Mandy Queen, international PR & communications advisor

International communications experience. Senior judgement. Direct support.

I’m Mandy Queen, an international PR and communications consultant with more than 25 years’ experience across the UK, Hong Kong, mainland China and wider international markets.

My career spans senior in-house communications leadership, global marketing roles, consultancy ownership and independent advisory work. I have advised CEOs, founders and leadership teams, managed reputation and complex issues, led international campaigns and supported more than 100 organisations across technology, manufacturing, professional services, exhibitions, food and drink, hospitality, education, culture, trade associations and the public sector.

Through Mandy Queen PR, organisations work directly with me. I provide the senior judgement and practical communications support they need to become more visible, credible and trusted.

Experience across markets, sectors and organisations

25+ years in PR, marketing and communications
Three years in FMCG with Scottish Courage Brands, working on major international beer brands
17+ years living and working in Hong Kong and Asia
13 years building and leading Cred Communications in Hong Kong, a six-person consultancy team serving local and international clients
100+ organisations and projects supported
40+ international trade shows, conferences and festivals
Senior UK in-house leadership as Head of Communications at Seafish, six years in total
International marketing leadership across teams in Hong Kong and mainland China
Communications work spanning the UK, Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East

I have worked with organisations including Pudu Robotics, Tencent, Emarsys by SAP, Lindt & Sprüngli, British Council, The Economist Events, AHDB, Hilton Hotels, New World Development, Global Sources, Messe Frankfurt and Informa Markets.

I am a GlobalScot, a long‑term member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, an international mentor with Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce and a consultant with Business Gateway, and I contribute to industry discussions and events in these networks.

Read my article on how to choose a PR agency or consultant, including what to consider around experience, fit and budget.

What clients say

Meg Timmons, Head of Pan America Marketing, Pudu Robotics.

“Having Mandy by your side to help your company achieve your goals is probably the smartest move you could make this year.”

Chris Gibson, CEO, Forum of Incident Response & Security Teams

"She was able to understand our specific sector quickly, repurpose highly technical information, and make it accessible to our global members and media worldwide while protecting and expanding the reputation of FIRST."

Synthia Liem, General Manager, DiningCity

"Mandy’s experience in PR and her valuable contacts within the F&B industry helped us generate media exposure and grow DiningCity’s Restaurant Week in Hong Kong."

What I help organisations do

I work with organisations that need experienced communications leadership, strategic direction or specialist international support.

This includes:

Developing PR and communications strategies connected to commercial and organisational priorities
Advising CEOs, founders and senior teams on reputation, positioning, messaging and communications decisions
Providing interim or fractional PR and communications leadership
Building corporate, B2B and consumer communications programmes
Leading international media relations and thought leadership
Preparing organisations to enter or communicate across new markets
Helping exhibitors and organisers increase the value of international trade shows and conferences
Managing stakeholder communications, reputation, issues and crisis response
Directing internal teams, agencies and specialist suppliers
Assessing how websites, media coverage, leadership profiles and independent external sources contribute to credibility and trust

I combine strategic counsel with hands-on delivery. I can assess the situation, establish the priorities and develop the plan, then lead implementation or work alongside the client’s internal team and existing suppliers.

Who I work with

I work with organisations that need experienced communications leadership, from scale-ups and exporters to established international brands, trade and membership bodies and public-sector organisations.

Typical clients include:

Organisations needing interim or fractional communications leadership
UK and international companies expanding into new markets
Hong Kong and Chinese companies building their profile and expanding into the UK, Europe, North America and other international markets
Businesses managing launches, change, reputation or complex communications challenges
Exporters and trade bodies showcasing at international trade shows
Organisations that need senior strategic communications support without building a larger permanent team

Why clients work with me

Clients gain direct access to a senior consultant who understands communications from several perspectives:

An in-house leader responsible for organisational reputation
An international marketing executive managing teams and campaigns across markets
A consultancy founder responsible for clients, people, quality and commercial performance
A hands-on adviser who can turn strategy into practical action

There are no layers of junior account management. I remain directly involved in the thinking, advice and agreed delivery.

Senior expertise. International perspective. Direct support.

Helping organisations become visible, credible and trusted across markets.

Experience behind the advice

My career began in FMCG marketing communications with Scottish Courage Brands, working on major international beer brands including Foster’s, Miller Genuine Draft and Beck’s. This gave me an early grounding in consumer marketing, brand positioning and integrated campaigns within a major international drinks business.

During six years at Seafish, including as Head of Communications, I led corporate, consumer, stakeholder and internal communications across the UK. I managed an external agency budget of approximately £1 million and handled media relations, reputation, industry issues and crisis communications.

At Seafish, separate promotional activities were generating limited collective impact. I brought them together through the award-winning Seafood Week, creating a focused annual campaign that raised awareness across the UK of the recommendation to eat seafood twice a week.

The campaign showed how concentrating resources around one clear message could create greater public awareness, media interest and industry participation.

After moving to Asia, I managed international media relations and advertising for seven annual trade shows at Messe Frankfurt. At Global Sources, I led marketing teams in Hong Kong and mainland China and supported more than 25 exhibitions each year across Asia and the Middle East.

I spoke directly with exhibitors and buyers from markets ranging from Cameroon to Chile. This gave me first-hand insight into how businesses enter new markets, what influences international buyers and why positioning and communications must reflect different commercial and cultural contexts.

From Cred Communications to Mandy Queen PR

In 2010, I founded Cred Communications, an independent PR and communications consultancy in Hong Kong.

I built Cred into a six-person business and advised organisations ranging from international exhibition organisers and technology companies to hospitality, food and drink, education, property, professional services and cultural organisations.

Over 13 years, we delivered corporate, consumer and B2B communications, media relations, launches, thought leadership, reputation management, events and international campaigns. Our work supported clients in Hong Kong and mainland China as well as organisations expanding across Asia and into wider international markets.

Running Cred gave me responsibility for every aspect of the client relationship: understanding the commercial requirement, setting the strategy, leading the team, maintaining quality, advising senior decision-makers and ensuring the work delivered something worthwhile.

It also demonstrated the commercial power of credible third-party recognition. For technology and investment clients, securing coverage in influential international media such as Bloomberg did far more than generate publicity. It strengthened their international profile and investor credibility during periods in which they attracted millions of dollars in investment.

I also saw the importance of local relevance. International organisations could not expect positioning and messages developed elsewhere to work automatically in Hong Kong or Asia. Successful communications required an understanding of local audiences, expectations, media, business practices and cultural context.

After returning to Scotland in 2023, I established Mandy Queen PR. The business has a newer name, but the experience behind it has been built over decades.

Professional leadership and community contribution

In Hong Kong, I served on the board of the Hong Kong Public Relations Professionals’ Association, chaired programmes for the Council of Public Relations Firms of Hong Kong and co-founded CreativeMornings Hong Kong.

I have also used communications to support community and social-impact initiatives. This has included leading PR for Pink Season, Asia’s largest LGBTQ+ festival; supporting The Helper, a documentary about Hong Kong’s migrant domestic workers; developing a food rescue initiative that secured approximately £30,000 worth of food for Feeding Hong Kong; and delivering a two-year PR programme for Hong Kong Cancer Fund.

Need experienced communications support?

If your organisation needs senior communications judgement, international perspective or additional leadership at an important point in its development, book a 15-minute introductory call.

We will discuss your objectives, the communications challenge and whether I am the right person to support you.

Book a 15-minute introductory call