Bloomingdale PR strengthens SEA leadership with new regional director

Bloomingdale Public Relations has appointed Parikshit Sharma (pictured) as regional director for Southeast Asia, as the communications firm looks to grow its presence across the region and strengthen its Singapore operations.

Based in Singapore, Sharma will lead Bloomingdale's headquarters in the city and oversee its growth across Southeast Asia. He will also lead the firm's India-Singapore corridor strategy, working with Indian brands looking to expand into Southeast Asia and international businesses seeking to enter or grow in India.

The appointment sees Bloomingdale bring in a leader from outside the traditional public relations space, as the firm looks to broaden its capabilities across marketing, consumer engagement and brand building.

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Sharma brings more than 20 years of experience across marketing, brand activation, experiential strategy, consumer engagement and retail, having worked across Asia, Africa and Australia.

He has previously held senior roles at DDB Mudra, Ogilvy Action, Wunderman Thompson and Havas Media Group. Sharma has been based in Singapore since 2018, where he has advised brands across ASEAN and Australia on retail, activation and digital engagement, including work for Intel and Nokia.

Earlier in his career, Sharma led a festival shopper campaign at Wunderman Thompson spanning 10 Tata retail brands, including Tanishq, Titan, Croma and Westside. At Ogilvy Action, he also led a rural activation programme for Hindustan Unilever that reached more than four million households.

In his new role, Sharma will be tasked with building Bloomingdale's client base in Singapore while strengthening the firm's capabilities across Southeast Asian markets.

The appointment comes as Bloomingdale looks to position Singapore as a strategic hub for its Southeast Asia operations. Its regional practice currently works with brands across more than 12 sectors, including regional companies, international brands entering Southeast Asia and Indian businesses expanding into the region.

“We have always seen Singapore as a hub for Bloomingdale, not simply another market we operate in. It gives us a vantage point into Southeast Asia and allows us to build relationships with the region’s brands, businesses, media and decision-makers from within the ecosystem," said Diana Fernandes, founder and group CEO, Bloomingdale Public Relations.

She added, "As we deepen our presence across SEA, we wanted leadership on the ground that could think beyond Singapore and help us build the region as a connected communications market.

Fernandes said the decision to look beyond traditional PR backgrounds reflects the changing role of communications, which increasingly intersects with business, culture, technology, consumer behaviour and reputation. Sharma's experience across brand building and business strategy is expected to bring a broader perspective to the firm's regional leadership.

"His ability to look at communication beyond the traditional boundaries of PR makes him a natural fit for where Bloomingdale is headed. We believe his experience and perspective will help take our PR offering to the next level and strengthen our ability to create meaningful impact for clients across Southeast Asia," she said. 

Speaking on his new role, Sharma said, "Throughout my career, I have been driven by one fundamental question: what makes people notice, trust, and choose a brand. That understanding has shaped my approach to communication and reputation building." 

"Today, PR is no longer just about media coverage. It is about understanding the business, the consumer, the culture and the reputation of a brand, and bringing those perspectives together. Southeast Asia is also not one market. Each country has its own media landscape, consumer behaviour, business culture and regulatory environment," he added. 

Sharma said his experience across ASEAN, India, Africa and Australia would inform his approach to building Bloomingdale's regional practice, with a focus on understanding the differences between markets. He will also look to deepen the firm's role as a communications partner by aligning its work more closely with clients' business growth and reputation.

Bloomingdale's latest appointment builds on its push to strengthen connections between India and Southeast Asia. In August last year, the consultancy launched its global reputation and outreach wing (GROW), a dedicated practice aimed at helping brands expand between the two regions through communications, reputation management and influencer-led campaigns.

The practice supports Southeast Asian brands entering India as well as Indian companies expanding into markets including Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. At the time, Bloomingdale said the offering would draw on its on-ground teams across India, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and the UAE to provide brands with more consistent regional communications support.

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