PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Steven R Okun, the Director of Public Affairs at leading global investment firm KKR in Asia Pacific, is today named as Chairman of The PublicAffairsAsia Gold Standard Awards 2011 programme. Okun, a leading member of the global public affairs community and Chairman of APCAC, which comprises 25 member American Chambers of Commerce across Asia Pacific, will head the PAA judging panel and lead the 2011 promotion for the awards.
Commenting on the role, Steven R. Okun said: "Today, companies face a host of new challenges which result from a combination of megatrends connected to globalisation, the environment and the proliferation of news and information. The best public affairs and communications professionals are on the cutting-edge, taking all these factors into account - and at the same time making business more profitable, sustainable and socially responsible. The PublicAffairsAsia Gold Standard Awards identify excellence and achievement in these important areas."
Okun will lead a panel of judges which includes over 40 senior practitioners from public affairs and corporate communications across business, government and the NGO community. They will judge categories including public affairs and public relations consultancy of the year, in-house public affairs team, diplomatic and NGO engagement, government and stakeholder relations and social media innovation.
Commenting on Okun's selection as Chairman, PublicAffairsAsia's, Executive Director, Craig Hoy, said: "Steve Okun is one of the most respected senior public affairs practitioners in the region. Selecting Steve as chairman for the 2011 awards programme underlines that these unique awards are both practitioner-led and industry focused. Led by Steve, the Gold Standard Awards are distinctive because of the quality and quantity of our judging team and this year nearly 50 leading global public affairs and communications professionals will determine who secures the Gold Standard accolade."
The categories and sponsors for the 2011 awards programme are set to be announced on August 1, with nominations for the 2011 contest invited in September and October ahead of the presentation of the awards at The Fullerton Hotel in Singapore in January 2012.
Encouraging entries for the awards programme, Steven R. Okun added: "By nominating, or being nominated, you can promote the important work carried out by professional communicators, business, diplomats, governments and NGOs across Asia Pacific. Whether for your work in government relations, issues management, social media, trade promotion or good governance, we encourage you to become involved."
To watch Steven R Okun introduce the 2011 Awards Programme Visit: www.goldstandardawards2011.com
For more information contact: [email protected]
ABOUT THE GOLD STANDARD AWARDS:
The Gold Standard Awards, operated by PublicAffairsAsia, the magazine and network for senior communications and corporate public affairs professionals, operate across the Asia Pacific region. Nominations are invited from consultancies, corporations, government agencies, the diplomatic and trade communities and NGOs across a wide range of categories. Confirmed sponsors and partners for the 2011 programme include Weber Shandwick, News Corporation, eBay, Eon, Prospect, Henry Hale Maguire, The American Chamber of Commerce in China, The Hong Kong Council for Public Relations Firms and the US ASEAN Business Council.
ABOUT STEVEN R. OKUN:
Steven R. Okun joined KKR in February 2011 as Director of Asia Pacific Public Affairs. Mr. Okun oversees public affairs, corporate citizenship and external communications and assists in those efforts for KKR's portfolio companies in the region. In addition, he serves as the Chairman of the Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce, which comprises 25 member Chambers from across the entire Asia Pacific region. Mr. Okun served as Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore from 2008-2011, a position for which he won three consecutive elections. From 2003 - 2010, he was Vice President for Public Affairs for UPS in Asia Pacific. Mr. Okun served in the Administration of President Bill Clinton as Deputy General Counsel at the Department of Transportation.
Media Contact:
Mark O'Brien
PublicAffairsAsia
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