HIROSHIMA—Mazda Motor Company has named Canadian national Greg Young as general manager of global corporate communications. He had been deputy general manager since 2011, and earlier served as director of public relations at Mazda Canada and before that headed public affairs at Hyundai Canada.

NEW DELHI—Avian Media has launched a new practice focusing on corporate responsibility and sustainability. Sharmistha Ghosh, who worked with Avian for more than six years, rejoins us to spearhead the new practice. Prior to rejoining Avian, she worked with Yum! Restaurants, where she was responsible for running the CSR programs for the company. At Avian, she worked with non-profit bodies such as UNAIDS, UNDP, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and more.

SYDNEY—Volkswagen Group Australia has appointed Kurt McGuiness as public relations manager, reporting to Volkswagen Group Australia’s press and pr general manager Karl Gehling and working across the Volkswagen Group brands, including Volkswagen Passenger Vehicles, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Škoda. Previously, McGuinness has worked at Top Gear Australia and FHM, and joins Volkswagen Group Australia from an agency role at Maxmedialab.

BEIJING—Ogilvy Public Relations/Beijing has added Simon Webb as senior vice president. Webb’s new role will span issues and crisis work, and growing OgilvyEarth, its sustainability communications practice. He partnered with Ogilvy PR during the 2010 Shanghai World Expo working for the Australian government and collaborating closely with Ogilvy PR China’s senior management team. He joins from Australia, where he was as director of Parker & Partners, Ogilvy PR’s public affairs consultancy.

GUANGZHOU—HNA Property has appointed Burson-Marsteller to manage the branding and strategic communications for its Central Business District under development in the city of Haikou in Hainan Province, China. The appointment strengthens Burson-Marsteller’s growing portfolio of property clients in Southern China, including Yuexiu Properties, Vanke, Topspring, Gemdale, Nanhai Economic Zone and Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City.