On the Record: Edelman Hong Kong's Delicia Tan

Delicia Tan, Edelman’s CEO of Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area, and co-CEO for Greater China, first dipped her toes in the public relations field as a media relations manager at the Singapore Tourism Board. Prior to exploring the PR industry, Tan (pictured) had started out as a journalist and moved into branding and marketing.

With a deep understanding of news and the newsmakers, as well as the digital environment, Tan said building, managing and enhancing trusted relationships kept her excited and fulfilled in the longer term within the industry.

Find out more about Tan's journey in public relations thus far and who inspires her. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Describe your management style

I would say that I’m a servant leader, always looking to build community, and a workplace culture that values the individual.  When people perform at their best, this ultimately leads to positive business performance as well. 

As we’re in the business of communications advisory, our people are our best asset; when they feel supported and empowered, they bring their best to our clients and deliver the best, oftentimes category-breaking work.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What was your first PR gig?

I had a late start when it comes to the world of PR. I started out as a journalist and then moved into branding and marketing and only explored PR after that.

My first PR gig was with the Singapore Tourism Board, where I worked on the launch of the "Uniquely Singapore" destination brand and focused on attracting Indian tourists to Singapore with the glitz and glamour of Bollywood.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Why a career in PR?

I guess you could say that PR found me!

A film major, I always imagined that I’d forge my career as a documentary film maker, but when I returned to Singapore post-University, during the Asian financial crisis, I was forced to be realistic with career choices and found a road to journalism with The Straits Times. 

With this good grounding and understanding of news and the newsmakers, as well as the digital environment, I explored a career in advertising, but ultimately decided that the opportunity to build, manage and enhance trusted relationships was something that would keep me excited and fulfilled in the longer term. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Who was the mentor who most influenced you and why?

Bob Grove, the former APAC chief operating and client officer at Edelman, is the little voice in my head that continues to guide me today! He was one of my first mentors at Edelman who really embodied servant leadership.  He settled for nothing but the best from the team and had nothing but our best career and personal interests at heart. 

He is all about the people – the team, the clients, and I am very happy today to be able to continue to call him a friend and mentor.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Your biggest blunder in your career? How did you resolve it?

As a driver by personality, one of the biggest missteps was not giving my peers enough room to articulate his point of view and solutions to staff and manage one of the firm’s largest clients at the time. 

Unfortunately, my impatience resulted in a failed collaboration and me having to bite the bullet and drive the client on my own with a team that I built from scratch. I’ve learned a very important lesson - bring everyone along on the journey.  

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Harshest thing said to you in your career?

A client who was briefing us on a crisis and issues preparedness session once said to me,

You’re young, female and Asian, are you sure you are able to command a room of senior male executives?

I of course took that as a challenge and had a great session with the clients who were engaged and took counsel during the session.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Harshest thing you have said to someone?

As a first-year practice leader, I had to manage a senior manager who was not very self-aware and during his third probationary review, I had to outline that if this was the third time that his probation is being extended, he might like to do some self-reflection based on the feedback that I had shared, and not fight it.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: What is the hardest part about your job?

Not taking the path of least resistance. It is so important to be authentic, focus on the big picture, and do what is best for the team and for our clients, not just what is easiest and will get us to best outcomes in the shortest possible timeframe.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Biggest misconception about PR?

That it’s all about champagne wishes and caviar dreams!

The traditional idea that all we do is organise events, launches and luxury junkets for the media. To be honest, I don’t know if my family quite knows what the role entails.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: How do you measure your own personal success?

By the number of champagne wishes and caviar dreams that have been fulfilled? I jest. Nothing would please me more than a happy and successful team that continues to smash glass ceilings and cross swim lanes to drive action and impact communities with the work that we do.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE:  One thing you would say to a newbie in the PR industry?

Buckle up and enjoy the ride! 

Always make sure that if you’re invited to a meeting, you have a point of view to share with the clients, why would you attend the meeting otherwise?

Clients value consultants for their perspectives and points of view, so it’s essential for everyone at the table to have a clear role and value to add to the conversation.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: One thing you hate most about the PR industry?

Sometimes, as an industry, we can limit ourselves in our approaches and thinking by focusing on the short term. If we were more open to new ways of thinking, paths to collaboration, we’d be able to harness the true power of communications to drive real impact and change over the long term.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Have you ever wanted to try starting up your own PR firm? Why/Why not?

My husband runs his own design agency so there can only be one entrepreneur in the family!  But seriously, I enjoy working with a large network of individuals with diverse skillsets to solve client challenges across multiple markets, so being at a global firm like Edelman is what suits me best.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: How has PR evolved over the last five years?

We’re a long way from Kansas, Toto!  With the evolution of the media the world over, the public is looking at more than one source for credible, updated information. 

Which is why, while some of the fundamentals remain the same, businesses need to look at the touchpoints that enable them to engage directly with their stakeholders, to build trusted relationships, and it’s our job to make sure that we’re looking round the corner for the latest and greatest. 

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