Tonic Communications lands new client

Independent communications, public affairs, and research group, Sandpiper, has announced the promotion of three senior leaders.

Elizabeth Chu has been promoted to Managing Director, Financial Services and Managing Director, Singapore. She will oversee the growth of the financial services practice and take on broader regional leadership responsibilities. Elizabeth previously served as Deputy General Manager of Sandpiper Singapore before being appointed to lead the Singapore business in 2024.

Kimberley Spear has been appointed Managing Director, Financial and to the newly created role of Head of Employee Experience. Previously General Manager, Hong Kong, for five years, she will now oversee employee experience, including consultant development, and workplace culture.

Unice Liu has stepped into the newly created role of Head of Growth Markets. She will lead Sandpiper’s efforts in supporting organisations entering, expanding, and investing in growth markets, with a focus on risk management, reputation, and stakeholder engagement across Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

"Our success has been built on two pillars: exceptional people and an unwavering focus on delivering results for our clients,” said Emma Smith, CEO of Sandpiper Group.

”As organisations continue to invest in growth across Asia Pacific and the Middle East, they need advisers who combine local insight with regional reach, specialist expertise, and deep stakeholder understanding. These promotions reflect our commitment to investing in the next generation of our leaders who will help shape Sandpiper's future, strengthen our capabilities and continue delivering outstanding outcomes for our clients. Developing talent from within isn't just part of our culture; it's part of our DNA.”

(Pictured, from left: Elizabeth Chu, Kimberley Spear, and Unice Liu)

Asep Budiman has joined Priority Consultants as Account Director, based in Jakarta.

In the new role, he leads the firm's operations in Indonesia, overseeing client strategy, strategic communications, reputation management, business development and team growth.

Asep brings more than 18 years of experience in journalism, agency and in-house communications. He joins from Redhill, where he most recently served as Senior Account Manager.

Executive advisory and communications consultancy, SKMG, has appointed Gabrielle Dunbar as Associate Director, Deep Technology. She will lead the new division, helping founders communicate complex technologies to investors, prospective employees, and policymakers.

Gabrielle joins SKMG from London, where she was a Director at deep tech communications firm, Commplicated. There, she worked with university spinouts and early stage startups, across quantum technology, AI, advanced materials, defence, and biotech. Her work included announcements for funding rounds, VC fund launches, partnerships, technical milestones, and scientific publications.

Prior to that, Gabrielle spent eight years at Champion Communications, running campaigns for global cloud, data centre, and SaaS companies across EMEA, North America, and APAC. She also helped launch several businesses into new markets, including a hospitality tech company into Australia and New Zealand.

SKMG Co-founder, Neil Shoebridge, said: "The deep tech sector is growing rapidly in Australia and already has the highest rate of turning out unicorns for comparatively low capital investment in the world. Deep tech founders require specialised expertise to tell their story and fund expansion.

"With her extensive experience and great track record in the UK, plus an impressive understanding of the Australian market, Gabrielle is the perfect person to do that. We are delighted that she agreed to join the SKMG team."

SKMG Co-founder, Andrew Knowles, said: "The founders and changemakers we work with have already done the hard part: creating something that works. We're proud to be growing the business they trust to ensure investors, hires, and policymakers understand the value in what they are building.

"We're currently working with clients tackling the Australian housing crisis, delivering renewable solutions to energy security in Africa, protecting Australian copyright against AI and leading the science of word of mouth. Gabrielle is a remarkably adept operator who understands how founders think, what they need, and how to maximise value. We're so excited to have her on board."