Suzanne Bader is an Associate at TrailRunner International, based in the Middle East. An accomplished corporate communications and PR specialist, Suzanne brings over seven years of agency-side experience in Dubai, helping multinational corporations enhance brand visibility, build strong stakeholder relationships, and execute impactful communication initiatives.

Suzanne joins TrailRunner International from Weber Shandwick MENAT, where she was an Account Manager for the Financial and Professional Services team. In this role, she managed communications programs for leading global and regional clients in financial and investment services. Prior to that, she was with APCO Worldwide, overseeing strategic communications for clients in the healthcare, corporate, and non-profit sectors.

With experience in strategic communications, crisis management, and organizational leadership, Suzanne thrives in dynamic environments, bringing a multicultural perspective shaped by her experiences living in the United States, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and now the UAE. She holds a bachelor’s degree in media and communication arts from the American University of Beirut.

Sayema Wasi is an Associate at TrailRunner International based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Sayema brings nine years of experience across both agency and in-house roles and a background in journalism, helping shape communications strategies for clients in several sectors including technology, finance, and logistics.

Sayema joins TrailRunner International from Golin MENA, where she was an Account Director and Head of the Corporate Practice, leading communications programs for several Fortune 500 companies. Previously, she held roles at Edelman and APCO Worldwide. Sayema’s background also includes a key role at Meta (formerly Facebook), where she led internal communications and program management for the Global Operations Knowledge Management team across the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific regions.

Sayema holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Dubai, UAE.

Wissam Ishtay is an Associate for TrailRunner International based in the United Arab Emirates.

Wissam brings more than seven years of experience in bilingual English and Arabic communications and public relations roles across multiple sectors, including energy, logistics, technology, and government.

Prior to joining TrailRunner International, Wissam worked as a Public Relations and Media Relations Lead at Edelman Middle East where he supported several major global corporations and helped drive media relations in the UAE, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and the Middle East region.

He has also served as a Public Relations Account Executive for Atlantis Resorts and a Reporter Executive for CARMA.

Wissam was born in the UAE but is Syrian by heritage. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and public relations from the Canadian University Dubai. In his spare time, Wissam practices football and fitness. He also enjoys watching documentaries and looks forward to finishing learning Spanish soon.

Christian Hammond serves as an Associate in TrailRunner International’s Dallas/Fort Worth office, where he works with clients across industries including finance, venture capital, health care, energy, and professional and NCAA sports. He has helped lead high-profile crisis management engagements and serves clients navigating complex scenarios from federal investigations to public listings, in addition to helping with corporate and executive positioning, litigation communications, and reputation and change management. Christian also co-leads the firm’s intern program.

Christian began his career with TrailRunner International as an intern before joining the firm full time as an Analyst in the fall of 2021. He graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he was a Hunt Leadership Scholar, with degrees in political science and biology and minors in European studies and French.

Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Christian enjoys traveling, reading history, being outdoors, and supporting Liverpool FC.

Niamh is an Associate for TrailRunner International based in London, where she works with high-profile clients across a range of industries, including financial services, AI, entertainment, and sports. Her work spans corporate communications, crisis management, brand and executive positioning, and special situations such as restructurings, M&A transactions, and IPOs.

Niamh joined Trailrunner International in 2021 as an Analyst in the New York office, before moving to London to aid the company’s international expansion efforts. In this capacity, Niamh has been servicing clients in the UK as well as providing a link between offices in the U.S. and the UAE. Before joining TrailRunner International, Niamh worked in content marketing at iProspect UK in Manchester, UK in the global communications division of Dentsu Aegis.

Niamh is also an author. In 2015, her memoir Playing with the Boys was published by Vision Sports Ltd, the UK’s leading independent sports publisher. It told the story of her unique experience as the only girl playing mixed football in England and how she helped persuade the Football Association (FA), English football’s governing body, to raise the age limit at which girls could play with boys from 13 to 18. The book went on to become an Amazon best seller while The Guardian picked up the serialisation rights. Following this, Niamh was invited to contribute articles about women’s football for outlets such as The Guardian, ITV, and The Huffington Post and did interviews with media channels all over the world. The FA also invited her to be an ambassador for women’s football, and she did several media interviews on their behalf.

Niamh graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history and a minor in economics from St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill, NY where she was named salutatorian. Niamh currently lives in London where she plays football in the FA Women’s National League.

Madyson DeJoy is an Associate in TrailRunner International’s Nashville office, where she supports clients across a wide range of industries, including technology, finance, entertainment, consumer brands, and startups. Her work spans corporate communications, crisis communications, brand and executive positioning, and event coordination. She has helped lead campaigns at large-scale events such as the Super Bowl, SXSW, and CES, and helped guide clients through high-stakes scenarios, including organizational restructurings and M&A transactions. She also co-leads the firm’s intern program.

Prior to joining TrailRunner International as an Analyst in 2021, Madyson graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in journalism and minors in communications, English, psychology, and fashion merchandising. During her time at the University of Nebraska, Madyson held several internships, including serving as a content writer and editor working on campus websites, newsletters, and social media channels, working for the Minnesota communications and marketing firm Nemer Fieger & Associates, and serving as an Amazon Prime Student Ambassador at Riddle & Bloom, a marketing agency focused on Gen Z and millennial consumers.

Originally from Prior Lake, Minnesota, Madyson enjoys attending concerts, spending time with her family and friends on the lake, walking her dog Bowser, and traveling.

Regina Dai is an Associate in TrailRunner International’s Shanghai office, where she serves clients across a broad range of industries.

Prior to joining TrailRunner International, Regina worked as a Senior Research Consultant at HCR, a marketing research company in Shanghai. In this role, she conducted in-depth research to identify key consumer insights for clients in the health care, retail, and food and beverage sectors. Regina started her career as an intern in Edelman’s Shanghai office, focusing on health care, and in the international affairs department for Shanghai Media Group.

Regina graduated from New York University with a master’s degree in public relations and corporate communication and holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Donghua University. She spent her sophomore year as an exchange student at New Mexico State University.

In her free time, Regina enjoys cooking, reading, movies, musicals, and traveling with friends.