DeVries Global selects Michelle Tham as MD for Asia, integrates Slam PR

Tham was previously executive vice-president at Weber Shandwick, leading major consumer accounts throughout Asia. 

She has more than 13 years of PR experience, spending her early career working across multiple practice areas including corporate, healthcare and consumer technology, before specialising in the consumer sector over the last eight years. 

Based in Singapore, Tham has worked side-by-side with DeVries as part of a global team for the past few years and has been an integral player in spearheading DeVries Asia integrations.   

In her new role, Tham reports to DeVries Global chairman Jim Allman, and focuses on strengthening the company's business assets and identifying new growth areas, both in terms of specific lifestyle sectors as well as markets.

“Our focus is to build on our core expertise areas – clients in the consumer, lifestyle and better living space,” Tham told Campaign Asia-Pacific. “With the change that social is bringing to how brands engage with consumers, the next wave is really about consumer mobilisation, where public relations is the key to moving consumers who are millions of miles apart to take co-ordinated action.”

DeVries, a New York-based firm and a member of the Interpublic Group, introduced a new network that includes offices in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Singapore in June this year, to bring together digital experts with strong consumer public relations experience in the beauty and lifestyle sectors across Asia.

“We have very strong consumer and lifestyle expertise in key Asian hubs like China and Singapore, with satellite teams in India, Japan and Taiwan, and it is likely later on that we will extend the DeVries network in other markets but this will be in close consultation with P&G as things evolve,” Tham said.

Speaking of her vision for DeVries Global in Asia over the next few years, Tham said, “Faster, better, stronger, not only in how we work, but in the results that we deliver to our clients.”

In Europe, Slam PR, also part of the IPG family with Asia-Pacific offices, will join with DeVries Global to form DeVries Slam. Helena Blooomer, currently managing director of Slam PR, will head the new entity. Slam's consumer brand clients include Zippo, Tanqueray Gin, PepsiCo, Beats by Dr. Dre and Durex.