APRW taps former Reuters journalist to expand strategic advisory

Integrated communications agency APRW has appointed Puja Bharwani as associate director, as it looks to expand its strategic advisory and narrative capabilities for high-growth clients.

Bharwani took on the role on 1 August and will work with clients across narrative strategy, positioning, media relations and high-stakes communications execution across earned, owned and stakeholder channels.

Her appointment is part of APRW’s push to strengthen its advisory offering as organisations face a more complex communications landscape, including the rise of AI-driven search, fragmented trust and the growing need for businesses to establish clearer narratives.

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Bharwani brings more than a decade of experience spanning journalism, venture building, technology and communications. She spent a decade with Reuters Television and later served as head of marketing and PR at early-stage investor Antler, where she worked on the firm's positioning and brand presence across Asia, including developing media and content partnerships.

Bharwani also co-founded AI decision-intelligence platform Wizly, where she was involved in fundraising, partnerships, US market expansion and community building.

At APRW, her focus will include AI enterprise technology companies and financial institutions such as venture capital firms, private equity funds and family offices looking to build a more deliberate public presence. She will also advise select scaling consumer and luxury lifestyle brands, creators and brand influencers.

Alongside the appointment, Bharwani is bringing her proprietary "Owned Story" programme into Knowledge Studio by APRW, the agency’s communication readiness and advisory arm.

The programme is designed to help organisations define their narrative and identify the stories they want to own before communicating them across channels. It combines workshops, a proprietary prompting system and a card game designed to surface insights and perspectives that may be missed by conventional brand exercises.

The programme will complement APRW KnowS’ existing offerings, which include media training, spokesperson coaching, personal branding and crisis preparedness.

Commenting on Bharwani’s appointment, Cho Pei Lin, managing director of APRW, said, "Bharwani shares APRW's belief that great communications begins with a strong story, underpinned by sound strategy and brought to life through thoughtful execution. She brings a rare breadth of experience spanning journalism, venture building, technology startups and AI, giving her a distinctive perspective on how organisations can be prepared and communicate clearly in an evolving landscape."

"We are delighted to welcome someone whose expertise and values are aligned with ours. Her appointment marks another step in APRW's continued expansion, as we grow our advisory capabilities to meet the increasingly complex communications needs of clients across industries," added Cho. 

In tandem, Bharwani said "Communication is not something that happens after decisions are made. It is part of how policies, decisions, and strategies are understood, tested, and accepted. In a world where trust is fragmented and audiences are engaging directly with leaders and brands in real time; this has never been truer or more consequential."

"Joining APRW gives me the platform to work on that problem at scale, with clients across industries, at the moment when getting it right matters most," she added.

Bharwani joins APRW’s team of owner-directors, which currently comprises six directors and two associate directors, including Benjamin "Mr Miyagi" Lee, who joined the agency in November 2025. In his new role, Lee focuses on driving strategic communications initiatives across APRW’s client portfolio while expanding the agency’s capabilities in branded content, transmedia storytelling, and executive communications training.

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