Adrian Warr to join Burson as CEO, South-Asia Pacific, will also oversee India; Matt Stafford departs BCW

NEW YORK, MAY 12, 2024 – BCW and Hill & Knowlton, which will merge as of July 1 to form Burson, today announced that Adrian Warr has been named CEO, of South Asia-Pacific, covering the agency’s business in India, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. Warr replaces Matt Stafford.

 In February this year, BCW announced that "Matt Stafford, currently president, Asia-Pacific, BCW, will become CEO, South Asia-Pacific – covering India, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia - Burson."

In a statement released over the weekend, Warr's appointment was announced; the release also said that "Matt Stafford has departed BCW with immediate effect from his role as president, Asia-Pacific."

Earlier this month, Stafford attended a town hall in India for Genesis BCW and Hill and Knowlton employees.

Warr will join Burson on September 16th, 2024. Warr has spent over two decades at top global agencies counselling clients across industries, disciplines and geographies; managing eight-figure P&Ls with meticulous operational oversight; and building diverse, award-winning teams. 

“The myriad challenges and opportunities facing clients today could not be more foundational,” said Corey duBrowa, Global CEO, of BCW, who will hold the same title with Burson upon completion of the merger. “Adrian has considerable experience pairing creativity with innovation to help clients navigate ambiguity and overcome obstacles while building their reputations amid extreme geopolitical, social and commercial complexity. This expertise, coupled with his rigorous advocacy for teams and talent, make him exceptionally well-suited to lead our South APAC business.”

Before joining BCW, Warr spent the last 10 years with Edelman in a variety of roles in the Asia-Pacific region, serving as CEO, of Hong Kong & Taiwan and Thailand; CEO, of Southeast Asia; and head of employee experience, of APAC.

Throughout his career, Warr has worked on clients including Astra Zeneca, Google, Samsung,  Pfizer, GSK, Mars, PepsiCo, KFC, GE and BCG, among many others.

“From the complexities of going global to geopolitical upheaval to the challenges of innovating at scale, clients increasingly need the unbridled creative thinking that this agency brings to every brief. The team in South APAC is brimming with world-class talent and I’m honoured to be the Burson person leading them.", said Warr.

On January 25^th, WPP announced it would merge its two largest communications agencies, BCW and Hill & Knowlton, to form Burson, which will be operational as of July 1, 2024.