HONG KONG—Burson-Marsteller has hired Wall Street Journal senior editor Mariko Sanchanta to lead the firm's regional media practice in Asia-Pacific.

Based in Hong Kong, Sanchanta joins as regional managing director of media, reporting to Asia-Pacific chair Pat Ford.

She arrives at Burson after a 15-year career in journalism. Most recently, she was senior editor for Asia for the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires in Hong Kong. 

Prior to that, from 2009 to 2012, Sanchanta was deputy bureau chief in Tokyo for the Wall Street Journal. She started her career as a journalist with FT.com in New York and spent a decade with the FT in New York, London and Tokyo.

“Media continues to play a critical role in the increasingly complex and dynamic communications landscape, and Mariko’s extensive media experience as a veteran journalist in the US, Europe and Asia will help our clients to better tell their stories to an international audience,” said Ford. 

Sanchanta will focus in particular on international media strategy for Burson's clients. “After over a decade in financial journalism, I welcome the opportunity to bring my experience to a new sector and work with companies across Asia on all aspects of media strategy,” she said.