BEIJING--Steven Cao has been promoted to CEO of the Daniel J Edelman (DJE) China group, which will house four of the PR firm's brands in the country.

Cao is promoted after serving as president of Pegasus, the domestic firm that he co-founded and sold to Edelman in 2007.

 DJE China will include Edelman China, Edelman Digital, Pegasus and Zeno Group. The latter agency's global rollout will see it launch in China by the end of the year.

Cao will report to DJE China chairman Thomas Mattia, who joined the firm earlier this year, after former China CEO Mark Hass left to run Edelman US.

Kevin Wang and Tony Tao, Edelman’s managing directors in Beijing and Shanghai, will assume joint responsibility for the flagship agency’s China operations as co-presidents of Edelman China, reporting to Cao.

In addition, Pegasus MD Jeffrey Yu assumes complete responsibility of Pegasus China. Zeno regional president John Kerr, meanwhile, is entrusted with assembling the Zeno China team.

“Edelman remains our flagship brand," said Mattia in a statement. "Pegasus is the leading domestic consumer firm, with specific design, experiential and digital capabilities. Edelman Digital ????becomes our digital agency providing support to all our brands while carving out its own space in social content, social commerce and creative. Our sister agency Zeno Group will focus on multinational consumer marketing with a digital edge.”

DJE China comprises more than 220 professionals in seven offices with hubs in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.