Hotwire appoints new APAC managing director for comms

Global technology communications and marketing consultancy Hotwire has appointed Melissa Cullen (pictured) as its new managing director of communications for the Asia Pacific region (APAC). She will report directly to Hotwire's global CEO, Heather Kernahan, according to Hotwire when MARKETING-INTERACTIVE reached out. 

In her new position, Cullen will be responsible for the Hotwire business in Australia and will expand the reputation and relationship services footprint across APAC.  

She will work alongside Anol Bhattacharya, the managing director of marketing APAC, to deepen the consultancy’s offerings in its communications strategy, public relations, media relations, digital marketing, crisis and issues management, content production, executive thought leadership services, account-based marketing, corporate narrative platforms and influencer management. 

Don't miss: Hotwire Global Communications expands its presence in APAC

Cullen previously worked in senior roles at Icon Agency, Finchco and Ogilvy, leading on major clients such as Salesforce, Westpac and Microsoft. Prior to this, Cullen was the co-founder and managing director of Res Publica, where she spent fifteen years designing and delivering successful communications programs for top brands and businesses including Lion, Unilever, Westpac, Jurlique, Priceline and Gatorade.  

Throughout her career, Cullen has also held several leadership roles within the Australian public relations industry including chair of the public relations council and board member of The Communications Council. 

"I am thrilled to be joining Hotwire to lead our communications services across APAC into an exciting new growth chapter," said Cullen. "Hotwire is a truly global agency with deep expertise in technology communications and marketing and I am really looking forward to partnering with our clients to share their stories of success and deliver real commercial impact.” 

“We were looking for an experienced tech communications leader with the drive and ambition to expand our communications and public relations services in both capabilities and reach as we build with clients across APAC,” said Kernahan.

“Cullen's experience in running her own agency for more than a decade, her work as a senior communications strategist with global tech brands and her leadership role in the PR industry are a fantastic combination that bring value and expertise to Hotwire clients and our team,” Kernahan explained. 

The appointment comes shortly after Hotwire revealed that GetIT, a business to business (B2B) technology marketing agency situated in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region completed its integration into Hotwire.

The news of the integration comes a year after Hotwire’s acquisition of GetIT in July 2022. From 11 July, GetIT offices situated in Singapore, Malaysia, India and Japan will join the 11 Hotwire offices situated worldwide to expand the company’s global influence into the APAC region.

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