Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Public relations and content marketing agency Mutant in Malaysia has appointed branding communications veteran Archana Menon to be the new country head of Mutant Malaysia.

Through her new role, Menon will be responsible for overseeing and growing Mutant’s business in Malaysia, offering specialist services in branding, content development, PR, and digital marketing to both existing and new clients and driving results that boost sales, leads, and customer retention. 

Prior to her recent appointment, she was formerly the country head for the Malaysian arm of communications company Ruder Finn. She has accumulated more than 14 years of experience in integrated communications, media planning, and branding to the agency. 

She has also worked across a variety of sectors, including property, healthcare, technology, and telecommunications, and also includes a diverse track record that includes strategic counsel and crisis management for local and regional SMEs, startups, and government bodies.

“Mutant’s ability to pair strong storytelling with public relations has helped clients successfully navigate the transformation we’re seeing in the media landscape. I’m excited to now take things a step further by combining content, PR, branding, and digital marketing to attract a strong roster of clients, and help them stand out and drive business goals,” Menon commented regarding her appointment.

Her recent appointment comes as Mutant plans to expand regionally in Asia, including its goal of becoming a full-service, integrated agency, with new digital marketing and branding offerings. 

Menon will report directly to Joseph Barratt, founder and CEO of Mutant.

Barratt said, “Mutant is redefining how PR, content, digital marketing, and branding come together to help businesses succeed, and I’m excited to see how Archana will take her depth of knowledge, strong leadership, and passion for the job to solidify and grow Mutant in Malaysia.”

Sydney, Australia – Digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising firm Hivestack has announced a new appointment to their first advisory board, a step towards Hivestack’s APAC regional expansion.

Harry Dewhirst, formerly of independent advertising platform Amobee, to which he co-founded and was acquired by Singapore-based telecom Singtel in 2012, joins Hivestack’s advisory board and will overlook the company’s advising and counsel on its APAC strategic expansion.

Aside from his Amobee background, he was also the president of data analytics firm Blis, to which he worked on the company’s commercial partnerships and international growth. Furthermore, he has also worked as a non-executive chairman for public relations agency Mutant Communications, non-executive director for alcohol delivery company Trouble Brewing, and more recently as partner for fund investing startup Ballpark Ventures.

“I am thrilled to have the honor of being appointed as Hivestack’s first Advisory Board member”, commented Dewhirst. “Having led companies in the region and being both a serial entrepreneur and investor, I can clearly see why Hivestack’s technology and talent will advance the ad tech and martech industry in APAC. I look forward to facilitating their success and supporting their expansion plans in the region.”

Meanwhile, Andreas Soupliotis, co-founder and CEO of Hivestack commented, “We are delighted to welcome Harry as a member of Hivestack’s Advisory Board. His success as a founder and entrepreneur building and scaling digital and tech companies to huge success, makes him an invaluable asset as we continue to expand our operations in Asia-Pacific.”