Edelman names Yvonne Koh as Head of Corporate in Asia Pacific

Edelman, has appointed Yvonne Koh as Head of Corporate for Asia Pacific. Koh joins the firm’s APAC regional management team with responsibility for building on Edelman’s unique corporate specialisms across the region, including digital crisis management, employee engagement, B2B marketing and thought leadership for social media.

An award-winning global communications leader, Koh has spearheaded communications functions in both in-house and agencies. In her twenty-year career, she has worked across Asia Pacific and the U.S. and advised clients from diverse industries including fintech, enterprise technology, consumer electronics, consumer packaged goods, retail, healthcare and government agencies.

Koh reports to Dave Samson, Global Vice Chair of Corporate Affairs and will also serve as a member of the Global Corporate Practice team. She will work closely to retain and recruit the world-class talent we need to deliver high quality corporate work for our clients that is innovative and builds tangible impact.

“Yvonne joins us at a time when the stakes for companies have never been higher and their role in advancing the betterment of society more critical,” said Dave Samson, Edelman’s Global Vice Chairman of Corporate Affairs. “Yvonne is a smart operator with a rich mix of client and agency experience. Her leadership of a world-class team in our Corporate Practice will build strength on strength in support of our clients across the region.”

Stephen Kehoe, President and CEO, Asia Pacific at Edelman said: “Yvonne is representative of a growing base of talented female Asian leaders who are taking on senior agency roles in the region. We see this as a deeply encouraging sign for the future of the industry as we focus on building the next generation of locally-grown talent.”

Koh spent three years as the Asia Pacific Head of Communications at PayPal, leading internal and external communications. Prior to that, she led MSLGROUP in Southeast Asia and moved to the United States as Senior Vice President of their New York office. Most recently she has held management roles with Singapore-based agencies.

“We are living in a time of compounded inflection points. Companies are facing massive challenges in their business models, operations, people management and reputation, and often at the same time. Corporate affairs as a specialty is now more critical than before – communications firms that are committed to taking a business-centric, insight-driven approach are well positioned to counsel our clients through these unpredictable situations. As a global firm, Edelman has extensive scale, strong corporate capabilities in every region and industry-leading proprietary tools. I am excited to join the firm in strengthening our corporate advisory services for companies in the Asia Pacific region,” said Yvonne Koh, Head of Corporate, Asia Pacific.