Milk & Honey PR names new Singapore country lead

Milk & Honey PR has appointed Matthew de Bakker (pictured) as partner and country lead for Singapore, as the B Corp-accredited consultancy sharpens its growth focus in Asia Pacific.

De Bakker, who starts in April, joins after nearly a decade with Mutant Communications where he most recently served as country manager for Singapore. He first joined Mutant in 2017 as head of PR, before rising through the ranks to lead the agency’s Singapore operations.

During his tenure, he helped expand Mutant’s client portfolio to include Singapore Sports Hub, Epson APAC, Disney and a number of high-growth regional startups. Prior to Mutant, de Bakker held a senior communications leadership role at HR services firm Randstad, where he built its brand presence across Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong through earned media, spokesperson profiling and content.

Don't miss: Boutique reputation firm The Brand Imprint opens shop in Singapore

De Bakker joins a senior local team, with a mandate to drive the next phase of growth. He will work alongside outgoing Singapore CEO Meilin Wong FPRCA during the transition. Wong, who established the Singapore office, will step back from the CEO role and remain available to the agency on a consulting basis as she pursues fractional opportunities.

"De Bakker is exactly the profile of leader we build offices around, someone with deep market credibility, a strong instinct for brand building and the kind of trusted advisor reputation that clients in this region respond to. He has spent nearly a decade at the heart of Singapore's independent agency scene and brings the commercial acumen and executional discipline we need as we grow," said Kirsty Leighton, CEO of Milk & Honey Group. 

Speaking on his new role, De Bakker said, "I've watched Singapore grow into a market where communications really matter at a board level, where clients want senior people, not just account handlers."

"Milk & Honey has built something I have a lot of respect for: an agency with a clear point of view, a global reach, and a culture that holds itself to a higher standard. Being part of that next chapter in this region is an opportunity I wasn't going to pass up," he added. 

The move comes amid a broader reshuffle of PR agency leadership in Singapore. Last month, Zeno Group appointed Khushil Vaswani as managing director of its Singapore office, strengthening its leadership bench as the market continues to serve as a strategic hub for Asia Pacific operations.

In his role, Vaswani oversees senior client relationships and drives integrated, multi-market work across the region, reporting to David Lian, regional president for Zeno Asia. He brings 20 years of experience across leading global agencies and joins from Ruder Finn Era, where he led five markets across Southeast Asia as chief growth officer based in Bangkok, having initially joined the firm as COO.

Be part of #Content360 Singapore, 22–23 April 2026, where creativity and culture collide. Explore how AI-driven storytelling is shaping the future of content, gain practical insights, discover new tactics, and learn how the best in Asia are creating campaigns that truly resonate. 

Related articles: 
Omnicom PR reportedly restructures agency portfolio  
FleishmanHillard Singapore managing director Mei Lee exits   
PRecious Communications bolsters corporate and financial capabilities with SVP hire