• DHL takes the #1 position, with ASEAN-headquartered organizations also featuring prominently, underscoring the region’s capability to build competitive, people-first workplaces.
• Vietnam recorded the highest number of recognized companies, with ten organizations featured on the inaugural Southeast Asia list.
• The Philippines secured four places on the list across water infrastructure, hospitality, property, and business services. 

SINGAPORE, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Great Place To Work® ASEAN & ANZ announced the inaugural Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For™ Southeast Asia.

The Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list – first published in the US in 1998 – has long been one of the most recognized workplace benchmarks in North America. This year marks a major expansion of that legacy into Southeast Asia. More than 1.3 million employees across ten markets were invited to assess trust, fairness and support at work, with over 550,000 verified survey responses shaping the inaugural regional rankings.

Evelyn Kwek, Managing Director of Great Place To Work ASEAN & ANZ, said the list reflects a region-wide commitment to workplace culture.

“For decades, the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For List has set the gold standard across the US and Europe for what great workplaces can look like. Today, Southeast Asia has earned its place within that international standard of excellence.”

“This first-ever list reflects a diverse and dynamic region that is coming into its own by recognizing organizations that have intentionally built environments where people feel trusted and supported to do their best work. The many years of research, and millions of employee voices, collected in our data, have shown that when that trust is strong, businesses grow in ways that lift people, communities, and entire economies.”

The 100 Best Companies to Work For Southeast Asia list is the region’s most comprehensive measure of the employee experience, based on Great Place To Work’s proprietary Trust Index™ Survey. Rankings are driven primarily by confidential employee feedback, with company-provided information used to confirm basic eligibility and context. Only companies with consistently high survey responses from employees, regardless of their role, department, or status in the company, can secure a placement on the list.

The top ten 2025 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For™ Southeast Asia
These ten organizations – a mix of multi-national companies with regional headquarters in Southeast Asia, global leaders, and fast-growing home-grown firms, represent the highest-scoring workplaces in the region:

#1 DHL
#2 Hilton
#3 Capella Hotels & Resorts (Singapore)
#4 Cisco
#5 COATS
#6 Marriott International
#7 Vinmec Healthcare System (Vietnam)
#8 Carelon Global Solutions
#9 Highlands Coffee (Vietnam)
#10 Bangkok Hospital Headquarter (Thailand)

The full Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For™ Southeast Asia list is available here:
https://greatplacetowork.com.sg/best-companies-to-work-for-southeast-asia-2025/ 

About the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For™ Southeast Asia
To be included on the list, a company must first earn Great Place To Work Certification™ and have a minimum of 200 employees. Each organization’s survey process must adhere to rigorous standards, ensuring honest feedback from their entire workforce collected between late 2024 and September 2025. Rankings are determined by confidential employee responses to the Trust Index™ Survey. Companies that foster positive workplace cultures are proven to excel across key business metrics, outperforming peers regardless of their size, industry, or location.

About Great Place To Work®
Great Place To Work® is the global authority on workplace culture, drawing on 30 years of research and millions of employee voices worldwide. Its Trust Index™ Survey helps organizations benchmark culture, measure trust and qualify for Great Place To Work Certification™ and Best Workplaces™ Lists.

THOUGHT STARTERS FOR MEDIA

Hospitality in ASEAN & ANZ Has Entered Its High-Trust Era
Hospitality operators across Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand are investing in culture as seriously as they invest in service. Capella’s topthree regional ranking, alongside the strong showing of hotel groups across the Philippines and Vietnam, signals an industry that has pivoted to workplaces that prioritize psychological safety, career development and wellbeing.

ASEAN as a Headquarters Hub for Great Workplace Culture
A significant number of companies recognized on the list are ASEAN-headquartered, showing the region’s growing sophistication in leadership, culture and employee experience. From Vietnam’s nine placements to strong performances in Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines, ASEAN-born employers are shaping the region’s new standard for people-first performance.

Media Contact
Lleufer Sinsua
ASEAN Marketing Team Lead
Great Place To Work® ASEAN & ANZ
lleufer.sinsua@greatplacetowork.com  greatplacetowork.com.sg 

SYDNEY, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Automic Group, Australia’s market leader in technology-driven investor administration and services, announces two senior executive appointments to drive further growth and accelerate the Group’s strategy.

Stacey Kelly had been appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Stacey is an experienced CFO with more than 25 years’ experience across software, fund administration, wealth management technology, and financial services. She is known for her strategic and operational experience, partnership approach in driving aligned outcomes and supporting CEOs, leadership teams and the broader organisation.

Before joining Automic, Stacey was CFO at GBST, where she led the global finance function with cross jurisdictional responsibility across multiple markets, supporting the investment program to deliver a full platform cloud transformation under private equity ownership. Prior experience includes her role as CFO at ASX-listed Mainstream (acquired by private equity backed Apex Group), and roles at ASX-listed Macquarie Group and LSE-listed HSBC.

Simone Shugg has been appointed Chief People Officer (CPO). Simone is an experienced CPO who has spent more than two decades helping organisations navigate growth, transformation and change. She is known for aligning people, culture and operating models with ambitious commercial goals, and for working as a true partner to CEOs, executive teams and boards.

Before joining Automic, Simone was CPO at private equity owned Nearmap, where she led the global people strategy through rapid international expansion, organisational restructuring and the company’s transition to private equity ownership. She has also held senior executive roles at Foxtel as Executive Director, People & Culture, and at Carnival Australia as Vice President, People & Performance, supporting large, complex workforces through industry disruption, digitisation and major change programs.

These key senior appointments follow the acquisition of Automic by Advent, a leading global private equity investor.

“I’m delighted to welcome Stacey and Simone to Automic. Each brings a depth of leadership experience that will be central to enabling our next phase of growth as we advance our market leadership domestically, pursue global opportunities and continue to innovate client-focused solutions,” said David Raper, CEO of Automic. “Combined with our three new independent board appointments and the support of Advent, we have significant global expertise and depth of experience to drive our business forward at scale.”

“I’m excited to be joining Automic, a technology-led market leader in investor administration services, with the opportunity to support further expansion and investment leveraging my prior experience across technology-led financial services companies. The business has a clear vision and value-creation plan, and I believe that strength in finance, and close partnerships with the leadership team and broader business will accelerate delivering on Automic’s potential,” newly appointed Automic CFO Stacey Kelly said. “I’m thrilled to join as Chief Financial Officer and look forward to working with David and the leadership team to support the delivery of our vision for our customers, staff and other stakeholders.”

“What excites me about Automic is the opportunity to combine a strong commercial story with a genuine focus on people. The business is growing quickly, with a clear value-creation agenda, and I firmly believe that leadership, culture and talent will be critical to delivering on that ambition,” newly appointed Automic CPO Simone Shugg said. “I’m delighted to join as Chief People Officer and to work with David and the leadership team to make sure our people strategy is a true driver of performance – creating an environment where our teams can do their best work and continue to push the boundaries of what we deliver for clients.”

About Automic Group

Automic Group is Australia’s market leader in technology-driven investor administration. Combining proprietary cloud-native technology with expert service, Automic simplifies investor administration and governance for companies and funds. It provides the market’s leading registry, employee share plans, IR analytics, and fund administration services for over 1,400 ASX-listed and unlisted organisations. Founded to challenge an industry reliant on outdated systems, Automic is committed to delivering smarter, more efficient, and secure solutions that help Australia’s companies and fund managers. For more information visit www.automicgroup.com.au 

Media Contact: Gareth Stewart | Gareth.stewart@automicgroup.com.au

Netflix emerges as the region’s most preferred ad platform for consumers and YouTube continues to resonate with marketers 

SINGAPORE, Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Over half of APAC marketers plan to further increase spending on online video, e-commerce, and influencer content in 2026, according to Kantar Media Reactions 2025. The annual study uncovering the attitudes of consumers and marketers also revealed that Netflix is officially the most preferred global ad platform among consumers in APAC.

Kantar’s APAC Head of Media Andy Gallagher says this is a significant shift in APAC’s media landscape because for the first time, Netflix with ads is the first streaming service to top the list in APAC.

“Almost two in five (37%) consumers believe Netflix delivers trustworthy ads and over one-third (35%) say they are of better quality. Notably, Netflix is the top-ranking media brand with highest ad equity in Korea and Japan. In particular, the Japanese say ads on Netflix are the most trustworthy and of the highest quality. This mirrors the Netflix’s top global ranking too for better quality ads and being known for hosting immersive content.

“Netflix is quickly gaining traction as the next big opportunity, with APAC marketers increasingly acknowledging its innovative ad formats and the highly positive consumer response contributing to its impressive rapid growth and appeal,” adds Gallagher.

“Ad equity matters. Our studies prove that campaigns are seven times more impactful among more receptive audiences. We are seeing steady growth over the last five years with more than half of APAC consumers are now receptive towards ads in general.”

The study also reveals that APAC marketers continue to rate YouTube as the best platform for capturing consumer attention, while Prime Video also features in the top five for both consumers and marketers, reflecting the growing influence of OTT platforms. Pinterest is the only social platform to break into the Top 5 for marketers, driven by Gen Z’s preference for its positive and inspiring content. Google Search remains a dominant force, especially in India and the Philippines while Amazon delivers a strong performance in Australia.

Social platforms also continue to be highly receptive for consumers on Southeast Asia with TikTok topping the consumer vote for ads that capture their attention; while for e-commerce, Grab has surpassed Shopee and Lazada in capturing consumers’ positive receptivity toward ads on its platform.

Top-ranking media channels in Asia Pacific 2025

Note: (x) refers to rank changes versus 2024

Offline touchpoints continue to be the media channels most loved by consumers.

Digital Out of Home (DOOH) ads have surged two spots from 2024, while the entry of cinema ads into the top five underscores a growing appreciation for immersive, high-quality advertising experiences. Gallager says that DOOH stands out for both consumers and marketers, recognised for its innovative, attention-grabbing formats and visually impactful campaigns.

“The rise of DOOH signals a strategic opportunity for brands to leverage public spaces for creative storytelling and deeper engagement. Importantly, these rankings demonstrate that consumer preferences extend well beyond digital media, reaffirming the enduring relevance of traditional channels across Asia’s diverse markets.”

“For marketers, this means that while digital innovation is crucial, integrating offline touchpoints into the media mix remains essential for maximising reach and resonance,” adds Gallagher.

“The blend of offline and digital priorities highlights the need for a balanced, omni-channel strategy that aligns with evolving consumer behaviours while capitalising on the strengths of both worlds. Test and learn to maximise the impact that new possibilities can bring for your brand.”

Generative AI has more of an influence for marketers, while consumer concerns are high.

Gallagher also cautions that while marketers are embracing AI to boost efficiency and creativity, consumers are becoming more discerning and expressing concern over fake content.

“Three in five APAC marketers (62%) are excited about the application of AI to ads (62%) and are using generative AI to work more efficiently (61%); but 56% of consumers say they can tell when an ad is AI-generated and 63% are concerned that generative AI can lead to fake ads.”

“When thinking of Gen AI for creative, remember that efficiency may capture time for marketers, but authenticity is what will capture the hearts and trust of consumers.”

Local, regional and global Media Reactions reports are available by contacting Marc.Toh@kantar.com or Carie.Lee@kantar.com.

About Media Reactions 2025: Media Reactions combines insights from both consumer and marketer studies to provide a comprehensive view of the current media landscape. 2025’s survey engaged 974 marketing professionals from advertisers, agencies, and media companies worldwide, alongside 21,300 consumers across 30 markets (Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam).

About Kantar – Kantar is the world’s leading marketing data and analytics business and an indispensable brand partner to the world’s top companies. We combine the most meaningful attitudinal and behavioural data with deep expertise and advanced analytics to uncover how people think and act. We help clients understand what has happened and why and how to shape the marketing strategies that shape their future. www.kantar.com.