In an era where reputation is a boardroom currency and communicators are expected to be architects of organisational credibility, public relations can no longer be a support function — it must be a strategic driver. In this opening conversation, Dr. Bicky Bhangu OBE, a recognised corporate leader bridging engineering, innovation, and stakeholder trust, explores what it takes for communicators to claim — and keep — its seat at the executive table.

In conversation with Arun Sudhaman, the former Rolls-Royce head will advise practitioners on how they can shape organisational vision, influence risk decisions, and anchor reputation at the heart of corporate strategy. Expect candid insights on building cross-functional influence, proving business value in measurable terms, and navigating the geopolitical, technological, and societal forces reshaping leadership in Asia-Pacific.

How Communicators Can Find Clarity and Courage To Lead Through The Unexpected 

The profession is at an inflection point where clarity, courage, and confidence will separate the leaders from the followers. By 2030, communicators will not just be managing messages, they will be strategic business growth enablers guidingorganizations through a world where technology alters truth, misinformation bends perception, and expectations continue to rise. Communications is expanding from tactical to transformational, and leaders must be prepared not just to respond, but to lead through the unexpected. 

During this panel, Zeno Group will debut new research on the forces reshaping communications, from the rise of generative AI and synthetic media to the new rules of influence and the shifting roles and skills required to succeed in this changing landscape. The findings provide a window into how communications leaders are experiencing this moment, and contemplating a path forward for maximum impact. 

The conversation will explore:

• Foresight and Decision-Making: How communicators can move from reacting to predicting, using intelligence to act before disruption hits.
• The Future of Influence: What it means to earn visibility and credibility in an attention economy run by creators, algorithms, and AI engines.
• Teams of Tomorrow: How roles, skills, and structures inside communications functions will evolve to meet the demands of 2030.
• Leadership in Uncertainty: How communicators can claim their place as strategic growth enablers in the C-suite.

Communications leaders who evolve their skills, teams, and roles now will be the architects of trust, culture, and business impact in a radically transformed world.

From China's strategic assertiveness to ASEAN's balancing act, we'll discuss some of the key dynamics of the evolving geopolitical situation and how corporate and public affairs teams are helping companies navigate increasing geopolitical complexity.

With the reputation of business leaders inextricably linked to the reputation of the organizations they run, we will explore the changes ahead for leadership communications in the AI era. The session will include a first look at new global research on this topic by Sandpiper Group’s specialist research division, Sandpiper Research & Insights, and examine the gaps between the views and expectations of CEOs and corporate affairs teams.

Influence in Asia is decentralising fast, an evolving constellation of micro-communities, creators, and independent voices. Now, AI-powered search engines are emerging as the internet’s new gatekeepers, shaping which stories will surface. This session will explore how brands can navigate a fast-changing constellation of influence to stay both credible and relevant.

Across industries, corporate affairs functions are under pressure. Senior roles are being restructured, dispersed, or absorbed into other departments — even as communicators are told they have never been more essential.

This session will examine what these shifts mean for the future of in-house communications leadership. Are we witnessing the erosion of the standalone corporate affairs function — or the start of a reinvention that could embed communications more deeply into the business?

Agencies face constant pressure to adapt—shifting client expectations, technological disruption, and changing ownership structures demand new models for growth and sustainability. In this session, George Kypraios, founder of Yefira Group, and an agency CEO explore the realities of building, scaling, and exiting an agency. Together, they’ll unpack the financial, operational, and cultural levers that drive agency evolution, discuss what investors and acquirers look for, and consider how founders can balance long-term vision with market realities.