WCG, the health-oriented flagship of W20 Group, has named Chris Deri, Burson-Marsteller and Edelman veteran, president.

chris deriHe was recently CEO and market leader of B-M's Mainland China group of five offices.

Deri spent a decade at Edelman, where he led the No. 1 independent firm's corporate social responsibility and sustainability practice of 110 staffers in 15 offices.

He has counseled multinationals such as General Electric, Korea’s Samsung and China’s Huawei along with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the Government of Abu Dhabi.

Deri is based in the New York outpost of San Francisco-headquartered WCG. He reports to W20 president Bob Pearson, alum of GCI Group (Americas president), Novartis (global PR chief) and Dell (VP-communities & conversations).

Jim Weiss, WCG founder and W20 CEO, told O’Dwyer’s he expects Deri to open doors for the firm.

W20 is the No. 4 firm ranked by O'Dwyer's, posting $62M in 2012 fees.