Guy McKanna joins agency as Senior Account Director

Danita Matusch has joined the team at Tourism Australia as Head of Media Relations. She has wrapped up seven years at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), in senior media and communication roles in Australia and the UK. Prior to this, Danita worked in comms across the environmental, not-for-profit and government sectors.  

Sandpiper has launched an AI-powered policy intelligence solution, Sandpiper Vantage.

The launch follows the consultancy’s ‘Turbulent Times’ research published in late 2025, which found that 62 per cent of global Executives expect revenues to be negatively impacted in 2026 due to geopolitical factors. The firm added that this trend has since been amplified by the evolving conflict in the Middle East.

According to the agency, Sandpiper Vantage aims to enable organisations to monitor policy, regulatory, and market developments across jurisdictions, languages, and stakeholder networks. It is designed to help teams identify emerging issues early, track shifts in policy and stakeholder sentiment, and access structured analysis to support engagement with policymakers and stakeholders.

Kelly Johnston, COO of Sandpiper, said, “In an era of rapid geopolitical realignment, organisations can no longer afford to be reactive and speed matters. With Sandpiper Vantage we have developed a transformational product using AI to disrupt the traditional market for policy analysis and advice. Sandpiper Vantage enables organizations to navigate complex policy and regulatory environments locally and globally. Its customisable intelligence engine is designed to give leadership and their teams the foresight they need to influence policy in real time to protect their reputation and operations.” 

Ashbury has appointed Jane Morgan (pictured) as Chief Client Officer and Head of Advisory, Singapore, and Saima Farooqi as Head of Advisory for the UAE.

As Chief Client Officer, Jane is tasked with enhancing Ashbury’s ability to deliver a consistently superior client experience and strengthening the team's dialogue with key clients. In her other role as Head of Advisory for Singapore, she leads Ashbury's client coverage in the market as well as managing the Singapore-based Advisory team.

Jane was most recently a Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting in Singapore and has also held senior positions at Golin and Edelman. She reports to Adam Harper, Ashbury’s Founder and Managing Partner, and coordinates closely with Noel Cheung, Partner and Head of Advisory.

"I have always been impressed by Jane's drive, her commitment to high standards and her strong focus on client relationships,” said Adam. “Her successful track record in consultancy leadership and client management will help us deliver the outstanding work that Ashbury is known for to a growing number of clients."

In the UAE, Saima leads the local team and is responsible for client relationships, reporting to Adam. Before joining Ashbury, she was an Executive Director in J.P. Morgan’s Asia Pacific Marketing and Communications team. Saima previously held senior corporate communications positions in Hong Kong, Dubai and London at BNP Paribas, the Dubai Financial Services Authority and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. She started her career as a journalist with Risk and FX Week.

“These two senior appointments are important steps forward in our strategy to become the leading financial communications consultancy focused on Asia Pacific and the Middle East," added Adam. “Their experience across consultancy leadership and in-house communications in the financial sector make us even more relevant to our clients. We will continue to invest in leading talent to grow our business and meet more of our clients’ needs."