Simon Buckby and Craig Wilkie join Sandpiper
APAC-focused communications and public affairs firm Sandpiper has hired Simon Buckby and Craig Wilkie to lead its Government & Public Affairs business.
Simon Buckby has over 30 years of experience in communications, government advisory and public affairs, having served in Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom. He advised multinational corporations and local firms from Hong Kong between 2018 and 2021, and has led teams in Saudi Arabia at the Public Investment Fund, the Future Investment Initiative and the Ministry of Culture over the past four years.
Buckby’s career began in journalism, as a correspondent for the Financial Times and an on-screen reporter for BBC TV news and current affairs. He subsequently worked closely with Prime Minister Tony Blair, responsible for the coordination of senior business leaders on the issue of Britain’s relationship with the European Union.
Over the past years, Bucky was a partner at Consulum in the Middle East, and before that he served Teneo and Instinctif Partners in Asia.
On his ambition with the Government & Public Affairs business, Buckby said, “Sandpiper already has a rapidly growing team of consultants, rooted in Asia Pacific and enlarging across the Arabian Gulf and globally. At this time of geopolitical upheaval, and all that means for political and business leaders operating across our region, we aim to expand further the depth and breadth of our Government and Public Affairs work, just when it is needed most.”
Craig Wilkie has 20 years of experience in communications and policy. He has served as a senior speechwriter for several national leaders and consulted on strategic projects for national governments and brands such as Samsung, Heineken, BMW, and MINI. He has worked extensively across the Middle East and Asia, including on high profile projects such as Saudia Arabia’s vision 2030 and Malaysia’s Chairmanship of ASEAN 2025.
Wilkie joins Sandpiper from Consulum, where he was a partner, and before that worked for Leo Burnett.
“I’m excited to join the Sandpiper team to further develop the intelligence we provide to help clients achieve their strategic objectives,” Wilkie said. “A key focus will be on creating content that positions organisations as thought leaders within their industries and builds deep credibility in how they communicate.”
Emma Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Sandpiper, said: “We are delighted to welcome Simon and Craig to the team. Their respective experience and deep expertise will be a huge asset to our Government and Public Affairs practice. We pride ourselves on delivering truly actionable insights and that is exactly what our clients can expect from our expanded team.”
