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Sandpiper Promotes Senior Leadership for Financial Services, Employee Experience and Growth Markets
November 2026
Singapore, 3 November 2026 – The Sandpiper Group (“Sandpiper”), the largest independent communications, public affairs, and research group headquartered in Asia Pacific and operating across the Middle East, today announced the promotion of three of its senior leaders as it invests in areas of increasing client demand, strengthens its specialist capabilities, and positions its people and business for the next phase of growth in the AI era.
Elizabeth Chu has been promoted to Managing Director, Financial Services and Managing Director, Singapore, to support the continued growth of this practice as more financial institutions, asset managers, private capital firms and fintech companies expand across Asia Pacific. In addition to leading one of Sandpiper’s largest markets, Elizabeth will take on broader regional leadership responsibilities for the Financial Services practice, helping clients navigate growth opportunities, transformation, and increasingly complex stakeholder environments. Elizabeth was Deputy General Manager of Sandpiper Singapore, before being promoted to lead the Singapore business in 2024, reflecting the firm’s commitment to nurturing and building career paths for top talent. She was named one of Campaign Asia’s 40 Under 40 award winners in 2021.
Kimberley Spear has been promoted to Managing Director, Financial and to the newly created role of Head of Employee Experience, reflecting Sandpiper’s commitment to growing its financial and special situations capabilities while continuing to invest in its people. She takes on this newly established role after five years as General Manager, Hong Kong. As the firm expands its AI-enabled services and capabilities, Kimberley will help ensure Sandpiper remains people-led and human-centric, equipping consultants with the skills, culture, and support needed to deliver outstanding outcomes for clients during a period of significant technological and workplace change.
Unice Liu has been promoted to the newly created role of Head of Growth Markets, reflecting Sandpiper’s ambition to accelerate its expansion across Asia Pacific and the Middle East. As trade and investment flows strengthen between these regions, geopolitical tensions, regulatory shifts and evolving stakeholder expectations create both opportunity and complexity. Unice will lead Sandpiper’s efforts to support organisations entering, expanding and investing in growth markets, helping them “go global” through navigating risk, building reputation and engaging stakeholders critical to long-term growth.
Emma Smith, CEO of Sandpiper Group, said: “Our success has been built on two pillars: exceptional people and an unwavering focus on delivering results for our clients. As organisations continue to invest in growth across Asia Pacific and the Middle East, they need advisers who combine local insight with regional reach, specialist expertise, and deep stakeholder understanding. These promotions reflect our commitment to investing in the next generation of our leaders who will help shape Sandpiper’s future, strengthen our capabilities and continue delivering outstanding outcomes for our clients. Developing talent from within isn’t just part of our culture; it’s part of our DNA.
These announcements follow another milestone year for Sandpiper. The firm was recently named Asia Pacific Regional Agency of the Year, making this a total of 18 Agency of the Year awards since 2019. Today, Sandpiper advises hundreds of multinational corporations, financial institutions, government-linked organisations, and high-growth businesses across Asia Pacific and the Middle East, helping organisations build trust, protect reputation and navigate complexity.
About Sandpiper
Sandpiper is a leading independent communications, public affairs and research group operating across Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Its team of experts provide strategic counsel in corporate communications, financial communications, public affairs, crisis and issues management, ESG and sustainability, employee engagement, digital communications and research, to clients operating in highly complex and highly regulated sectors. Working with hundreds of leading regional and global organisations, Sandpiper helps businesses build and protect reputation, engage stakeholders and accelerate business growth. It has been awarded 18 Agency of the Year titles since 2019.
For more information, please contact:
Kelly. Johnston@sandpipercomms.com
