Director Corp Comm & Public Relations HK & TW

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

The role will lead partners to catalyze corporate communication, public relations and government affairs impact and business value by applying deep subject matter expertise to manage strategies for policy and stakeholder engagement. This role is a forward-looking leader responsible for protecting and enhancing brand reputation, monitoring emerging issues, and representing the business in key regulatory and trade body forums. The role is pivotal in shaping the company’s external narrative, building influential relationships, advocating on behalf of the brand with key stakeholders, and ensuring the business is proactively positioned in a dynamic regulatory and reputational landscape across Hong Kong and Taiwan markets.

Key Responsibilities:

Corporate & Brand Reputation, Risk Monitoring & Strategic Communications

• Identify, cultivate and activate third-party voices (e.g., NGOs, government, advocacy groups) to support brand positioning and credibility.
• Act as a forward-looking guardian of the brand, with a strong understanding of reputational dynamics across Hong Kong and Taiwan, including geo-political sensitivities.
• Monitor emerging socio-political and cultural trends that may impact brand perception and advise on proactive strategies to mitigate reputational risk.
• Provide strategic counsel to internal stakeholders on corporate reputation and brand recovery and narrative shaping.
• Oversee content and channel integration across PR, social, and influencer channels, ensuring alignment with brand campaigns and commercial objectives.
• Drive and support broader comms initiatives, including media relations, digital/social campaigns, and internal communications, ensuring alignment with brand values and regional sensitivities across all channels

Corporate Communications Strategy

• Develop the overall corporate communications strategy , implementation plans and establish applicable targets to protect and enhance the brand’s reputation and standing.
• Build and maintain strong, trusted relationship with local, Chinese Mainland and international media and to enhance credibility, transparency and sustained engagement.
• Shape communications that support regulatory objectives and align with broader corporate reputation goals. Translate complex regulatory language into clear, accessible messaging for diverse audiences to ensure content align brand guidelines
• Proactively manage media relations to achieve positive coverage on promotional efforts and to secure understanding during less favourable or sensitive developments, and in times of crisis.
• Ensure external communications are executed according to agreed regional corporate communications strategies and plans; and evaluate the investment need for external PR agency and to lead the sourcing process, engagement and performance management where required.
• Lead and execute strategic storytelling initiatives to articulate the vision, brand propositions and key priorities across multiple platforms and audiences; and be a trusted advisor and craft messages and communication contents for senior leaders, as and when required.
• Work with internal business units to formulate communication plans and contents to ensure accurate information is shared with media to secure understanding on less favourable story/news related to the brand and to mitigate and minimise the negative impact of any issues related to the brand’s policies, measures or initiatives.
• Promote the standing of the Group by elevating communication on customer propositions, sales and marketing initiatives, sustainable development as well as the corporate position on all key topics of interest through all communication channels/platforms.
• Oversee messaging, editorial standards, thought leadership, speechwriting, and keynote placements for the HK and Taiwan leadership.

• Leverage knowledge and an established network of vendor and agency partnerships across the Hong Kong market to support the Non-Trade Procurement (NTP) team in reviewing the non-trade procurement process and related spend.
• Act as a subject matter advisor, sharing market insight on agency and vendor capabilities, pricing benchmarks and partnership quality to inform sourcing and negotiation decisions.
• Review the NTP process and provide recommendations to optimize it and drive efficiency and cost savings in non-trade related expenses 
• Partner with Procurement and Finance to strengthen value for money and supplier governance, in line with global procurement guideline

Key Relationships:

• Business Executives and Leadership
• HR
• Marketing
• Legal
• External vendors

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Exceptional strategic thinking, stakeholder influence, and executive presence, with proven ability to counsel top leadership
• Strong crisis communications leadership and experience managing high profile, sensitive issues.
• Deep expertise in media relations, digital and social communication strategies, content development, and brand storytelling.
• Excellent command of spoken and written English, Cantonese and Mandarin
• Demonstrated ability to navigate global multicultural environments with high ethical standards, diplomacy, and sound judgment.
• High integrity, trusted advisor capable of influencing diverse stakeholders
• Highly resilient, adaptable, able to operate in fast paced and rapidly evolving business environments
• In-depth understanding of socio-political landscape and keep abreast of current affairs
• Proven storytelling expertise, with experience shaping compelling narratives for corporate, brand and reputation management
• Good team player with strong people management and interpersonal skills; and demonstrate strong media network, with proven ability to build and sustain trusted relationships with local, Chinese Mainland and international media

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, Business, or related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• 15+ years progressive leadership in corporate communications/public affairs/reputation management within publicly listed, global, matrixed organizations.
• Proven leadership of global teams and cross regional communications in a complex, matrixed organization; international corporate communications leadership experience is a typical requirement at this level.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, fluency in both written and spoken English and Chinese
• Dynamic, adaptable and resilient, with the ability to work quickly and effectively in the fast changing retail industry and high-pressure situations.