Margaret Key is the new CEO, Asia-Pacific at Burson Marsteller

Margaret Key has been named CEO, Asia-Pacific. Prema Sagar, Principal and Founder of Genesis Burson-Marsteller, takes on the additional title of Vice Chair, Asia-Pacific. Key is based in Hong Kong, and Sagar is based in New Delhi.

Key succeeds Terri-Helen Gaynor, who has resigned after only six months for personal and family reasons. Sagar succeeds Patrick Ford, who has moved back to the U.S. and continues as a Burson-Marsteller Worldwide Vice Chair and its Global Chief Client Officer. Both Sagar and Key report to Worldwide Chair and CEO Donald A. Baer, and they join Burson-Marsteller’s Global Senior Leadership Team.

“Margaret Key is an outstanding professional who is highly respected throughout Burson-Marsteller, among our top clients and across the entire communications sector, and we are thrilled she will now lead Burson-Marsteller’s Asia-Pacific region to new levels of success,” said Baer. “Throughout Margaret’s two decades of experience in public relations, she has provided expert counsel to governments and multinational companies, while steadily taking on greater leadership responsibilities. I am extremely confident she will bring great talent to leading our continued growth throughout Asia-Pacific and to attracting and developing the brightest talent in the field. We are fortunate to have her as a new member of our Global Leadership Team.”

Key had served as Chief Operating Officer for Asia-Pacific for the past year and was acting Hong Kong Market Leader until earlier this year. She joined Burson-Marsteller in 2010 as Korea Market Leader, having previously served in senior roles at Edelman in Japan, Korea and Hong Kong. Her expertise spans a range of industry sectors including technology, healthcare and automotive, as well as international corporate affairs. Following her appointment as Market Leader, Burson-Marsteller Korea experienced tremendous growth, doubling in size and growing its impressive roster of clients to include globally recognized brands in the automotive, healthcare, entertainment and technology industries. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and English from Wofford College, and her Master’s Degree in International Relations, Policy of International Cooperation, from Yonsei University in Korea.

As Vice Chair of the region, Sagar will continue in her current role with Genesis Burson-Marsteller