SINGAPORE — Sandpiper has appointed three new executives to take up leadership roles in the firm's technology practice across Asia-Pacific.

Mark Johnson will lead technology for Sandpiper across Asia-Pacific, while Hetty Musfirah and Rong Li will helm Southeast Asia and Greater China respectively.

“With technology playing a growing role in every aspect of our lives, and innovation occurring at an accelerating rate, communications and public affairs challenges are increasingly entwined,” said Emma Smith, Sandpiper chief executive.

“We believe our combined communications and public affairs offering is a unique proposition in the region to help technology companies of all stages of maturity navigate future challenges.”

Johnson has over 18 years of experience in communications, public affairs, and public policy. He first began his career running election campaigns in both the United Kingdom and European Parliament, and has worked in multiple countries in Asia, including China and Indonesia.

Most recently, Johnson was co-founder of SEEDstrategies, a consultancy which launched in 2019 and focused on startups. Johnson’s previous roles include being an advisor at GGEC (Global Green Economic Consulting), head of customer experience at INSEAD, and senior associate director at APCO Worldwide. 

Musfirah has worked in the media, communications, and public affairs space for more than 15 years, Prior to joining Sandpiper, she served as a deputy press secretary in Singapore’s Prime Minister Office and Ministry of Trade and Industry. She was also a journalist with Channel News Asia.

Li, meanwhile, has over 18 years of experience in strategic communications and media under her belt. Li’s previous role was as PR director for a Chinese B2B software firm. She also worked as a reporter for China Central TV.

The appointments come as Sandpiper continues to expand its operations across the region. In recent months, for example, the firm has named new executives in its New Zealand office, hired a deputy GM in Hong Kong and also saw director of policy/healthcare Saskia Kendall return from Speyside.