Biographies for Keynote Speakers:
 

Prof. W. Timothy Coombs
Affiliation: Crisis Communication Think Tank

Biography:
Prof. W. Timothy Coombs (PhD Purdue University) (USA) is Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management and Senior Partner at the Center for Risk Communication. His primary area of research and consulting is crisis communication. His works include the award-winning book Ongoing Crisis Communication, and coediting the Handbook of Crisis Communication. His crisis communication research has won multiple awards from professional organizations including the 2002 recipient of Jackson, Jackson & Wagner Behavioral Science Prize from the Public Relations Society of America and the 2013 Pathfinder Award from the Institute of Public Relations. He is a Fellow in the International Communication Association. 

Ms. Jennifer Giff
Position: Senior Director, Issues & Crisis, APAC
Affiliation: Edelman Hong Kong

Biography:
Ms. Jennifer Giff is an experienced reputation management consultant who specializes in crisis communications. Her expertise involves helping clients to prepare ahead of a crisis by developing their response procedures and messaging through risk assessments, scenario planning and crisis manuals. She regularly delivers training sessions ranging from live crisis simulations to message rehearsal and delivery. When a crisis does occur, she supports clients by preparing communications strategies, managing stakeholder relations and providing strategic counsel. Based in Hong Kong, she has a regional role across Edelman’s APAC crisis network, leading regional mandates and embedding best practice. Prior to joining Edelman Hong Kong in 2024, she worked in the London office leading risk management workstreams for high-profile EMEA-based clients.

Prof. Yi-hui Christine Huang
Position: Head and Chair Professor
Affiliation: Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong

Biography:
Prof. Yi-Hui Christine Huang (Ph.D., University of Maryland) is Head and Chair Professor of Communication and Media at City University of Hong Kong and International Communication Association (ICA) Fellow. She was awarded the title of Senior Research Fellow by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) in 2024. She has been committed to research on strategic communication, risk communication in health and technology, crisis communication, relationship management and conflict resolution, and cross-cultural communication. She serves as Editor of Communication and Society (TSSCI) and serves on the editorial boards of over 10 major SSCI journals, including Journal of Communication, Journal of Public Relations Research, and Public Relations Review.

Prof. Yan Jin
Position: C. Richard Yarbrough Professor; Professor; Co-founder and Director of CCTT
Affiliation: Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia

Biography:
Prof. Yan Jin, Ph.D., is the C. Richard Yarbrough Professor in Crisis Communication Leadership and a professor of public relations at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia (UGA). She is Co-Founder and Director of the UGA Crisis Communication Think Thank (CCTT) and Director of the Crisis, Risk, and Disaster Communication graduate certificate program. She is a Fellow of the International Communication Association (ICA) and recipient of the Kitty O. Locker Outstanding Researcher Award of the Association for Business Communication (ABC). She serves on the board of directors of the International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC). 

Prof. Augustine Pang
Position: Associate Dean; Professor of Practice
Affiliation: Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University