SINGAPORE — Diageo has hired Azmar Sukandar to the newly-created position as head of communications and society for Asia-Pacific. 

Sukandar was previously Asia-Pacific director of strategic communications and marketing, Asia-Pacific for The Nature Conservancy. She will relocate from Hong Kong to Singapore at the start of next year.

In her new role, Sukandar will provide strategic counsel and support to Diageo's Asia-Pacific business, working with Diageo Asia-Pacific president Sam Fischer and corporate relations director Paul Kelleher.

Prior to the Nature Conservancy, where she spent almost seven years, Sukandar headed the Asia-Pacific communications function for the Financial Times, after holding senior comms roles at Time and Fortune magazines, and with Microsoft's MSN division. 

Sukandar is also a founding board member and current VP of the Asia Pacific Association of Communication Directors (APACD), a regional network of senior in-house 
communications professionals.

"I am confident that Azmar will play a leading role in promoting responsible drinking and shaping the work that we are doing to help build thriving communities in every market in which we operate," said Kelleher.

"Diageo has a clear ambition to be one of the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world and I look forward to working with the team to achieve this vision," added Sukandar.