Senior comms appointment at The Sira Lombok

Shannon Rees has started Nuance - Communications and Engagement Group a communications consultancy based in Australia, with a focus on strategy, government and communications. She was at the NDIS for more than a decade, where she held roles including as GM Strategic Communications. Prior to this, Shannon lead communications and brand for the Western Bulldogs and was Chief of Staff for Federal Sport Minister, Kate Ellis 

Hong Kong-based AI consultancy for marketing and communications teams, UnMute, has appointed Owen Brown as Director of AI Solutions.

In the new role, Owen will focus on improving the firm's internal AI systems and workflows. He will also build client solutions - primarily tools and agents within Microsoft Copilot environments - and support the delivery of UnMute's AI integration and implementation strategies.

Prior to joining UnMute, Owen worked at Edelman Hong Kong, supporting a wide range of clients and contributing to the firm's APAC Editorial Centre of Excellence. He also helped lead AI transformation initiatives at the agency as Solutions Builder and co-lead of the office’s AI squad, developing AI strategy, building custom GPT-based tools and agents, and training teams to integrate AI into client work.

Owen brings international experience in communications and content, having previously advised senior executives, founders, and institutions across finance, healthcare, technology, and public policy. He specialises in narrative development, executive thought leadership, and editorial content, including messaging frameworks, whitepapers, speeches, and bylines.

Commenting on the appointment, UnMute Founder, Darren Boey, said: "A Director of AI Solutions wasn't a role most teams were budgeting for a year ago. It is now because real economic value is starting to surface in AI: in the technology itself, and in people like Owen, who understand their industries and vocations deeply enough to help teams integrate it well." 

Sentosa Development Corporation has reappointed We. Communications as its public relations agency. Under the remit, the agency will support a range of communications efforts, including strategic communications and media relations.
 
Commenting on the partnership, Daryl Ho, Managing Director of We. Communications, said: “Over the years, we have built a strong, collaborative relationship grounded in shared ambition and clarity of purpose through outcomes-driven campaigns like the launch of Sentosa Sensoryscape, Sentosa Grillfest, Peranakan Reimagined, Cooling Sentosa, to name a few. As Sentosa continues to evolve as one of Singapore’s most significant destination stories, we look forward to deepening our role as a strategic communications partner - shaping narratives that reinforce its relevance for Singaporeans and visitors as a place to rest, reset and reconnect.”