I am a Senior Communications and Crisis Leader with over a decade of experience protecting brand reputation and managing high-stakes social media narratives across humanitarian and journalism sectors. I specialize in crisis & issues management, rapid-response leadership, and crafting holding statements, while leveraging real-time social listening to guide decision-making during emergencies. I partner with C-suite executives and field teams to align messaging with organizational goals, balancing risk and tone while upholding ethical standards. I design integrated campaigns, governance systems, and repeatable playbooks that accelerate delivery, and I prioritize fact-checking and transparent storytelling in fast-moving digital environments.

Priya Dharmavarapu

I am a Senior Communications and Crisis Leader with over a decade of experience protecting brand reputation and managing high-stakes social media narratives across humanitarian and journalism sectors. I specialize in crisis & issues management, rapid-response leadership, and crafting holding statements, while leveraging real-time social listening to guide decision-making during emergencies. I partner with C-suite executives and field teams to align messaging with organizational goals, balancing risk and tone while upholding ethical standards. I design integrated campaigns, governance systems, and repeatable playbooks that accelerate delivery, and I prioritize fact-checking and transparent storytelling in fast-moving digital environments.

Available to hire

I am a Senior Communications and Crisis Leader with over a decade of experience protecting brand reputation and managing high-stakes social media narratives across humanitarian and journalism sectors. I specialize in crisis & issues management, rapid-response leadership, and crafting holding statements, while leveraging real-time social listening to guide decision-making during emergencies.

I partner with C-suite executives and field teams to align messaging with organizational goals, balancing risk and tone while upholding ethical standards. I design integrated campaigns, governance systems, and repeatable playbooks that accelerate delivery, and I prioritize fact-checking and transparent storytelling in fast-moving digital environments.

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Experience Level

Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
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Language

English
Fluent
Hindi
Fluent
Telugu
Fluent
Tamil
Intermediate

Work Experience

Media and PR Manager at Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Australia
January 1, 2024 - January 1, 2025
Led rapid-response and issue-based communications, producing Q&A packs and briefing notes to manage reputation during sensitive humanitarian crises; counseled C-suite on high-risk advocacy and tone; steered integrated social and digital campaigns (e.g., Meera's Pavilion) reaching ~1M people; strengthened governance by aligning legal and risk teams and introducing workflows to speed internal delivery.
Emergency Communications & Media Manager at Doctors Without Borders (MSF) India
January 1, 2014 - January 1, 2018
Directed real-time crisis communications during major emergencies (e.g., 2015 Nepal earthquake), managing live interviews and situation updates under extreme pressure; led rapid-response strategy to protect operational neutrality and brand integrity; coordinated cross-functional alignment between policy, legal, and global leadership to safeguard communications during high-stakes events.
Editor-in-Chief & Co-Founder at Suno India
January 1, 2018 - January 1, 2024
Built a mission-led digital platform from one show to 25+ programs, achieving 1M+ cumulative listeners across multi-channel distribution; delivered crisis-response programming during COVID-19 in collaboration with epidemiologists to reduce misinformation and clarify complex policies; established a distinctive editorial voice and quality-control system across 1,000+ episodes; managed native app distribution and community retention through data-driven insights and strategic syndication; produced integrated communications assets for humanitarian projects across India and the region, translating field realities into clear, ethical storytelling.
Communications Consultant (Short Term Engagements) at Various Organizations
January 1, 2020 - Present
Shaped external communications for climate justice initiatives; produced social media strategy, newsletters, and stakeholder engagement support; coordinated speakers for Impact X (ESG Conference), Melbourne (2024) and supported on-site communications and event delivery; scripted videos for research organizations; facilitated international digital storytelling workshops with cross-sector participants to align culture, tourism, and humanitarian storytelling; built relationships with government stakeholders to support advocacy outcomes.

Education

Executive Program: Women Entrepreneurs at IIM
January 1, 2022 - January 1, 2022
Post Graduate Diploma: Print Journalism at Asian College of Journalism (ACJ)
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2008
Bachelor of Arts: Mass Communication & Journalism at St. Francis College
January 11, 2030 - January 1, 2007

Qualifications

Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce
January 11, 2030 - March 6, 2026
Trust and Verification in the Age of Misinformation
January 11, 2030 - March 6, 2026
IAP2 Australia Essentials of Engagement
January 11, 2030 - March 6, 2026

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment