HONG KONG — Jardine Matheson has named Erin Atan is its new group corporate affairs director, ahead of the upcoming retirement of Neil McNamara.

McNamara, who spent almost 30 years with the Hong Kong-headquartered conglomerate, previously held the company secretary and corporate affairs leadership roles. Atan takes on the latter, while Jonathan Lloyd, who joined the company in 2015, becomes group corporate secretary.

Atan, who reports to Jardine Matheson CEO Ben Keswick, joins from Rolls-Royce, where she spent more than six years, most recently as communications director for Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Turkey. Prior to that she led BMW Asia's communications remit, and also served a six-year stint at Lewis.

At Jardine Matheson, Atan told the Holmes Report she will be responsible for "translating the group’s strategic direction and priorities into a global positioning and integrated communication strategy including corporate communications, public affairs and brand."

Founded in Hong Kong in 1832, Jardine Matheson's subsidiaries include such high-profile names as Jardine Pacific, Jardine Motors, Hongkong Land, Dairy Farm, Mandarin Oriental Group and Astra International — representing extensive operations across Greater China and Southeast Asia.