Katie Aung has stepped up to Director of Marketing and PR at Meranti Green Steel, a green iron and steel company with offices in Thailand, Singapore, and Oman. Based in Bangkok, she leads the company’s global marketing and communications strategy, overseeing PR activities across APAC, the Middle East, and Europe.

With more than 9 years of experience across APAC, Katie has held senior marketing and communications roles spanning the agency, corporate, and technology sectors.

Independent creative communications agency, alt/shift/, has announced the appointment of AI specialist, Tommy Hyde. Having worked alongside the agency's leadership team, has been tasked with building proprietary AI tools and systems, whilst working alongside clients to identify opportunities within their teams and business.

The appointment comes as alt/shift/ launches its first propriety tool, The Culture Wire. Conceived by the agency's Head of Social and Content, Damian Davitt, The Culture Wire is an AI-powered system that analyses patterns across media, online conversation and behaviour, and identifies cultural momentum before it reaches the mainstream.

alt/shift/'s Melbourne Managing Director, Sam Vassos, said: "At a time when a lot of people are talking about the impact or opportunities AI brings, we’re proudly investing and implementing smarter, more effective ways to deliver for our clients. Tommy's expertise gives us the technical capability to genuinely capitalise on what AI can do, and we're already seeing the impact of that across the agency.

"In PR and social, timing isn't just important - it's everything. Cultural moments, news cycles, trending conversations move fast, and if you're not structured to capitalise immediately, you're perpetually reacting instead of leading. Our clients are loving the pace at which we're able to bring them genuine opportunities, not missed moments."

Action Global Communications has secured renewed PR partnerships with BEYOND Developments' GLOBE SOCCER Awards, and the 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.The agency is also providing on-the-ground media support for the Phygital Games of the Future, which officially gets underway on 18^th December in Abu Dhabi.

The 16th edition of the annual GLOBE SOCCER Awards will take place on 28th December at Atlantis The Royal, sponsored for a second consecutive year by BEYOND Development. The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships returns to Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium from 15^th to 28^th February. Action has handled PR and social media for the event since 2023 and has retained the account for 2026 following a nationwide request for proposals. The team was also appointed as the lead agency for the 2025 Games of the Future, which will take place at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from 18^th to 23^rd December.

“When we started the sports division in 2006, the industry was still in its infancy in the region,” said Euan Megson, Action Global Communications’ Managing Director, MENA. “Fast-forward two decades and sport is not only a hugely important economic growth sector, but also a driving force of innovation as seen through the launch of new hybrid sporting events such as the Games of the Future in Abu Dhabi and the FIFAe Finals in Riyadh. We are proud to be a leading player entwined with the growth of regional sports in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and believe that this sector will continue to expand with new milestones in the years to come.”