PRovoke Asia-Pacific Summit & SABRE Awards 2023

Erin Atan

Regional Corporate Affairs Director, APAC, Heineken

Erin Atan is a member of the APAC Regional Leadership Team and the Global CA Management Team. 

She is a member of the Board of Thai Asia Pacific Brewery, HEINEKEN Lanka, HEINEKEN Laos, and HEINEKEN Malaysia. She is also a member of the APB Foundation Board of Trustees.

At HEINEKEN, she focuses on shaping the future of beer and beyond, managing reputational risks and building a sustainability strategy most relevant to the 24 markets in the region in which HEINEKEN operates. 

Her passion is people and building an inclusive mindset. She has led businesses and teams across multiple markets in APAC and beyond.  Her recent achievements include placing two Corporate Affairs talents into substantial P&L roles.

She is an experienced Corporate Affairs professional with an extensive background in brand strategy, reputation and crisis management, public affairs, integrated communications, and sustainability across different sectors, including aviation, automotive, conglomerates and financial services. 

Shruti Bose

Head of Communications and Public Affairs, Asia Pacific, Roche Diagnostics

Shruti Bose is the Head of Communications & Public Affairs for the Asia Pacific region at Roche Diagnostics. In this role, she is responsible for leading the regional corporate communications function, spanning public affairs, digital communications and employee ambassadorship. A trusted partner to the business, Shruti advises senior leaders on executive communication and external engagement activities. 

A firm believer in the power of integrated communications, Shruti oversees programs that help to shape the company’s reputation and thought leadership. Many of these have won industry recognition and awards including for Best PR Campaign of the Year. Before Roche Diagnostics, Shruti spent 10 years at leading global communications agencies, including Edelman and Weber Shandwick.

Jessica Lee

MD/Regional Head of Communications, HSBC

Jessica is a seasoned communications professional with over 36 years of communications experience. She has worked in various global companies across diverse sectors such as finance, technology, food, entertainment, and the environment. Jessica has a proven track record in developing effective internal and external communication strategies, including media relations, brand reputation, and digital communications. She is passionate about helping organizations transform and shape conversations and perceptions, particularly during complex and challenging times.

In the early stages of her career, Jessica gained valuable experience in junior communication roles in different industries, including time spent as a PR consultant at Burson Marsteller.

Over the past 25 years, Jessica has held leadership positions with renowned brands such as ESPN, Standard Chartered Bank, Aviva, McDonald's, and Netflix. In 2020, she joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, a newly-formed non-profit organization, before embarking on a new chapter in Hong Kong by joining HSBC Asia-Pacific in 2021.

Throughout her career, Jessica has lived in major cities across Asia, including Tokyo and Mumbai. During her time at McDonald's, she spent four years in China as the Chief Communications and Corporate Affairs Officer. Earlier in her career, she gained extensive communication experience in the financial services sector, working with Aviva Asia and Standard Chartered Bank.

Elan Shou

EVP & Managing Director, Ruder Finn Asia

As the head of Ruder Finn’s Asian offices, Elan leads a team of over 620 individuals across 24 offices in Greater China, South East Asia and India.

Elan has transformed Ruder Finn’s Asia-Pacific business from a US$10 million traditional public relations agency in 2013 to the US$50 million integrated marketing powerhouse it is today.

She also serves as the Global Chief Growth Officer for Ruder Finn and has introduced numerous top Chinese brands – such as Huawei, Vivo, Oppo, Xiao Mi and Tik Tok – to audiences around the world. 

Under Elan’s leadership Ruder Finn Asia is continually recognized for creating stand-out communications content and was named 2020 Regional Network of the Year and 2019 Multi-Market Consultancy of the Year by the Gold Standard Awards.

Elan believes in giving back to the community  and serves as the lone board member representing Asia on the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Board of L’Oréal.  She has also been on the Board of Directors for the China International PR Association (CIPRA) for over eight years.

Elan graduated with honors in the MBA program from the University of Chicago, and has dual bachelor’s degrees from Shanghai Jiaotong University. 

The clients she represents include some of the world’s leading brands: Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Audi, Tencent, Amazon, IKEA, MHD, Hermes, Cartier, Montblanc, Emirates, Shanghai Disney Resort, Singapore Tourism Board, Twitter, Roche, Abbott, GSK, Dyson, and Visa. 

A native of Shanghai Elan speaks Chinese, English and the Shanghai dialect.

Shweta Shukla

Head of Strategy, Communications & Corporate Affairs, Unilever International

Shweta has over 23 years of experience in spearheading Corporate Affairs & Communications in prominent FMCG Companies Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Kimberly Clark and Kellogg. Over two decades, she has honed her expertise in Corporate & Brand Communications, Government Affairs & Advocacy, Sustainability & Social Impact, Issues & Crisis Management, Executive & Employee Communications, in roles spanning local, regional and global scopes. Shweta’s passion lies in leveraging business and its stakeholders as a positive force, creating a profound impact on business, society and the planet.

Throughout her career, Shweta has brought corporate and brand purpose to life as pivotal business drivers. She has orchestrated numerous collaborations with government organizations, NGOs and key opinion leaders (KOLs). Examples include Unilever’s ‘Purpose for Growth’ partnership with NVPC (National Volunteering & Philanthropy Center in Singapore) and the Global Foodbanking Network; P&G’s enduring Shiksha (Education) initiative, now in its 15th year, dedicated to educating underprivileged children in India; shaping Kimberly-Clark’s “Toilets Change Lives” sanitation initiative, and the WWF partnership for eco-friendly products; and strengthening Kellogg’s Breakfast for Better Days programs across Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Furthermore, Shweta’s advocacy with the Government of India also facilitated better accessibility to health and hygiene brands through public-private partnerships, leading to a more favorable tax policy – creating a lasting impact on society and the industry.

Shweta’s involvement extends to membership in the Singapore Alliance for Actioning Corporate Purpose (AFACP), the Advisory Board of the World Toilet Organization, and speaking engagements at industry-leading forums such as the Stewardship Asia Center, National University of Singapore, Singapore Management University and UNGC Singapore. Her white paper on “Keeping Girls in School” was presented at the World Congress for Women’s Health and published by the University of Pennsylvania.

Within the industry, Shweta has held notable positions such as Co-Chair Public Affairs Committee at Food Industry Asia, Supervisory Board Member EU ASEAN Business Council, Member of Women’s Committee AMCHAM and served as a Jury member for PR Week, Holmes SABRE & Spikes Asia Awards. Most recently, Shweta was awarded the Individual Achievement SABRE by PRovoke Media, listed one of PR Week’s Top 500 Communications Heads and her team was recognized with the Public Affairs Gold Award for the “Best In-House” team.

Shweta earned her MBA in Advertising & Communications from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (Mumbai, India) and completed the Business Sustainability Management program from the University of Cambridge. She lives in Singapore with her husband and two teenaged sons. In her leisure time, Shweta enjoys volunteering with local community centers, up-cycling art, exploring sustainable fashion, painting and planning the family’s next vacation.

Stephanie Yu

Communications Leader, Asia Pacific, Lenovo