Lucy Hughes Jones commences new role as Director of Media and Comms

H&M has promoted Laura Pietrantonio to the role of Marketing Director ANZ. She joined the team in 2023 as Head of PR and Communications ANZ. Prior to this, Laura held a number of senior comms roles within the retail and telco sectors.

Arnee Ismail has joined the Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI) as Director of Strategic Communication, bringing more than two decades of experience spanning corporate communications, brand strategy and stakeholder engagement.

In her new role, Arnee will lead MRANTI’s public relations, communications, brand, digital and events portfolios. She will support the organisation’s positioning as Malaysia’s technology commercialisation accelerator and strengthen engagement across industry, investors, innovators, researchers, government and other stakeholders.

Arnee joins from SME Bank, where she most recently served as Head of Strategic Communications. Throughout her career, she has worked across business, government and other stakeholder networks.

Commenting on her appointment, Arnee said: “Malaysia has a strong pipeline of innovators and technologies with the potential to create meaningful economic and societal impact. The opportunity is to communicate their value more strategically, connect them with the right audiences and build greater confidence in Malaysia’s innovation capabilities.

“I look forward to working with the MRANTI team and its partners to bring these stories forward and strengthen the organisation’s engagement across the ecosystem.”

Singapore-based pan-Asia PR firm, Ellerton & Co., has appointed Jon Russell, as its new Executive Director. The appointment adds further senior media experience to the agency’s senior management team, strengthening its work across venture capital, startups, crypto, and technology.

The agency said the appointment comes as Ellerton expands its services beyond traditional earned media communications into new areas in response to demand.

Based in Bangkok, Thailand, Jon is a former Asia technology journalist and crypto investor with more than a decade of experience in reporting and editorial roles for The Ken, TechCrunch, and The Next Web. He later moved into venture capital, including a role at Crypto.com Capital, and spent the past three years as an independent marketing and content consultant. He also continues to write with Asia Tech Review.

"Technology companies in Asia don’t just need more press coverage. They need clearer stories," said Jon Russell, Executive Director at Ellerton & Co.

"Founders and investors are operating across fragmented markets, with tighter funding conditions and a shrinking media landscape. Ellerton has built an impressive reputation in the last decade, and I look forward to helping grow the business around further still.”

"Jon has spent his career understanding how technology businesses in Asia are built, funded and communicated," said Oliver Ellerton, Managing Partner of Ellerton & Co.

"That combination of editorial judgement, investor perspective and founder empathy will strengthen the counsel we provide to clients. His appointment also adds senior leadership as we deepen our work across venture capital, technology and crypto.”