Daria Khilenkova
Partner, Senior Communications Advisor
Dubai
Summary
Accomplished senior communications advisor with expertise in financial and corporate communications, strategic planning, and crisis management. Proven ability to develop and execute comprehensive communication strategies, enhance corporate reputation, and build strong stakeholder relationships. Driven professional with collaborative mindset. Ready to use and develop collaboration, negotiation, out-of-the-box thinking and problem-solving skills in a high-impact role.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
5
5
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Partner
EM/Mojo Advisors
Dubai/Moscow
01.2023 - Current
- Leading the international client projects portfolio (10+ clients) and business development across MENA, Central Asia & Europe.
- Delivering strategic client advisory on financial and corporate communications, investor relations and reputation management.
- Helping clients translate their corporate strategy into a compelling equity story.
- Facilitating comprehensive support for IPO, M&A, and ECM/DCM transactions internationally (30+ deals over three years).
- Advising on key corporate materials to enhance financial communications and corporate initiatives.
- Establishing clients' positive media profiles and acting as an international advocate in line with their business objectives.
- Leveraging relationships with top-tier global media to amplify clients’ visibility and minimize risks.
- Managing full media relations throughout transactions and other corporate processes.
- Executing crisis strategy development and providing winning litigation PR support for clients.
- Negotiating high-value contracts to secure long-term business stability.
Director
EM
Moscow/Dubai
10.2020 - 01.2023
- Executed corporate positioning and reputation management strategies for clients.
- Engaged with international and regional media to foster relationships and enhance visibility.
- Handled financial media (Bloomberg, Reuters, DJ etc.) requests, functioning as clients' press office.
- Conducted campaigns for reputation protection and profile enhancement.
- Developed thought leadership initiatives to position clients as industry experts.
- Demonstrated expertise across sectors including banking, energy, manufacturing, retail, and technology.
- Oversaw internal teams and external vendors for diverse project portfolio
- Optimised resource allocation to maximise productivity
- Identified and capitalised on market growth opportunities/changing landscape.
- Coordinated large scale shareholder activism/investor engagement campaigns with successful outcomes (generated ca. USD20mn in end-gain for a major project).
Vice President, Head of Corporate Communications
Renaissance Capital
Moscow/London/Lagos
08.2014 - 07.2020
- Developed strategic corporate communications to align business objectives with branding and marketing opportunities.
- Generated PR opportunities by promoting IB deals, research, and thought leadership across target markets.
- Cultivated relationships with key press in EEMEA regions to enhance brand visibility.
- Managed crisis response and reputation strategies to mitigate risks and maximise reputation benefits.
- Created positive PR profiles for various departments, including Global Markets and Investment Banking.
- Organised core global conferences, overseeing logistics and management of agencies (50+ events over five years).
- Executed PR plans for new office launches, ensuring consistent communication across core regions.
- Designed marketing materials and campaigns while analysing market trends and social media strategies.
Head of Corporate Communications, International
Renaissance Group/Renaissance Capital
Moscow/London/Lagos
10.2010 - 05.2013
- Developed international communications strategy in line with evolving business goals, focusing on frontier markets.
- Supported strong business development for all Group brands by enhancing overall reputation.
- Managed external media relations and SMM channels
Coordinated press activity during significant global investor conferences (Moscow, London, Lagos, Nairobi, Cape Town, Cairo) while overseeing smaller events. - Promoted talent pool through targeted thought leadership campaigns and interviews.
- Led the effort to be one of the first PR teams to establish fixed camera position in the Moscow office for enhanced visibility of spokespersons on major networks, boosting media mentions.
- Secured high-profile speaking opportunities at global forums while managing PR agency performance.
- Identified potential sponsorships and branding opportunities to elevate corporate presence.
Corporate Communications manager
Renaissance Group/Renaissance Capital
Moscow
08.2009 - 10.2010
- Maintained global media relations across Europe, Asia, and Africa to facilitate business growth.
- Executed press and event management for significant investor forums, ensuring effective outreach.
- Secured speaking opportunities by collaborating closely with organisers.
Produced press releases and promotional materials to communicate corporate news effectively. - Actively promoted company achievements through targeted media engagement strategies.
- Directed internal communications activities, including intranet updates and newsletters.
- Worked alongside design agencies to create impactful marketing materials.
Account Manager, Corporate Communications
The PBN Company (currently PBN HK Strategies)
Moscow
05.2008 - 08.2009
- Developed comprehensive communications strategies for clients across FMCG, IT, government, financial, and automotive sectors.
- Coordinated events to enhance client engagement and media relations.
Maintained robust media databases to support outreach efforts. - Recommended improvements to website content and structure for optimal user experience.
- Managed media requests and crafted press releases on behalf of clients.
- Facilitated day-to-day client liaison through business correspondence and regular meetings.
- Conducted media analysis and prepared daily digests to inform strategic decisions.
Director, Translation and Editing Department
The PBN Company (currently PBN HK Strategies)
Moscow
04.2005 - 05.2008
- Oversaw translation department for all client projects.
- Led a team of four in-house translators and editors to achieve project goals.
- Controlled end-to-end processes for a variety of translation projects.
- Coordinated client communications and reporting to ensure transparency and satisfaction.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Linguistics and Intercultural Communication
Moscow State Linguistic University
Russia 09.1998 - 07.2003
Skills
- Financial and corporate communications
- Strategic planning
- Crisis management
- Stakeholder engagement
- Media relations
- Content creation
- Leadership and operational efficiency
Languages
English
Fluent
Russian
Native
German
Upper intermediate
Polish
Intermediate
Italian
Elementary
Affiliations
- Keen street photographer Amateur tennis player Travelling and blogging enthusiast
Timeline
Partner
EM/Mojo Advisors
01.2023 - Current
Director
EM
10.2020 - 01.2023
Vice President, Head of Corporate Communications
Renaissance Capital
08.2014 - 07.2020
Head of Corporate Communications, International
Renaissance Group/Renaissance Capital
10.2010 - 05.2013
Corporate Communications manager
Renaissance Group/Renaissance Capital
08.2009 - 10.2010
Account Manager, Corporate Communications
The PBN Company (currently PBN HK Strategies)
05.2008 - 08.2009
Director, Translation and Editing Department
The PBN Company (currently PBN HK Strategies)
04.2005 - 05.2008
Bachelor of Arts - Linguistics and Intercultural Communication
Moscow State Linguistic University
09.1998 - 07.2003
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