Source: APO
Mala Lingappa has marked ten years at APO Group (www.APO-opa.com), the pan-African communications consultancy integrating advisory, execution, and proprietary news distribution. She joined in 2016 as its first media monitoring specialist. Today, APO Group guarantees visibility in all 54 African markets, and Mala has helped make that visibility measurable.
“When I started, I wasn’t expecting to stay for a decade,” says Mala. “The chance to work in an international environment and learn from people with diverse backgrounds drew me in. The experience has been incredibly rewarding.”
Performance only counts when it can be proven. From the start, Mala built the expertise in search criteria and reporting that tracks client coverage and evidence results across the continent. She has adapted to every new system and service as the business evolved into an integrated model of strategic advisory, local execution and owned distribution.
“There have been challenging periods, but those moments pushed me to become more flexible, to keep learning and to step outside my comfort zone,” she says. “They gave me the confidence to handle new challenges.”
APO Group builds performance through its people, giving them opportunities to learn, take on new responsibilities and grow their careers. For Mala, this has included training and professional development initiatives that helped her build new skills, broaden her perspective and expand her role.
As the longest-serving member of the media monitoring team, Mala brings precision to every search and every report. In a model where results are measured, accuracy is essential. Her experience helps the team resolve questions quickly, keep work moving and deliver reliable reporting for APO Group’s clients.
Mala has also helped shape the team around her, sharing the search and reporting expertise she has built over the past decade. Pooja Sanga, Team Leader of the Media Monitoring Team, says: “Mala is meticulous about process and highly skilled at search criteria. She is down to earth and approachable. She answers our questions quickly because of her depth of knowledge. That reliability makes a huge difference every day.”
Loanette Boshoff, Chief People Officer at APO Group, says: “Ten years is a choice Mala has made every single year. She could have taken her talent anywhere, and she kept bringing it to APO Group. People stay where they feel trusted, respected and able to grow. Our job is to be that place, for Mala and for everyone who joins us.”
Looking ahead, Mala is excited about the role that technology, training and people will play in the team’s next chapter. “Ten years went quickly,” she says. “I value the journey and the people who supported me. I’m looking forward to what comes next.”
Bas Wijne, Chief Executive Officer of APO Group, says Mala’s decade with the company shows the strategic value of experience and institutional knowledge. “Mala understands how the business works, why our processes matter and where detail makes a difference. That knowledge helps us work efficiently, support our teams and maintain the standards we expect as we grow.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of APO Group.
Media Contact:
marie@apo-opa.com
About APO Group:
Founded in 2007 by Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, APO Group is the communications consultancy built for performance, combining strategic advisory, on-the-ground execution, and guaranteed visibility across all 54 African markets. Its owned newswire, Africa Newsroom, secures placement on 250+ Africa-focused news sites, connecting organisations directly with 450,000+ journalists, analysts, investors, and policymakers worldwide.
Recognised internationally for communications excellence, including SABRE, Davos Communications, and World Business Outlook distinctions, APO Group partners with global and African organisations for whom the continent is a strategic priority. Clients include the African Development Bank Group, Africa CDC, Afreximbank, NFL, Nestlé, Emirates, Canon, Western Union and GITEX Global.