Danny Chaplin, Founder & Director
“Danny goes out of his way to make things happen.”—Vincent Wee, Senior Editor, Business Times.
A “disruptive” yet “old school” publicist, Danny is a seasoned public relations professional with over 30 years of experience in the Asian communications space. Born in London and educated at Bancroft's School and The University of York, Danny's career has spanned across diverse markets, industries, and regions. His multicultural background—encompassing English, Scots, Irish, German, Italian, Spanish as well as Chinese heritage—has given him a unique global perspective in his work.
After moving to Malaysia in his 20s, Danny began his PR career as a tourism journalist before joining Edelman Public Relations in Kuala Lumpur. There, he worked on the landmark Visit ASEAN Year 1992 regional tourism campaign.
In 1993, he relocated to Singapore, where he worked for top international PR firms including Edelman, Fleishman-Hillard, and Ruder Finn. Over the years, he rose to the position of Senior Vice President, managing such blue-chip regional accounts as Rover Group & Land Rover, BMW Asia, Samsung, and Hitachi Asia. He also spearheaded defense-related PR initiatives, including the APAC launch of Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter.
In 2000, Danny founded Chaplin Public Relations, where he quickly established a reputation for delivering innovative PR solutions for clients across various consumer and B2B sectors, including Formula One, marine, and travel. His agency has represented top-tier brands like the Malaysian Grand Prix, Qatar Airways, Simpson Marine, and Suntec Integrated Media (the exhibitions arm of Suntec Singapore). Danny also became Singapore's leader in boating PR, handling PR for marinas such as ONE°15 Marina Club, Republic of Singapore Yacht Club, and Raffles Marina, as well as prestigious events such as Boat Asia, Asia Dive Expo (ADEX), and the Phuket International Boat Show (PIMEX).
More recently, Danny’s portfolio has included emerging local brands like Storefriendly/Workfriendly, Lionsbot International, Ovvy, Kuching, Maison 21G, Thirsty, JET, and Success Resources, in addition to international B2B brands like India's consumer loyalty software solutions provider, Capillary Technologies, and the UK's consumer trends insights agency, Canvas8.
A keen historian, Danny is the author of five books available on Amazon, focusing on topics such as the Normans in Southern Italy, the Medici family of Florence, the world’s first journalist-cum-publicist, Pietro Aretino, the warring states period of Japan and the infamous Borgia family. Genealogy is another of Danny's passions and he is a direct descendant of the English king Edward I 'Longshanks' and, through Edward's wife Eleanor, a descendant of many illustrious kings of Leon, Castile, Navarre and Aragon.
With a distinguished career and a deep commitment to providing strategic, cost-effective PR services, Danny continues to lead Chaplin PR as it drives successful campaigns for clients throughout Asia-Pacific and beyond.