Ares Management has welcomed Sanat Vallikappen as Principal, Corporate Communications, to lead external communications in the APAC region. He joined the global alternative investment manager's Hong Kong office after 11 years at Nomura, where he most recently served as Head of External Communications and Branding & Marketing, Asia ex-Japan. 

With more than two decades of media and comms experience, Sanat started out his career as a crime reporter in Mumbai. He then shifted into financial reporting with titles such as The Economic Times and Mint to cover capital markets, asset management, and private equity in India.

Sanat later relocated to Singapore, where he worked with Bloomberg News to cover banking and finance in Southeast Asia. He pivoted into comms in 2014 with Nomura to head its corp comms function in Singapore, and subsequently moved with the firm to Hong Kong to take up his most recent regional roles. 

Gprnt, a fintech initiative started by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, has appointed Shuhui Fu as Head of Marketing & Communications. Based in Singapore, she leads the development and execution of Gprnt’s marketing, branding, and strategic communications efforts.

Shuhui also shapes the company’s narrative, drives brand visibility, and engages with key stakeholders across the FinTech and sustainability ecosystem.

Prior to this, she was Head of Communications at UnaBiz, where she led integrated communications strategies supporting the company’s growth and positioning in the IoT sector globally.

Proton has welcomed Rita Monica Cruz as its new Marketing Communications Manager, where she will oversee product communications, media strategy, and digital marketing initiatives to strengthen brand presence and engagement across key markets.

Based in Malaysia, Rita was most recently the Marketing Manager at GoCar Malaysia. She brings with her over a decade of experience in the automotive and communications industry, having previously held roles at Proton, Nissan Malaysia, and Pixarus Communications.