Ten years may not seem long to some, but in the fast-paced PR and communications industry, it is more than enough time for a multitude of changes. From a recruitment perspective, roles have become broader, more regional, and more closely tied to business decision-making, while hiring conversations are revealing what organisations now expect from senior talent and what candidates need to show beyond technical experience.
As Brandwagon marks its 10-year anniversary, Telum Media spoke with Managing Director, Dee O’Neill, to look back on almost two decades of communications recruitment across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
In this 10 Years, 10 Questions feature, Dee reflects on lessons from 18 years in the region, spanning communications hiring, judgement, leadership influence, regional nuance, and staying visible in a tighter market.
1. How have expectations of communications candidates changed over the past 10 years?
I think the biggest change is that communications has gone from being a function that tells the story to one that helps shape business decisions.
Ten years ago, if I found a great writer, someone with strong media relationships and someone who knew how to manage a crisis, you were in a really strong position. Those skills are still incredibly important, but they’re now the baseline rather than the things that set someone apart.
What I hear from my clients is that what really differentiates communications professionals today is their ability to think commercially and strategically. They need to understand the broader context their organisations are operating in, whether that’s AI, geopolitical tensions, changing stakeholder expectations, or the speed at which misinformation can spread.
More and more, they’re sitting alongside leadership teams, helping them navigate risk, protect reputation, and make better decisions.
For me, though, the one thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of judgement.
Technology will continue to evolve, AI will change how we work, and the communications landscape will keep shifting. But organisations will always value people who can cut through the noise, understand people, build trust, and give calm, thoughtful advice when it matters most.
That’s what really defines the strongest communications leaders today.
2. What do companies often misunderstand when hiring communications and marketing talent?
This one is easy. I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that candidates need to come from the exact same industry to be successful.
I feel this has been disproved time and time again, but I’ve had to fight hard for these candidates. Industries can be learned; judgement cannot.
We have had some terrific success stories placing people from outside our in-house client’s industries.
Another misconception companies have when hiring communications and marketing talent across Asia-Pacific is that they recruit for execution rather than influence. They look for people who can produce campaigns, content, and media coverage, when the real competitive advantage lies in hiring professionals who can shape decisions, navigate cultural complexity across markets, and drive commercial outcomes.
In today’s APAC environment, technical skills might get someone hired; strategic judgement is what creates value.
3. Where do hiring briefs for senior communications roles often go wrong?
When a company wants a unicorn but has only budgeted for a very nice horse.
I see it all the time: a brief that asks for someone who’s strategic but hands-on, creative but commercial, digitally brilliant but an exceptional corporate communicator, has regional experience, can advise the CEO, manage a team, handle a crisis - and, ideally, has 15 years of experience with something that was invented five years ago.
Sometimes the perfect candidate doesn’t exist. But the right candidate does.
4. If you could improve one thing about how senior communications leaders are hired across Asia-Pacific, what would it be?
Get the level right if you really want impact.
This year, I have found myself consistently negotiating level with clients hiring senior communications leaders who are expected to advise the partners, CEOs, or boards.
My view is that, instead of being a partner to the leadership team, senior communicators should be on par with them to be really impactful. It is a key distinction.
We talk a hell of a lot about influence - being able to challenge thinking, build trust, secure buy-in, and shift the needle - but all of that is significantly harder when you are structurally positioned beneath the people you are expected to influence. That is just human nature.
So, I advise business leaders making these hires that being at a comparable level changes the dynamic: you are more likely to be brought into conversations early, your perspective is more readily considered as part of the strategic debate, and you have the credibility to challenge senior stakeholders when it matters. Put simply, if you want someone to operate at the leadership table, you need to give them a seat at the table.
That becomes particularly important during moments of complexity, crisis, transformation, or reputational risk - when communications judgement is fundamentally business judgement.
Good business leaders understand this, and I'm always pleased when a client recognises that the level of a role needs to reflect the influence they are expecting from it. For me, getting the level right isn't about hierarchy or title for its own sake (although I often have to defend this point) it is about giving a strategic leader the access, authority, and credibility to do the job you are hiring them to do.
If you hire someone to influence the room, don’t position them outside it.
5. Building on the importance of judgement, what makes someone genuinely effective at leading communications across APAC?
APAC is about half the world and contains an enormous number of markets, cultures, languages, and ways of doing business. So when I see a brief asking for someone to “own APAC communications”, I usually have a few questions.
What do you actually mean by APAC? Which markets? How centralised is the organisation? How much autonomy do local teams have? And, crucially, does this person need to be a strategist, an operator, a counsellor to the CEO, a crisis expert, and a magician?
Because sometimes “Head of APAC Communications” is actually five jobs wearing one very impressive title.
The great ones I know, and have been lucky enough to place, are endlessly curious and understand, on a deep level, the nuances of different markets. The best regional leaders understand that nuance without losing sight of the bigger picture.
They can operate globally but think locally. They can advise a CEO but still listen to the person on the ground. And they know when to push back on a global strategy because what looks beautifully consistent from London or New York can look completely tone-deaf in Singapore, Tokyo, or Mumbai.
6. Across the markets you work in, where do you see the biggest differences in what employers expect from senior communications talent across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East?
You need the strategic brain in both, but the way this looks in each market is different.
The UAE can be a very “big stage” communications environment. There’s a huge focus on reputation, visibility, executive positioning, and being able to operate with very senior stakeholders - often at extraordinary speed.
By contrast, APAC is more like conducting an orchestra where everyone has been given a different piece of music. A key thing to note about APAC is that cultural intelligence becomes absolutely critical.
You can’t just take something that worked beautifully in Dubai and say, “Right, let’s roll that out across Asia.”
Good luck with that folks.
7. After a decade of recruiting communications and marketing talent, what have you learned about the difference between confidence, capability, and career readiness?
I’ve learned that confidence and capability are rarely the same thing.
One of the biggest surprises has been how often exceptional people underestimate themselves, while others are incredibly good at selling their strengths. My job isn’t just about assessing capability - it’s about helping people recognise it in themselves.
Some of the best career conversations I’ve had haven’t been about convincing someone to take a role; they’ve been about helping them believe they were ready for it.
People often know the answer. They just need someone to give them permission to trust it.
8. When a role looks strong on paper, what should communications and marketing candidates consider before deciding whether it is the right move?
This is going to sound weird, but “Don’t take this job” is something I’ve said many times. Over the ten years, I’ve advised many candidates to walk away from roles that looked brilliant on paper.
Usually, there’s a disconnect somewhere: the role doesn’t match the brief, the leadership style isn’t right, the expectations aren’t realistic, or the candidate is making the move for reasons that won’t necessarily make them happier.
Or sometimes, the candidate is at a point in life - with young children, a partner who travels extensively, health concerns or other personal considerations - where you have to be honest about the bigger picture.
I’m dealing with human beings first and foremost, always.
I think good recruitment requires a degree of courage. You have to be prepared to say, “I don’t think this is right for you” - even when everyone else is excited about the opportunity.
For me, success isn’t measured by how many offers I get accepted. It’s measured by how many people come back to me years later and say, “You were right.”
9. What career advice do you find yourself giving communications and marketing candidates most often?
I have to answer this in two parts.
Firstly: follow great leaders.
Sometimes you need to think about the bigger picture. It isn’t always about the dollars or the title; it’s more about who is driving the bus.
Secondly, everyone who knows me knows I’m Irish, and I can’t help using a few old Irish sayings when coaching candidates through really challenging times in the workplace.
I believe strongly in the importance of building resilience, so a favourite of mine is:
Ní féidir an ghaoth a athrú, ach is féidir na seolta a athrú.
“You cannot change the wind, but you can adjust your sails.”
10. In a tighter hiring market, what should communications and marketing professionals do to stay visible, relevant and ready for the right opportunity?
Don’t disappear just because you’re not looking.
Keep talking to people, keep learning, keep your relationships warm and never underestimate the importance of constantly developing your network.
You never know when the right opportunity is going to come along - and it’s much nicer when it comes from a conversation rather than a desperate 11pm LinkedIn update saying, “I’m excited to announce that I’m open to new opportunities!”
And finally, don’t underestimate the importance of being a good human.
Be curious, be helpful, stay in touch and look after your relationships.
The market will turn again - it always does - and you want people to think of you when it does.
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