Janssen leader awarded Best PR Professional in Asia-Pacific region

The PRWeek Awards Asia celebrates the most outstanding, inspired and successful campaigns, individuals and companies in the Asia-Pacific’s communications industry.

The 2021 winner of Best PR Professional in Asia-Pacific is Jenny Tear, Vice President of Communication & Public Affairs, Asia Pacific at Janssen, The Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.

According to PRWeek, Jenny’s communications leadership is underpinned by a commitment to lead ‘from Asia, for Asia’. A champion both of local Asia Pacific talent on the global stage, in 2020 she successfully led a 32-strong team to enhance Janssen’s regional corporate reputation and support business growth.

In the face of significant internal and external challenges and uncertainty posed by Covid-19, Jenny delivered timely and empathetic communication to staff, hosted virtual events and wellbeing programmes. She also ran media training for Janssen’s regional leaders in support of Covid-19 vaccine messages, and secured tier one media interviews across all Asia Pacific markets.

Jenny achieved a 91% favourability rating in the year’s global employee survey from her team.

Appointed to her current position in 2010, Jenny has worked collaboratively with Asia Pacific leaders and regional and country communications teams to bolster communication, public affairs and corporate reputation capabilities in support of Janssen’s regional growth objectives.

According to PRWeek “Other external communication highlights included a youth-focused campaign around tuberculosis in collaboration with MTV Staying Alive Foundation, after which the Indian Government purchases 61,000 courses of a Janssen medicine; a collaboration between patient organisations and the fashion industry to develop clothing for people with psoriasis and reduce stigma around the condition; and a patient voice and medical opinion-led campaign which ultimately led to a record number of Janssen medicines being included on China’s National Reimbursement Drug List.”

Before joining Janssen, Jenny held senior in-house and public affairs consulting positions with organisations in Australia and the UK including Eli Lilly, Goodman Fielder, Gavin Anderson & Co, Department of Health and Ageing (Australia), Burson-Marsteller and Fleishman-Hillard.

While working in the Australian capital, Jenny managed major health policy change campaigns and advised the Department of Health and Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee.