Communications veteran Esther Kuang joins The Hoffman Agency as Shanghai General Manager

The Hoffman Agency has appointed communications veteran Esther Kuang Mei to spearhead Hoffman’s Shanghai operations as General Manager. Kuang will be responsible for strategic initiatives such as driving business growth, client services, operational management and staff development.

Prior to joining Hoffman, Kuang (pictured left) honed her communications and storytelling skills at several global PR firms, notably Edelman, GolinHarris and Text100 Worldwide. As Head of Practice for Edelman Shanghai’s Corporate Reputation & Strategic Communications, she was responsible for expanding the practice and supervising client work. In her two-decade career, Kuang has counseled clients in B2B, financial services, multi-industry MNCs and NGOs who required support for corporate reputation, go-to-market strategies and crisis management.

Kuang also held a position with the Harvard Center Shanghai – a hub for representing Harvard community and implementing various initiatives in China – as its Interim General Manager, where she led and oversaw the startup China operation and took responsibility for overall management of the Center and the WOFE. Esther started her career as a staff reporter with Reuters in China, and has spent seven years with investment firms before she joined the communications industry.

“Esther is a great addition to our Hoffman China team, her proven business acumen and track record of working with companies of all sizes and across many industries will serve her well in ushering our exponential growth in China,” said Cassandra Cheong, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, The Hoffman Agency. “Her vast global experience, local insights and leadership makes her a valuable talent who can jumpstart our Shanghai operations with new energy and reshape the team to provide a management consulting dimension to assignments beyond corporate reputation and branding for our clients.”

“As a communications professional who has seen the growth of China over the past decade, I personally believe that companies in China have a lot to gain by implementing storytelling in their communications and business decision processes,” said Kuang. “Like The Hoffman Agency, I too live and breathe this mantra. I look forward to joining this global family of storytellers and bring forth my skillsets to elevate the agency and its clients to greater heights.”