annouchka Behrmann, Managing Director, FINN Partners Hong Kong. "The brand is about storytelling through design with each property having its own unique narrative. We're excited to help share that story with travellers across Asia Pacific." 

"At Design hotels, our strength lies in the vision of our community of Originals," said Stijn Oyen, Managing Director, Design Hotels. The 'Originals' refer to the pioneering owner of each property in the group's portfolio. "Partnering with FINN Partners helps us communicate that design-led ethos with clarity and consistency as we expand our portfolio in Asia Pacific.

"As we welcome more independent hotels, we remain dedicated to curating properties that truly captivate travelers through authentic cultural connections and expressive designs."

Ian Lee has started a new role as Senior Account Director at W Communications. Based in Singapore, he leads team operations, business growth and partnerships, in addition to servicing clients across the corporate, finance and tech sectors.

Ian has amassed over a decade of agency and in-house communications experience from organisations including Cognito, The Hoffman Agency, Mutant Communications, and Instagram.

Special PR has announced the appointment of three new team members in New Zealand, including Julianna Permitin as Senior PR Director.

Julianna returned to New Zealand to take up the role after spending nearly three years in the UK, where she specialised in technology and corporate. Prior to that, she worked at Sling & Stone in New Zealand, handling corporate and consumer briefs for both global brands and start-ups.

She said: "Special has always stood out to me as an agency that’s redefining comms in New Zealand.

"Bold, ambitious, and unafraid to do things differently. I wanted to keep the pace and energy of London 'agency life' going, and there’s no better place to do that than with a team that’s setting the pace for the industry itself."

Alongside Julianna, Kale Dixon and Georgia Grindle have taken on the roles of Senior PR Executive and PR Executive, respectively.

Kale previously worked at Pead PR and will now work across various accounts, including Tourism New Zealand, Air New Zealand, DB Breweries and Datacom. Georgia, who originally joined Special PR as an intern earlier this year, will support clients, including Jaguar Land Rover, Restaurant Brands, and Moët Hennessy.

Special PR's Managing Director, Kelly Grindle, said: "Special PR has been on an incredible trajectory of growth, new business wins, and most importantly, some incredible work.

"Our team is what makes us ‘Special’ and I’m thrilled to have three new members join us on our mission to deliver some of the freshest PR thinking in the region."

^{(Pictured, from left: Georgia Grindle, Julianna Permitin, and Kale Dixon)}