ABOUT

WRITERS.

1. Ivlynn Yap Cheng Theng.

Cheng Theng is the Managing Partner/Crisis Communications Lead Counsel of Citrine One (www.citrineone.com). She is responsible for sales, business development, marketing as well as enhancing client relations. She is instrumental in strategizing most of Citrine One's clients PR & Marketing Campaigns and is very hands-on in managing them.

Cheng Theng loves to write and communicate. She is always challenging herself in coming up with terms and words which speak to the minds and hearts of her clients’ target readers and audiences. She firmly believes that effective communication can only take place at the right time and under the right circumstances. Having had 26 years of experience in journalism, production, online web property, advertising, event management, crisis communications management, and regional marketing communications roles in local and multinational companies, Cheng Theng is always driven by her philosophy that nothing is impossible to do. It is all in the mind. 

She began her career as an intern journalist with The Star, Malaysia's top English Daily before becoming a Senior Journalist & Acting Editor with Asia Computer Weekly (ACW) & Asia Pacific Telecommunications (APT); Regional Marcomms Manager for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), based in HK and SG, responsible for marketing communications and media campaigns in SEA, India, Pakistan, Australia & New Zealand which includes advertising & promotions, co-branding, channel management, PR & Media Relations, Event Management; Editor, Producer and Business Development Manager with CNET -- a world leading online web property on computers & IT, before deciding to establish her own consultancy agency, Citrine One in 2001. While based in HK, her articles were  front page anchor news for 36/52 issues of ACW in 1996.

An avid speaker on communications, public relations and media relations, Cheng Theng has spoken in Asian Business Forums, invited to be moderator of panel sessions and has trained both local and MNCs CEOs. She is a certified trainer of the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF).

Under her guidance, consultancy and leadership, Citrine One was Bronze Winner for the PR Awards SEA 2017 for Best Crisis Management Category (Client: Putrajaya Perdana Berhad), Finalist for MPRCA’s Public Affairs Campaign of the Year Award 2011 (Client: PEMANDU), Finalist for MPRCA’s Promotional Activitiy of the Year Award 2012 (Client: PETRONAS Twin Towers @Live), and Finalist for MPRCA’s Corporate Branding of the Year Award 2012 (Client: University of Southampton). Citrine One has also been acknowledged as The Top 10 Of Advertising & Public Relations in Malaysia by Top 10 of Malaysia Magazine in 2013.

On her personal capacity, Cheng Theng was the Chairman of the Dataran Prima Management Corporation (DPMC) – Phase 3 from 2015 -2017. She was instrumental in the smooth transition of  the said property from the management of the developer to the DPMC when there was a management crisis by implementing sound corporate governance policies. Under her leadership and guidance, DPMC was back on a stable financial footing tripling its income from RM1 million to RM3 million within 1.5 years. She has been re-elected in October, 2018 as the Chairman of DPMC for the term 2018/2019.

She was also picked by PEMANDU to be the Comms Lead Counsel for LRT3 project from Oct 2017 to June, 2018, playing an advisory role to MRCB George Kent, the Project Delivery Partner (PDP) and Prasarana (Project Owner) for LRT3 rail project. She was tasked to provide advisory role to the top management on issues/crisis management, stakeholder management, media management as well as events management.

Cheng Theng graduated with an Honours Degree in Arts  (Mass Communications) from the National University of Malaysia (UKM) majoring in Journalism.

2. Sharveswary Balakrishnan.

Sharveswary is our Managing Partner and she has been with Citrine One for 11 years. She has worked her way up the rank and file from Senior Marcomms Executive, Consultant, Senior Consultant and PR Director to her current position.

At Citrine One, Sharves, as she is known to her colleagues and clients, has gained a wealth of experience in the field of media & public relations, event management, campaign management and content management. She also brings her experience in Financial Communications from her prior stint in a financial PR agency. She is well versed in business and lifestyle media angles and has impeccable skills in managing and strategising communications campaigns for a multitude of clients under retainer and project basis.

She is an eager learner and has an aptitude for multitasking. She consistently challenges herself in creating impactful content as she has a deep passion for writing.

In her current role, Sharves oversees PR and media relations for clients while carrying out business development for the Agency. In addition, she is also involved in the newly formed training arm of the company as well as growing and managing Citrine One's team members.

Her clients over the years encompass a variety of industries -- construction, property, mining, education, consumer, IT, publishing, travel, entertainment and etc. Some of these include Robert Walters Malaysia, NEC Malaysia, Vale Malaysia, PEMANDU, Ascott, Acer, Oxford Business Group, Aset Kayamas, Canon, PNL Travel, University of Southampton, Toshiba, MOL Global, Nokia, Twin Towers @Live 2012 to 2014 (PETRONAS Motorsports) and more. 

Sharves is currently pursuing her Masters in Management with Open University Malaysia. Sharves holds a Bachelor of Communications (Hons), majoring in Journalism from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).