Burson appoints HS Chung as CEO for Asia Pacific region

Burson has named HS Chung as its new chief executive for Asia-Pacific, expanding her remit from North Asia to the agency’s full regional footprint. Chung, who has been overseeing operations across China, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea, will now also lead Burson’s business in Australia and New Zealand, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. She will continue to be based in Seoul. The appointment is effective December 1, 2025.

Corey duBrowa, global chief executive, Burson, said, “HS has a combination of superpowers that make her very well-suited to lead the entire region. She is a trusted and sought after CEO and C-suite advisor, a business builder, a talent advocate and an operational maven. These skills, together with her deep understanding of the cultural nuances across and between the markets, will enable Burson to continue delivering exceptional results for our clients and further build on our strong foundation across our Asia-Pacific footprint.”

Chung has advised senior leadership across multinational companies in sectors including food and beverage, electronics, personal care, automotive and healthcare. She also runs specialised programmes for the Korean government and has worked on major national projects such as the Olympics. She founded Synergy Communications in 2000, later absorbed into Hill & Knowlton, where she served as president for Asia before joining Burson.

“It’s an honour to lead the Asia-Pacific region as CEO,” said Chung. “We have strong momentum across the business and will continue to turn it into results through disciplined focus and execution. As our clients navigate unprecedented complexity, we are using our comprehensive AI capabilities and our exceptional talent bench to help businesses make decisions with clarity so they can succeed today and in the future. With Asia-Pacific continuing to grow and shape the global economy, I’m excited to help our clients and teams seize the opportunities that lie ahead.”

The agency also confirmed that Adrian Warr, who headed South Asia-Pacific, will leave the business on November 30, 2025 as he relocates to the United Kingdom. DuBrowa added, “I’d like to extend my thanks to Adrian for his contributions to Burson during his time with us, for his leadership in driving our business in South Asia-Pacific and his partnership with HS and our leadership team. I wish him the very best in his future endeavours.”