Pangrazio is based in Hong Kong and will assume leadership of the firm’s wholly-owned network of offices through-out the Asia Pacific region. The network includes offices in India, Singapore, Indonesia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and Australia. Pangrazio will work with the regional and global leadership teams to expand the firm’s geographic footprint in the Asia Pacific region, service and grow existing client relationships, develop new business opportunities, further differentiate its suite of digital services and continue to attract and develop the strongest industry talent.

“Simon’s appointment from within Burson-Marsteller demonstrates the depth of our leadership team in Asia Pacific,” said Mark Penn. “Asia Pacific is a critical growth market for Burson-Marsteller as well as for many of our clients. This appointment will help keep the region strong through a continuity of focus and a smooth transition of leadership.”

Pangrazio, 41, joined Burson-Marsteller in 1996 in Melbourne and has held senior country, sub-regional, client leadership and corporate practice roles during tenures in Singapore, Tokyo, Beijing and Hong Kong. He has had a critical role in driving the firm’s strategic direction in Asia Pacific as a member of the region’s senior leadership team since 2000. Currently, Pangrazio is Regional Managing Director for North Asia and leads Burson-Marsteller's Corporate/Financial Practice for the Asia Pacific region.

During his career, Simon has provided senior counsel to major multi-national companies and organizations in sectors including banking and financial services, mining, technology, telecommunications, FMCG and tourism. He has also provided counsel to clients based through-out the region including: Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines.

Before joining Burson-Marsteller, Simon was an associate director at another major public relations consultancy and worked for seven years in corporate affairs roles with financial services provider National Mutual, which now operates as AXA.

Originally from Australia, Pangrazio has a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Public Relations from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

About Burson-Marsteller
Burson-Marsteller ( www.burson-marsteller.com), established in 1953, is a leading global public relations and public affairs firm. It provides clients with strategic thinking and program execution across a full range of public relations, public affairs, advertising, and web-related services. The firm’s seamless worldwide network consists of 57 wholly-owned offices and 46 affiliate offices, together operating in 59 countries across six continents. Burson-Marsteller is a part of Young & Rubicam Brands, a subsidiary of WPP (NASDQ: WPPGY), one of the world’s leading communications services networks.

First established in Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo in 1973, the Burson-Marsteller network in Asia Pacific includes offices in Bangalore, Beijing, Chengdu, Chennai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Hyderabad, Jakarta, Kolkata, Melbourne, Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo; with affiliates in Auckland, Bangkok, Dubai, Islamabad, Karachi, Manila, Taipei and Wellington. For more information please visit www.asiaperspective.com.

Burson-Marsteller was named ‘International Agency of the Year’ in The Holmes Report’s 2007 Agencies of the Year awards and is also a three times winner of the ‘Asia Pacific Network of the Year’, at the annual Asia Pacific PR Awards in 2000, 2003 and 2005.