Xinhua PR Newswire, the newly formed venture between Xinhua Financial Network and PR Newswire, today announced that it has appointed Bernie Holmbraker to serve as the Director of sales, marketing and personnel at Xinhua PR Newswire, headquartered in Beijing.

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Mr. Holmbraker brings to Xinhua PR Newswire several years of experience working in the China division of an international media company, both as a sales and marketing professional and as a journalist. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Holmbraker spent 12 years in sales and marketing for Global Sources Ltd., a major publicly traded international media and e-commerce services company with approximately US$100 million in revenue. During his tenure at Global Sources, Mr. Holmbraker oversaw operations in Korea, and worked to establish and oversee key offices in the Chinese province of Guangdong and Shanghai. At Global Sources he also hired, trained and managed more than 100 employees.

"Bernie's extensive expertise in sales and marketing in China for a major media services company will be invaluable and will greatly enhance our efforts to bring Xinhua PR Newswire's services to Chinese companies," said John Williams, executive vice president, global markets, PR Newswire.

Mr. Holmbraker served as editor and assistant editor of Global Sources' China Newsletter: Electronics, a bi-weekly newsletter focused on China's electronics export industry. Prior to joining Global Sources, Mr. Holmbraker worked with Hill and Knowlton in Beijing.

"The entrenched understanding of the Chinese media landscape and culture that Bernie brings and his experience in forging new markets for an international media services company will undoubtedly serve Xinhua PR Newswire's need to raise our visibility among key audiences across China," said Ms. Fredy Bush, Chief Executive Officer of Xinhua Financial Network.

"Clearly, there has never been a better time for companies in Asia to get their news in front of the world's media and investment community," said Holmbraker. "And with China's WTO membership, the need for more corporate communication between China and the world is higher than ever and will only continue to grow. I am excited about bringing Chinese companies into the fold of successful companies across Asia that already use PR Newswire's services."

Mr. Holmbraker holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Chinese from the University of Virginia, as well as accreditations in Chinese language from Cornell University and Peking University.

Recently, Xinhua PR Newswire announced a key partnership with the Jinan Economic Commission to bring its global outbound distribution service to the thousands of private enterprises headquartered in Jinan, the capital of China's Shandong Province. Other important announcements include a partnership with Beijing-based China Global Public Relations to market Xinhua PR Newswire's service to public and private companies in China as well as a strategic marketing alliance with Shanghai Securities News, China's leading financial newspaper and a state-mandated disclosure outlet for Chinese corporations.

About Xinhua PR Newswire

Xinhua PR Newswire is a venture created by Xinhua Financial Network and PR Newswire. Xinhua PR Newswire assists Chinese companies, public and private, in writing and distributing financial news releases to the media, financial community and general public around the world. Xinhua PR Newswire is the result of a blending of complementary expertise, relationships and experience to enable Chinese companies seeking foreign investments, to deliver their news to decision makers, individual and institutional investors, and journalists in the West.

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SOURCE: Xinhua PR Newswire