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Top EB Voices 2027: Top 11 Employer Brand Leaders in APAC
See other posts from by Melanie Murphy
CMO
Top EB Voices 2027 | APAC
Celebrating the 11 employer brand leaders shaping how employers are seen in Asia Pacific, each ranked on public evidence across five pillars. Nobody paid to be here.
Updated November 2026Scores checked October 2026. Refreshed every year.
Top EB Voices 2027 APAC is Happydance’s ranked list of the 11 employer brand leaders in Asia Pacific. Each person is scored out of 100 on five pillars, experience, achievements, influence, thought leadership and community, using public, linkable evidence rather than votes, follower counts or payment. Filip Lievens ranks first with 71 out of 100, followed by Brett Minchington (68) and Lucinda Thomas (61).
Key takeaways
- Filip Lievens (Singapore Management University, Singapore) leads the APAC list with 71 out of 100.
- 11 ranked leaders from 8 countries, and 5 more who are also listed. Median score among the ranked: 38.
- Among them, 1 is a published author and 2 have won industry awards.
- Scores use five weighted pillars, and customer status or paid placement never changes a score. Read the full method.
- Named here? Take your Top EB Voice 2027 badge and share the news.
- Key takeaways
- Take your badge
- Leaderboard
- The 11 ranked leaders
- Also on the list
- By the numbers
- How we ranked
- What great employer branding looks like
- FAQ
- Corrections and removal
- Other lists
11ranked leaders
8countries
71top score out of 100
38median score
Named on the APAC list? Take your badge
Everyone named on this list is welcome to show it. The badge is free, in two colourways, as a PNG for social profiles and email signatures and an SVG for websites. Each file carries its alt text, title and source in its metadata.
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Top EB Voices 2027 APAC leaderboard at a glance
Every ranked leader on one table. Select a name to jump to their full entry. Where scores tie, people are listed alphabetically by first name.
| Rank | Leader | Role and organisation | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Filip Lievens | Lee Kong Chian Professor of Human Resources, Singapore Management University | Singapore | 71 |
| #2 | Brett Minchington | Head of College, Employer Branding College | Australia | 68 |
| #3 | Lucinda Thomas | Head of Talent, APAC, Bunzl | Australia | 61 |
| #4 | Arti Gangaiya | Global Employer Brand Leader, IBM | India | 39 |
| #5 | Angela Feng | Global Employer Branding Lead, Tencent | China | 38 |
| #6 | Doug Kelsall | Global Employer Branding Director, Experian | Australia | 38 |
| #7 | Ash Humby | Global Leader, Talent Branding, Atlassian | Australia | 34 |
| #8 | Glynnis Quek | Employment Brand Programmes Lead, Asia-Pacific, Google | Singapore | 34 |
| #9 | Amresh Pratap Yadav | Employer Branding Leader, APAC, GE Vernova | India | 32 |
| #10 | Lana M. | Head of Communications and Branding, ING Hubs Philippines | Philippines | 31 |
| #11 | Sumit Gupta | VP, Talent Brand Marketing and Communications, APAC/SEA, Accenture | India | 31 |
Source: Happydance Top EB Voices 2027 scoring data, checked 29 September to 2 October 2026 and updated 24 October 2026. Scores are out of 100.
The 11 top employer brand leaders in Asia Pacific
Each entry shows the leader’s share card, score on each pillar out of 5, a short reason for their place and the public evidence behind it.
#1 Filip Lievens, Lee Kong Chian Professor of Human Resources, Singapore Management University
Filip Lievens gave employer branding its best-known research lens, the instrumental-symbolic framework, and the measures practitioners and researchers still use.
- Lee Kong Chian Professor of Human Resources, Singapore Management University, since 2018; previously Full Professor at Ghent University
- Introduced the instrumental-symbolic framework to recruitment and employer image
- Developed, with Scott Highhouse, two measures "used a lot in the recruitment and employer branding domain" and shares them free
- 5Experience
- 5Achievements
- 0Influence
- 5Thought leadership
- 2Community
LinkedIn profile · Evidence: faculty.smu.edu.sg · Evidence: filiplievens.com · Link to this entry
#2 Brett Minchington, Head of College, Employer Branding College
Brett Minchington has written more books on employer branding than anyone we found and has taught the discipline across dozens of countries.
- ERE contributor: six articles; bio cites employer branding events and training in 50+ cities
- Lectured in the University of Adelaide MBA on employer branding; former Chair of the HRM Advisory Committee, University of South Australia
- Author, Your Employer Brand: Attract, Engage, Retain
- 4Experience
- 4Achievements
- 3Influence
- 3Thought leadership
- 3Community
LinkedIn profile · Evidence: employerbrandingcollege.com · Evidence: employerbrandinternational.com · Link to this entry
#3 Lucinda Thomas, Head of Talent, APAC, Bunzl
Lucinda Thomas is Head of Talent, APAC at Bunzl, which she joined in 2026. At National Grid she built the award-winning Superpowered employer brand.
- Joined Bunzl as Head of Talent, APAC in 2026
- At National Grid: winner, British Recruitment Awards 2024, Talent Acquisition Strategy of the Year
- At National Grid: Rally Awards 2026 first place, Best Careers Site
- Advisory Board, Global Employer Brand Exchange 2026
- 3Experience
- 4Achievements
- 2Influence
- 3Thought leadership
- 3Community
LinkedIn profile · Evidence: newpossible.io · Evidence: globalebexchange.com · Link to this entry
#4 Arti Gangaiya, Global Employer Brand Leader, IBM
Arti Gangaiya has led employer branding at two global names: NatWest Group, as SVP Global Employer Branding, and IBM since 2026. She spoke at Employer Branding Stars in 2025.
- Joined IBM as Global Employer Brand Leader
- Interview as SVP Global Employer Branding, NatWest Group
- 3Experience
- 4Achievements
- 0Influence
- 2Thought leadership
- 0Community
LinkedIn profile · Evidence: employerbrandingstars.com · Evidence: allthingstalent.org · Link to this entry
#5 Angela Feng, Global Employer Branding Lead, Tencent
Angela Feng has led global employer branding at Tencent since 2024 and presented its overseas EVP strategy at HR Connect Summit 2024 in Shenzhen.
- Global Employer Branding Lead, Tencent, since Jun 2024
- Shared Tencent's overseas EVP strategy at HR Connect Summit 2024, Shenzhen
- Led Tencent 2025 overseas campus roadshow, NUS and NTU
- 3Experience
- 3Achievements
- 1Influence
- 2Thought leadership
- 0Community
#6 Doug Kelsall, Global Employer Branding Director, Experian
Doug Kelsall leads Experian's global employer brand, recruitment marketing and EVP from Australia, and speaks on measuring employer brand ROI.
- Global Employer Brand Leader at Experian, leading global EB strategy from Australia; EVP Summit 2025 speaker
- Guest on the Employer Branding Podcast on metrics for employer brand success, as Global Recruitment Marketing & Branding Director
- 3Experience
- 3Achievements
- 1Influence
- 2Thought leadership
- 0Community
LinkedIn profile · Evidence: podm8.com · Evidence: radawards.com · Link to this entry
#7 Ash Humby, Global Leader, Talent Branding, Atlassian
Ash Humby has led talent and employer brand marketing at Atlassian since 2020, heading its employment brand team after an earlier role at LinkedIn.
- Senior Manager, Talent & Employer Brand Marketing, Atlassian, since Aug 2020; previously LinkedIn
- Hiring a strategist "into our Employment Brand team"; campus brand role joins Ash Humby
- Atlassian presenting partner, Women Leading Tech Awards, fifth year
- 3Experience
- 3Achievements
- 0Influence
- 2Thought leadership
- 0Community
LinkedIn profile · Evidence: joblookup.com.au · Link to this entry
#8 Glynnis Quek, Employment Brand Programmes Lead, Asia-Pacific, Google
Glynnis Quek leads employment brand programmes and campaigns for Google in Asia-Pacific.
- Leads employment brand programmes for Google in Asia-Pacific
- Guest, Employer Branding Podcast, as APAC lead at Google
- Featured on APAC employer branding
- 2Experience
- 2Achievements
- 2Influence
- 2Thought leadership
- 0Community
LinkedIn profile · Evidence: blog.videomyjob.com · Evidence: theundercoverrecruiter.com · Link to this entry
#9 Amresh Pratap Yadav, Employer Branding Leader, APAC, GE Vernova
Amresh Pratap Yadav builds employer brands in India and APAC, at Johnson Controls and, since 2026, GE Vernova.
- General Manager of Employer Branding, Johnson Controls India
- Manatal podcast EP121, Johnson Controls: Humanizing Employer Branding
- Employer Branding Index post
- 4Experience
- 2Achievements
- 0Influence
- 2Thought leadership
- 0Community
LinkedIn profile · Evidence: businessconnectindia.in · Evidence: manatal.com · Link to this entry
#10 Lana M., Head of Communications and Branding, ING Hubs Philippines
Lana Macapagal heads communications and branding at ING Hubs Philippines, whose EB work won Silver at the 2026 HR Excellence Awards.
- Appointed head of communications, brand and marketing communications at ING Hubs Philippines
- ING Hubs Philippines won Silver for Employer Branding at the HR Excellence Awards
- 1Experience
- 2Achievements
- 2Influence
- 2Thought leadership
- 0Community
LinkedIn profile · Evidence: marketech-apac.com · Evidence: employerbrandingsummitasia.com · Link to this entry
#11 Sumit Gupta, VP, Talent Brand Marketing and Communications, APAC/SEA, Accenture
Sumit Gupta leads talent brand marketing and communications for Accenture across APAC and Southeast Asia, including a 2025 campus programme across 30 Indian campuses.
- Talent brand, marketing and communications lead for Accenture APAC/SEA
- Accenture #4 on World's Best Workplaces
- Accenture Strategy Connect Season 4, campus programme across 30 campuses
- 4Experience
- 2Achievements
- 1Influence
- 1Thought leadership
- 0Community
Also on the APAC list
These 5 leaders met the same evidence standard and were scored on the same rubric. They sit outside the ranked group and are shown alphabetically by surname. Their share cards, scores and evidence links are below.
Le Duy, Employer Branding & Internal Comms Team Leader, Hadasa Holdings
16 out of 100 · Vietnam
Le Duy leads employer branding and internal communication at Hadasa Holdings in Vietnam, after EB roles at ADC Group and GRSC.
Karly George, Global Lead, Employer Branding & Candidate Marketing, BHP
29 out of 100 · Australia
Karly George leads employer branding and candidate marketing at BHP (title to confirm).
Myeongseong Jang, Recruitment Content Editor, athome
13 out of 100 · South Korea
Myeongseong Jang works on recruitment content and employer storytelling in South Korea.
Lauren McGinley, Employer Branding Leader, International, Schneider Electric
30 out of 100 · Australia
Lauren McGinley leads international employer branding at Schneider Electric, where the "Wired Differently" campaign brought 163% more applications per service-rep role.
Leonie Yang, Employer Branding Specialist, TSMC
13 out of 100 · Taiwan
Leonie Yang works on employer branding at TSMC, including its European venture ESMC.
The APAC list by the numbers
The leaders come from 8 countries, with the most in Australia (6), India (3), Singapore (2), China (1). Here is how the scores spread and where the leaders are based.
| Score band | Leaders |
|---|---|
| 70 to 79 | 1 |
| 60 to 69 | 2 |
| Below 50 | 13 |
Source: Happydance Top EB Voices 2027 scoring data. Counts include everyone shown on this page.
| Country | Leaders | Highest score | Highest scoring leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 6 | 68 | Brett Minchington |
| India | 3 | 39 | Arti Gangaiya |
| Singapore | 2 | 71 | Filip Lievens |
| China | 1 | 38 | Angela Feng |
| Philippines | 1 | 31 | Lana M. |
| Vietnam | 1 | 16 | Le Duy |
| Taiwan | 1 | 13 | Leonie Yang |
| South Korea | 1 | 13 | Myeongseong Jang |
Showing up to 12 countries, by number of leaders.
How we ranked the Top EB Voices
Anyone whose work is mainly about employer brand, talent brand, EVP or recruitment marketing is eligible. Each person is scored from 0 to 5 on five pillars, weighted into a total out of 100, and every score has to be backed by a public, dated source. The Global list has a threshold of 50. Regional lists are sized by their pool. Customer status and paid placement never change a score.
| Pillar | Weight |
|---|---|
| Experience | 15% |
| Achievements | 25% |
| Influence | 20% |
| Thought leadership | 25% |
| Community | 15% |
Source: Happydance Top EB Voices methodology, version 0.9.
Happydance is a careers website platform built by employer branders. Our founder, Bryan Adams, is on the list because he scored on the same rubric as everyone else, and his entry says so. We also run the Employer Brand Atlas expert directory, which we used only as a starting pool, never as evidence. The full method is on the how we rank the Top EB Voices page.
What great employer branding looks like in 2027
Employer branding in Asia Pacific moves quickly, with mobile first candidates, fast hiring cycles and a mix of global and homegrown employers. The leaders here show that a clear, human employer brand travels across markets. For the website side, see the careers website speed report and what a conversational careers website can do for candidates.
Learning the craft yourself? The Happydance Academy teaches the employer brand strategy course and the storytelling course used by many of the people on these lists, and it is open to anyone.
Top EB Voices 2027 APAC: frequently asked questions
Who are the top employer brand leaders in Asia Pacific in 2027?
The top five on the Top EB Voices 2027 APAC list are Filip Lievens (71); Brett Minchington (68); Lucinda Thomas (61); Arti Gangaiya (39); Angela Feng (38). Scores are out of 100 and based on public evidence.
Who is number one on the Top EB Voices 2027 APAC list?
Filip Lievens, Lee Kong Chian Professor of Human Resources, Singapore Management University, ranks first with 71 out of 100.
How many people are on the Top EB Voices 2027 APAC list?
11 leaders are ranked and a further 5 are also listed, from 8 countries. The median score among the ranked is 38 out of 100.
How is the APAC list ranked?
Each person is scored from 0 to 5 on experience (15%), achievements (25%), influence (20%), thought leadership (25%) and community (15%), giving a total out of 100. Every score is backed by a public, dated source.
Can anyone pay to be on the list or move up it?
No. Paid placement and customer status never affect a score. Happydance founder Bryan Adams is on the list because he scored on the same rubric as everyone else.
How do I use the Top EB Voice 2027 badge?
Download the APAC badge from the badge section of this page as a PNG or SVG and add it to your website, email signature or social profile. The embed code includes a link back to this list. The link is optional and never a condition of being listed.
How can I correct or remove my entry?
Email [email protected] with the change you would like, including your name and the list. We re-score corrections within 30 days, and we remove entries or swap a photo for initials on request.
Where can I see the other Top EB Voices 2027 lists?
There are Global, US and Canada, UK, Europe, APAC and Rest of the World lists. The other lists are: Global, US & Canada, UK, Europe, Rest of the World. They are linked at the end of this page.
Corrections, photos and removal
We scored public evidence, not private information. Photos on the share cards are public profile photos. If anything is wrong, outdated or you would prefer not to appear, email [email protected] and we will fix it, swap a photo for initials or remove the entry. Corrections are re-scored within 30 days. Scores reflect public sources checked 29 September to 2 October 2026 and updated 24 October 2026 and are refreshed once a year. This is a reading list, not a verdict on anyone’s work.
Curious how your careers website compares?
If these leaders have you thinking about your own employer brand, a free careers website audit shows where your site stands today.
Explore more Top EB Voices lists
Top EB Voices: all listsHow we rank the Top EB VoicesTop EB Voices 2027: GlobalTop EB Voices 2027: US & CanadaTop EB Voices 2027: UKTop EB Voices 2027: EuropeTop EB Voices 2027: Rest of the WorldEmployer branding experts to follow in 2027Best careers websites of 2026
Sources
- Happydance Top EB Voices 2027 scoring data (APAC), checked 29 September to 2 October 2026 and updated 24 October 2026.
- Happydance Top EB Voices methodology, version 0.9: https://www.happydance.love/insights/posts/how-we-rank-employer-brand-leaders/
- Each leader’s own LinkedIn profile and evidence links are on their entry above.
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