Burson Marsteller appoints China chief executive

Deri, who has joined Burson-Marsteller after ten years with Edelman in the US, said he would concentrate on maintaining the momentum already built up by the agency in China. He added that a key part of this would be underscoring the business value of communications and the importance of ROI measurement “on the principles of evidence-based communications with Chinese characteristics”.

According to Deri, priority areas for development include research and monitoring products, public affairs and government relations counsel, the export of ‘Made in China’ digital tools and insights, and the agency’s regional corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability offering.

Having most recently served as executive vice-president and leader of Edelman’s global CSR and sustainability practice, he will also act as practice leader for corporate responsibility at Burson-Marsteller.

He pointed to the growing, and increasingly demanding, Chinese consumer class, the expansion aims of multinational companies within China and of Chinese companies internationally as presenting challenges as well as opportunities.

“Invariably, success will require strategies based on research and insight, as well as the ability to express a credible narrative, engage specific stakeholders in two-way communications across multiple channels and enlist powerful influencers,” Deri said.

In his new role, Deri will work closely with Tian and report to Bob Pickard, the firm’s regional president and chief executive.