Weber Shandwick promotes Lydia Lee to head of APAC technology practice

She will retain her current role as head of the firm’s emergent-China practice and chief strategist for China. Lee reports jointly to Baxter Jolly, Asia-Pacific vice chairman, and Darren Burns, managing director for China. Lee will also work alongside the firm's global technology-practice chair, Tim Fry. 

Based in Shanghai, Lee (pictured) has been with Weber Shandwick since 2009 and was previously with sister agency GolinHarris. Lee replaces Barkha Patel who was based in Singapore and left the agency late last year to pursue other opportunities. 

With a business degree focusing on engineering and a marketer by practice, Lee was born in Taiwan. Thanks to her father being a diplomat, she has lived in Spain, Chile, Brazil, Denmark and studied in the US. “I am very experienced in translating one concept to another set of people, and my transcultural and transmarket role could help me to bridge Asia with the West, especially with lots of Chinese companies that are venturing abroad being tech companies,” she said.

Lee has served as an "exceptional leader" for the agency in China, advising both foreign technology clients and Chinese companies looking to make an impact internationally, Jolly said, adding that Lee's ability to advise across languages and cultures has led to "hugely impressive" results.

In addition, the company appointed vice-president Carolyn Devanayagam to head the technology practice in Singapore. Devanayagam joined Weber Shandwick Kuala Lumpur in 2004 and now returns to Southeast Asia after nearly six years in Shanghai.