Gilles Demptos has followed roles with WAN-Ifra and Google with a part-time position as Asia Pacific executive director of the American Journalists Association.

Demptos has worked more than 15 years in the news media industry - from both business and public policy perspectives - and was director of WAN-Ifra Asia before joining Google in Singapore as senior manager of public policy and government relations for the news, media and telco industries.

AAJA-Asia president K. Oanh Ha says Demptos' experience in helping to support and strengthen newsrooms and track record of collaborating with a wide array of partners across the region, "complements AAJA-Asia's goals".

"His passion and ideas to help advance quality journalism in Asia will help to take us to the next level," he said.

AAJA-Asia works to support a diverse community of local and international multimedia journalists, media professionals and advocates for a vibrant press in the region. In recent years, the chapter has grown into one of the group's largest with about 200 members, across southeast Asia - from Hong Kong to Seoul - as well as in India and Nepal.

The chapter holds regular training and networking events in Asian cities including Singapore, Tokyo and Manila. Its annual New.Now.Next (N3Con) media conference is planned for August 28-30 - "hopefully physically and/or virtually", Demptos says - in Hong Kong. Theme for the year is The New Frontlines.