Stephen ThomasSenior Communications Advisor

Stephen is a senior communications and brand leader. He has effectively led corporate reputation management programs in complex, dynamic environments across the Asia-Pacific region. 

His experience covers CEO communications, media relations, earnings announcements, issues management, transactions, ESG, thought leadership programs, internal communications, social media strategy, brand strategy, sponsorships and events. 

Stephen was Head of Group Brand and Communications at AIA Group from 2012 to July 2021. His responsibilities included setting and ensuring the effective delivery of the Group’s narrative and internal and external communications strategy.  He also led AIA’s purpose-led brand: Healthier, Longer, Better Lives. 

Prior to AIA, Stephen was a Managing Director and Head of Corporate Affairs for Citigroup (“Citi”) in China, based in Shanghai. He was the spokesperson for the bank in China, created a holistic communications strategy and coordinated engagement with a range of stakeholders.

Stephen began his career at Burson-Marsteller (now Burson Cohn & Wolf), working in the firm’s Melbourne and Hong Kong offices. His consulting clients and projects spanned financial communications, media relations, public affairs, issues management, analyst relations and speech writing.

In 2020, Stephen was named the In-House Communications Professional of the Year by the Asia-Pacific Association of Communications Directors. He has been included in the Influence 100, in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2020, Provoke Media’s annual compilation of the most influential in-house communicators around the world. In 2019, Stephen was Chairman of the Public Affairs Asia Gold Standard Awards.

Stephen is a Board Trustee of the Institute for Public Relations and a member of the Arthur W. Page Society (Chair of Page Hong Kong).

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the University of Melbourne and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Melbourne Business School. In 2021, Stephen completed the FT Non-Executive Director Diploma (Asia).