Perspective Strategies names Melisa Yim client services lead amidst hiring spree

Communications and issues management consultancy Perspective Strategies has named Melisa Yim as director, client services, as part of a hiring spree in the new year. Yim (pictured above) was previously head of group corporate communications at QSR Brands in 2019 and has worked with Ogilvy and Hill + Knowlton Strategies, where she was responsible for leading both international and local client accounts across industries. They include telecommunications, oil and gas, banking and financial services, sovereign wealth, education, property, automotive, technology and FMCG.

Yim was also previously with Kenanga Investment Bank as VP, where she was responsible for marketing and communication initiatives across the group of companies. Overall, Yim has a decade of agency experience and in-house communications, which includes strategic messaging, corporate and brand communications, issues management and crisis preparedness.

Andy See (pictured below), founder and MD of Perspective Strategies, told A+M that while some companies are conservative in their outlook because of the pandemic, it sees this as a great opportunity to reinvent itself by bringing onboard the right talents. "We are going against the trend of being conservative by going on a hiring spree as part of our growth strategy. A crisis is the greatest time for us to invest in growth as there is more talent available in the market," he explained. 

According to him, Perspective Strategies is seeking individuals who are able to adapt with the changes. PR in the past was more copy-based storytelling, See said. Nowadays, however, storytelling needs to be more visual-led and the copy needs to be more short-form rather than long-form, especially when it is viewed on digital platforms.

"We are looking for talents who are able to adapt their storytelling capabilities in the new environment, not just having news release writing skills that PR agencies look for in the past. We are open to someone who may not be strong in writing press releases but is good in creative storytelling, be it using infographics or videos," See said. The agency plans to increase its permanent and contract headcount by a minimum of 30% this year.

At the same time, Perspective Strategies is also expanding its Communication Leadership Academy arm (CLA), which delivers leadership-focused communications, upskilling and coaching programmes for individuals, brands and organisations to thrive and succeed in the future of work as well as to drive digital communications and transformation. To strengthen the unit, CLA has merged with training and organisational development consultancy Life Redesigned to help fill the upskilling and reskilling gap in the industry. Life Redesigned was founded by Cheah Kar Fei who is now the managing partner of CLA. 

"The CLA brand is very new and it is currently offered as a value-added service for clients. The merger is based on an equity sharing structure of the new entity which will be formed following the exercise. This is the year we will investing resources into growing this new brand for the firm. It will operate independently under the leadership of Cheah," See explained. 

According to Perspective Strategies, CLA complements its business focus because the firm is able to extend its strategic communications expertise into the organisational development space, with leadership, communication and digital skills development at the forefront.

Like many other industries, the pandemic has forced PR and communications practitioners to adapt and evolve. See said more importance will be placed on how brands co-create stories with their target audience. At the same time, there is also a push towards digital, as more businesses pivot into this space. "That has worked in favour of the PR and communications industry to push head on in that area," he said.

At the same time, See added it is important for brands to create and communicate a purpose-driven journey for their target audience, especially on topics such as sustainability. "Regardless, it is still a challenging economic climate but we cannot change that. However, we see opportunities from the many things that are working in our favour to drive that change. Those who don't change will be left behind," See explained.

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