Ziena Jalil: Promoting New Zealand Inc in North Asia

Hong Kong-based Young Leader Ziena Jalil is New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) Regional Marketing and Communications Manager for North Asia. The position encompasses building a trade and investment profile for New Zealand in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. “My role is to promote New Zealand,” Jalil says, “We do a lot to encourage businesses to become a part of the overall country brand - this allows our businesses to leverage the reputation we are building in-market.”

Jalil studied a communications degree majoring in public relations at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT). Subsequently she worked as communications advisor to AUT, then consultant at Baldwin Boyle Group before beginning at NZTE. In 2008 she was named Young Practitioner of the Year at the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) awards. The award goes to a young PRINZ member who has already achieved success in his or her career and is held in high esteem in the industry. In the same year she was also awarded a Certificate of Excellence at the Asia Pacific PR Awards – the most prestigious regional industry awards.

Jalil who joined the Young Leaders Network last year, first became interested in Asia after winning an essay competition on Japanese culture at high school. In December 2008 she attended the Offshore Forum in Singapore with 17 other members of the Network. Jalil considers one of the important issues facing New Zealandʼs relations with Asia to be a lack of appreciation of Asiaʼs importance to New Zealandʼs future prosperity. “Our future as a country and as a people is inextricably linked to Asia – that is a fact,” says Jalil. “But we have yet to see the interest and engagement in this part of the world that such a reality merits.”

Outside of work Jalil enjoys traveling, reading and spending time with her young family.