SEC Newgate Greater China

James has 20 years’ experience in advising leading Asian and international organisations and individuals on complex reputation briefs, brand building, cross border M&A, crisis management and investor relations. Prior to Newgate, James was the General Manager of Sandpiper Communications (formerly MHP Communications) in Hong Kong. He has almost a decade of experience in Asia, having formerly been a Partner at Finsbury, where he helped launch the firm’s first Asia office in Hong Kong in 2011.

James has advised private and listed companies across the financial services, professional services, energy and TMT industries. Key highlights in Asia include advising China Gas on its successful US$2.2 billion hostile bid defence from Sinopec; Foxconn Technology on shareholder unrest and ESG; the Qatar Investment Authority on its US$10 billion JV fund with Citic and US$600 million stake acquisition in Lifestyle International Holdings; BlackRock on its maiden activist project in Hong Kong; AGIC Capital on profile raising to support fundraising and European deal flow; Sun Hung Kai Properties on the Hong Kong High Court Trial of its Joint Chairmen; Moody’s Investors Services on its appeal following censure from the SFC in Hong Kong; and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board on its expansion in Asia.

Candise has experience advising Hong Kong, Mainland Chinese, Japanese and multinational companies on a wide range of critical business issues, ranging from reputation management, crises, M&A transactions, litigations, proxy battles and public affairs. Prior to Newgate, she was with CBRE as Communications Manager, where she led both the internal and external communications for the real estate services and investment firm in Hong Kong and the broader Greater Bay Area.

Previously she worked for Brunswick where she supported an array of businesses in private equity, asset management, banking and TMT on their communications needs. During her time, she handled a series of high-stakes corporate reputation issues for leading family businesses and inbound transactions. She speaks native Chinese and fluent English and Japanese.

Renfeng has 25 years of experience in financial journalism and cross-border strategic counseling for both Chinese and international companies. He has a deep understanding of how the interests of corporate, financial, political and societal audiences intersect to compete and cooperate in the global context, and how best to create value through communications. Renfeng has global communications experience in capital market transactions, litigation, reputation management, government and regulatory affairs, crisis and issues management, and ESG programmes. He particularly specialises in the technology, energy, healthcare and financial services sectors. Renfeng advises leading companies, NGOs and government organisations on stakeholder engagement and communications strategy in China and internationally.

Renfeng has long-term agency experience, having previously worked as Managing Director at FTI Consulting and Partner at Brunswick. He also served as Partner in London and Managing Partner in China at Kreab. Prior to Kreab, he spent nearly 10 years at China Daily Newspaper Group.

Renfeng is a Visiting Professor of the School of International Affairs at the Renmin University of China. He was a Research Fellow with the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies and a visiting scholar at University of Hawaii/East-West Center. Renfeng was awarded a double Masters degree under the EU Erasmus Mundus Scholarship. He obtained a bachelor’s degree from Nankai University in China.

Marylène is a communications professional with nearly two decades of experience advising leading international organisations on corporate communications, strategic reputational issues, brand building and crisis resolution.  She started her career in London and has been based in Hong Kong since 2012.

Marylène joined SEC Newgate from CLSA, the international investment bank of CITIC Securities, and was associate partner at Finsbury Asia before then. She specialises in financial services, fintech, professional services and real estate, and has advised Blackrock, iShares, Amundi, Amundi ETF, PineBridge Investments, Legal and General Investment Management, UBP, Bank of Singapore, iCapital, FalconX, Alvarez & Marsal, Debevoise & Plimpton and Herbert Smith Freehills.

Hermen has approximately ten years of experience in advising conglomerates, developers, financial institutions and professional services firms on corporate profile-raising, media relations, thought leadership, and issues management.

Since joining SEC Newgate in 2021, Hermen has supported key clients including Alvarez & Marsal, Coller Capital, Deacons, Debevoise & Plimpton, Hongkong Land and Temenos.

Hermen is a member of the Marketing & Communications Committee of The British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. She is also a mentor at the School of Journalism and Communication of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

Prior to joining SEC Newgate, Hermen worked at Brunswick Group and Weber Shandwick, and before that was a paralegal at Mayber Brown.

She holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Master’s in Corporate Communication, both awarded by the CUHK.