Vanitha Mani Thevaratnam

Currently, responsible for adapting a brand strategy for a company's target market. As the 'brand guardian', brand managers maintain brand integrity across all company marketing initiatives and communications, and may manage a portfolio of products. On a more administrative role,beside overseeing the daily rundowns of the team, I am tasked to manage the team and assist on more senior level decision making projects and campaigns strategy.

PHP Ventures Acquisition Corp is a newly formed NASDAQ listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that is focused on consumer-facing companies with a significant Africa presence or a compelling Africa potential. I was a crucial part of team that was instrumental in the journey towards achieving IPO (Initial Public Offerings) on NASDAQ Listings within 5 months in 2021.

As the Chief Strategy Officer with PHP, I am charged with helping to formulate, facilitate and communicate the organization's strategic initiatives and future goals; especially as digital business and growth strategies have continued to increase in complexity over the decade. Other responsibilities includes developing and sustaining the company's corporate strategy through identifying suitable PR and IR channels, communications funnels, solutions and business combination targets that have potential for growth through more careful brand management purview.

As the only Account Director at Arcis, my job scope involved enhancing the agency’s integrated communications capabilities, manage the storytelling efforts while driving media coverage, build media relations for agency and clients plus grow the digital and social media initiatives for clients. I was also responsible for business development and pitches, as well as reviewing and planning the optimum use of resources for the account servicing team. Apart from these, I oversaw the on-boarding, training, and mentoring all members of my team, current or new joiners. Over and above these, curation of new partnerships and exploring new automation/tools to complement the way we work was something I oversaw.

During my tenure, clients serviced included Facebook Malaysia, The Exchange 106, Grab Malaysia, Mudah.my, Netflix Inc., Capgemini Malaysia, Zurich Re Insurance; Sunway Medical Centre, MyGroser, Fitbit Malaysia, Aruba, Swiss Re, Adyen, Philips SEA, Pfizer SEA, Mamonde Malaysia, Intel SEA, Giant Cold Storage Holdings and webe Digital Malaysia (now known as TM Unifi Mobile).

Worthy Mentions:

• Brand retainer wins:

o Grab Malaysia (June 2017 – August 2019) o Facebook Malaysia (January 2018 – September 2020), o Philips Malaysia (March 2020; with extension for 2021) o Fitbit Malaysia (fMarch 2020; with extension for 2021) o Danone Malaysia (April 2021 – March 2022) o The Premier Leaugue (October 2020 – September 2021)

• Projects retainers for The Exchange 106, Munich Reinsurance Labuan Syndicate, Aruba (a HP Enterprise Company), Adyen SEA and MyGroser.com (Malaysia’s fully online, cloud enabled grocer) since 2019.

• Bronze award for A+M’s PR Awards 2018 for Grab in PR/Media Relations category.

As the Account Director, I managed all new business development, maintenance of existing clientele and overall administrative duties of Cohn and Wolfe together with the Managing Director. I work closely with all business leads and their teams on all PR and Communications functions including new business development, strategic thinking, client management, crises communications, media relations, pitching, writing press releases, securing awards etc.

Clients served and managed included Samsung Electronic Malaysia, Da:Men USJ, Parkamaya, Global Timber Forum, Sabah Forestry Department, Facebook Malaysia, Coca-Cola Far East Malaysia and Nuvaceuticals Malaysia (Nuvanta Sdn Bhd).

Notable mentions:

o Facebook Malaysia – Successfully ran their first ever Facebook Publishing workshop for top publications across print, online and broadcast, maintained daily conversations through proactive storytelling beyond tech and business, launched Facebook in Malaysia which saw at least 80 news pieces, and managed all email interviews for the country lead and was instrumental in facilitating the launch of the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) National Urgent Response (NUR) Alert system for missing children. Converted the 6-month project retainer into a long-term retainer after the client singled me out as being very committed and instrumental in all delivery and growth of the brand in Malaysia.

o Awards won during tenure at Cohn & Wolf - 2015 Campaign Southeast Asia PR Agency of the Year (Silver); A+M’s AOTY 2016 PR Agency of the Year (Silver)

As the Senior Public Relations Manager for the groups Activation and PR arm, psLIVE (formerly known as Spark PR+ACTIVATION), portfolio included managing all of Aegis Media Group’s internal and external public relations functions including building integrated strategies for external clients for the different brands under the group; integrated communications functions for psLIVE; all writing and pitching for coverages, Helming a two-woman team, we also worked with the SEO and Digital team to optimise use of new media especially on online platforms to push reach of the campaigns and stories we worked on.

My position also included providing strategic counsel on staff related internal communications subject from CSR planning to overseeing townhalls. On a greater effort, managed external clients such as Tiffany & Co., Spotlight Australia, Innisfree Korea, Lipidol, Nuvafemme, Canon Marketing Malaysia, Delifrance Malaysia, Air Asia, Delifrance Malaysia; UEM Sunrise, 20th Century Fox etc. as part of a marketing and branding strategy for Carat Malaysia.

Notable mentions:

• Spotlight Malaysia - armed with a RM 20k project fee, I took 8 editors/journalist from 9 publications (across print and online) to Australia and showed then first-hand what a true Spotlight experience would be. This eventful media junket paved the way for pre-opening conversations and a successful 200k footfall on this first day of store opening, generating RM 700k + in PR value within the first week.

• Innisfree Malaysia – won the account to manage the birth of the first ever Innisfree Store in Malaysia through a simple PR plan that incorporated both traditional and digital initiatives that drew in 2000+ entries for its contest; grew the fanbase to 10,000, brought in a 100k customer footfall on the first day of opening and garnered a PR value of RM 1.2 million for this initiative.

• Internal Communications/CSR - Task to manage the first Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) Malaysia CSR programme “One Day for Giving”, that included all staff to raise both awareness about ‘Stroke’ and funds for the National Stroke Association of Malaysia (NASAM). The #CancelOutStroke raised RM 60,000.00 and the campaign eventually won Malaysia the third place in DAN’s Futureproof Sustainability contest, where the winnings of USD 1500.00 were also donated to NASAM too. At print time, our creatives are still being used by the NGO.

Took time off to concentrate on my family’s need especially when my husband suffered a massive heart attack – however, at the request of a few selected clients, took on a few projects as:

*Event Liaison & PR Manager – Fabulous Target for YPO Conference 2009 (June 2009) and Global Entrepreneurs Congress 2009 (GEC`09) (August - November 2009)

*Conference Manager - Bombardier Asia Pacific Senior Management Meet & Teambuilding 2010 (May - July 2010)

*Event Manager – Robert Clark Creative Australia for Liquor Marketing Group Australia (LMG)

*Conference Management i.e. Schoeffel’s New Launch (January 2011), The Prestige Ball 2011 (October 2011), The Brand Laureate Award Series (2011 – 2013), and P&G’s Open Mind’s Special Olympic Consumer & Media Campaign Launch (February 2013)

* Event Manager – To The Table Global Conferences (2012 onwards)

Brought in to add stature to the consumer team, managed complex client situations and within two months into the job, I was seconded as an Internal Communications Advisor to Shell Global Solutions Malaysia (Shell GSMY) – where I managed all internal communications activities and updates from Global Shell (Hague), Country Shell Headquarters (Malaysia) and other delivery teams/department within Shell Global Solutions Malaysia.

Apart from Shell GSMY, other key accounts that I oversaw were Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, The Binjai, Bombardier Transportations and Disney Asia.