PETRONAS' Varian Ignatius steps down from head of comms role

Varian Ignatius will be stepping down from his role of head of communications, transformation office at PETRONAS Digital by the end of the week. Ignatius (pictured) first joined the company in January 2018. In a LinkedIn post, he said it has been an absolute privilege to serve "the nation's finest company" and a joy to work alongside many remarkable, kind and selfless colleagues.

"I am also genuinely grateful for the encouragement, trust and support I've received from different leaders these last few years and even prouder of the teams I've had the opportunity to lead," he added. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Ignatius for a comment. 

Ignatius joined PETRONAS ICT in 2018 before taking on his current role in January 2020, according to his LinkedIn. Prior to his time in PETRONAS, he worked for Citibank as the VP of internal communications and corporate citizenship for more than a year. Before that, Ignatius was the head of brand and communication for Whitbread, a multinational British hotel and restaurant company. During this time there, he explored new and creative ways to build awareness and authentic recognition of the brand, through marketing and PR across the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia, his LinkedIn said.

Ignatius has prior experience in the oil and gas field as he worked at Qatar Petroleum for more than five years, last helming the role of executive officer, office of the president and CEO. According to his LinkedIn, he first joined in 2009 as senior communications specialist. He has also worked at market research company Synovate as marketing communications manager and essence Burson-Marsteller as account manager. 

Ignatius said his LinkedIn profile that he for over 19 years, he has coached CEO's and senior managers on "what to say and how to say it", and believes that communications, at its core, should inspire and rally people to action. 

Separately, in July, PETRONAS launched its first-ever campaign in Malaysia for M+ by PETRONAS, PETRONAS' flagship rooftop solar solution. Done in partnership with Ensemble Worldwide, the campaign ran on print and digital and centred around the customer-centricity it employs in everything it does, from the brand promise to the design of its solutions including its zero capex investment. As a group, PETRONAS rolled out its sonic branding to break away from the mould that it deals exclusively in oil and gas. Done in collaboration with Dragon Rouge and Sixième Son, the sonic branding was part of a visual refresh that included sonic and motion to deliver a 360° brand experience.

Notably, PETRONAS has also been ranked the top two companies in Malaysia for professionals to grow their careers, according to an annual guide by LinkedIn Malaysia. The guide added that the three key trends from the top companies listed are prioritising skills, supporting their workforce through challenging times, and GLCs hiring talent across diverse industries and roles.

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