Hotwire has announced the appointment of Melissa Cullen to the new role of managing director (MD) of communications for the Asia Pacific region (APAC).
In her new position, Cullen is responsible for the Hotwire business in Australia and will expand the reputation and relationship services footprint across APAC.
Heather Kernahan, global chief executive officer of Hotwire, said of the appointment: “We were looking for an experienced tech communications leader with the drive and ambition to expand our communications and public relations services in both capabilities and reach as we build with clients across Asia Pacific.”
“Mel’s experience in running her own agency for more than a decade, her work as a senior communications strategist with global tech brands and her leadership role in the PR industry are a fantastic combination that bring value and expertise to Hotwire clients and our team,” she added.
Melissa Cullen and Heather Kernahan
Cullen will work alongside Anol Bhattacharya, MD of Marketing APAC, deepening the consultancy’s offerings in communications strategy, public relations, media relations, digital marketing, crisis and issues management, content production, executive thought leadership services, account based marketing, corporate narrative platforms and influencer management.
Cullen said of appointment: “I am thrilled to be joining Hotwire to lead our communications services across APAC into an exciting new growth chapter. Hotwire is a truly global agency with deep expertise in technology communications and marketing and I am really looking forward to partnering with our clients to share their stories of success and deliver real commercial impact.”
Previously, Cullen worked in senior roles at Icon Agency, Finchco and Ogilvy, leading on major clients including Salesforce, Westpac and Microsoft.
Prior to this, Cullen was co-founder and managing director of Res Publica, where she spent fifteen years designing and delivering successful communications programs for some of Australia and the world’s best-known brands and businesses including Lion, Unilever, Westpac, Jurlique, Priceline and Gatorade.
Throughout her career, Cullen has held several leadership roles within the Australian public relations industry including Chair of the Public Relations Council and Board Member of The Communications Council.
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Top image: Melissa Cullen