Danya
Sarafina

Danya Sarafina is a crisis communications strategist and foresight advisor, specializing in reputational risk, brand perception and narrative strategy across the MENA region. As Associate Account Director, Crisis in APCO’s Dubai office, she supports clients navigating geopolitical volatility, cultural sensitivities and brand trust challenges in an increasingly polarized environment. Danya brings a sharp editorial instinct and a cross-sectoral understanding of how storytelling, stakeholder sentiment and cultural relevance intersect especially in markets where identity and aspiration drive brand loyalty. Her work spans government entities, multinationals and high-visibility consumer brands, with a growing focus on reputation strategy in the lifestyle, fashion and tourism space. She also plays a key role in embedding strategic foresight into APCO’s offer, helping reposition the firm as a proactive, future-facing advisor.

Prior to joining APCO, Danya was part of the strategic communications team at Teneo in Toronto, where she advised global brands and C-suite leaders on reputation, visibility and high-stakes narrative control. She also led national public health campaigns during Canada’s COVID-19 response, crafting digital outreach strategies with a deep focus on cultural nuance and community resonance. Her earlier work spans political consulting, brand storytelling and perception strategy across Canada, Pakistan and the UAE bringing a multilingual, cross-cultural lens to how influence is built and sustained in reputation-driven industries, including fashion, public sector and luxury lifestyle.

She holds a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Toronto. Danya is fluent in English and Urdu and conversational in Spanish.