Weber Shandwick has announced the appointment of Marianne Lamonin, to the newly-created role for APAC of Executive Vice President, Social Impact & Sustainability.
Based in Singapore, Lamonin will report to Vanessa Ho Nikolovski, Chief Client & Growth Officer, Asia Pacific and is tasked with building and driving the firm’s sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) consulting capabilities in the Asia Pacific region.
“Sustainability is a critical strategic business imperative today, and many of our clients across the Asia Pacific, both multinationals and Asian-domiciled companies, recognise the pressing need to communicate their purpose-led commitments and targets to stakeholders,” said Tyler Kim, chief executive officer, Weber Shandwick Asia Pacific.
“Marianne has immersed herself in climate, sustainability and consulting for almost two decades bringing deep knowledge and experience that will extend our global strengths in this space to Asia, where transformation and impact is key.”
Lamonin brings over 15 years of experience to the firm, having advised multinational companies in areas relating to climate change, policy and advocacy, sustainability, energy transition, climate finance, industrial policies, and the future of globalisation. She has previously overseen the strategic narratives and keynotes at multiple major energy and climate platforms and institutions, including COP, NYC Climate Week, One Planet Summit, San Francisco Climate Summit, Clean Energy Ministerials, and the World Business Council on Sustainable Development.
“Deep decarbonisation is as much a global concern, necessary to address the climate change challenge, as a local one, with direct impact on national economies as well as people’s livelihoods,” commented Lamonin.
“With nearly two-thirds of the world’s population, the Asia Pacific region has a multitude of diverse perspectives and realities critical to tackling the many transitions the world is facing.”
“I believe Weber Shandwick is uniquely placed in making sense of these transitions worldwide, tapping into its global network’s wide range of expertise, bringing along sustainability, strategy and geopolitics, which give the right level of understanding of the uncertain and complex context companies and governments are operating in. We have many opportunities in this region to be part of the transformation our clients are going through, helping them with their purpose, and the inclusion of sustainability into their strategy and it is in fact, a very interesting place to contribute to the collective sustainability challenge the world is facing.”
Led by Social Impact & Sustainability global lead Paul Massey, Weber Shandwick’s global sustainability specialty is fuelled by a cross-sectional team of social impact specialists rooted in purpose and ESG strategy, as well as experts in corporate reputation, public affairs, employee engagement and consumer marketing.
The agency has earned for its sustainability-focused campaigns: for Swedish food brand Felix, it created The Climate Store – a pop-up supermarket where the listed ‘price’ of every item was its carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). The concept ignited a conversation about the labelling of climate-friendly choices across social media and global news outlets. For Flora & Fauna International (FFI), Weber Shandwick sent a letter signed by more than 140 conservation groups to the United Nations Secretary-General in time for the UN Biodiversity Summit, urging member states to collectively commit an initial $500 billon to protect the natural world. FFI spokespeople including Sir David Attenborough, Dame Judy Dench and Stephen Fry all amplified the message.
