Burson welcomes two senior hires in Dubai

Michelle D’Heureux has taken up a promotion at Johnson & Johnson as Director, Communications & Public Affairs ANZ. She initially joined the team in 2022 as Senior Manager, Communication & Public Affairs.

Michelle has previously held a number of comms roles within the pharmaceutical, property, and food manufacturing sectors.

Lisa Harmer has been brought in as Media and Government Relations Lead at CEDA - Committee for Economic Development of Australia. She was previously GM of Communications and External Relations at Powering Skills Organisation. Prior to this, Lisa held in-house roles within the mental health and NFP spaces. 

Ruder Finn Era has appointed Huong (Hailee) Le as Managing Director, Vietnam. Based in Hanoi, she will lead the firm's Vietnam business as it expands its strategic advisory capabilities across the region.

Hailee brings more than 15 years of communications experience in Vietnam. She joins Ruder Finn Era from Pioneer Consulting, where she spent more than 13 years, most recently as Managing Partner, advising local and multinational clients on corporate, brand and reputation strategy. Hailee has worked with various organisations, including McKinsey, Traveloka, and Mambu across corporate communications, thought leadership, market entry positioning, and trade communications.

"Hailee's appointment is about putting genuine senior firepower exactly where our clients need it, in-market and accountable for outcomes," said Anthony Larmon, Managing Director, Southeast Asia, Ruder Finn Era.

"Vietnam's 8.02% GDP growth in 2025, the strongest in ASEAN, is fueling a new wave of multinational investment and demand for senior, AI-enabled communications counsel delivered in-market. Success here depends on people who understand its communities, not global playbooks applied from afar. We don't outsource, we don't hand off, and we don't localize templates. We design AI-powered strategies led by experienced consultants who own the work end to end."

Hailee shared, "I'm excited to join Ruder Finn Era at a time when communication is being reshaped by both technology and rising expectations from clients. AI has the potential to make our work smarter, faster and more insightful, but its real value comes from combining it with human judgment, local market understanding, and trusted client relationships. As we continue to grow in Vietnam, I'm looking forward to helping organisations embrace that balance and stay ahead of what's next."