More About Claire Li
More About Claire Li
Claire Li is a strategic communications advisor with in-depth experience across the full spectrum of communications and public affairs, focusing on helping multinational companies grow their reputation in China and Chinese companies build their reputation overseas as they go global. With nearly three decades of experience working across US, Hong Kong and mainland China in both in-house and agency settings, Claire has both the global and local perspectives which are so critical in helping companies navigate today's increasingly complex stakeholder environment.
Before becoming CEO of Burson, Greater China, Claire was the Greater China CEO for Hill & Knowlton. Claire rejoins Hill & Knowlton in 2023 after over a decade serving in communications leadership roles at multinational companies in China, including Ford, GE and Starbucks. During her tenure at Ford, Claire rebuilt Ford’s communications & public affairs team in China and led the roll-out of integrated communication and stakeholder engagement plans, contributing to the success of the automaker’s most aggressive five-year growth plan in history. Claire also transformed corporate and brand communications for GE in China to support the company’s digital industrial growth strategies through signature campaigns leveraging all online and offline platforms across paid and earned media. Most recently, Claire led all internal and external communications for Starbucks in China, building and protecting the brand in the company’s largest market outside the US.
Claire started her communications career with Hill & Knowlton in Hong Kong where she was a senior consultant with the firm’s corporate communications practice. Her agency experience also included heading the strategic communications practice in Shanghai for APCO, and later building and leading the corporate communications & government affairs practice in China for Fleishman-Hillard, where she advised C-suite clients on government policies, market access, issues and crisis management and stakeholder engagement.
Claire holds a BA in English from Beijing Foreign Studies University, an MA in English from the University of Connecticut and an MBA from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business.