Edelman Announces New Senior Leadership Appointments

June 8, 2009, New York -- Edelman, the world’s largest independent public relations firm, today announced several senior leadership appointments designed to strengthen the firm’s focus on creativity; consulting; research; practices and thought leadership.

The new appointments are as follows:

• Mitch Markson is appointed to the new role of Chief Creative Officer and President of Brand Consulting. Mitch joined Edelman in 1990 and has been a senior member of the firm’s leadership team for more than a decade. He has led many of the firm’s most innovative programs and created several proprietary approaches and pieces of intellectual capital including BrandCARE, 360 Channel Planning and Good Purpose. Mitch will now focus on creativity globally across all practices.

• Christina Smedley and Jere Sullivan are promoted to Chair of the firm’s Consumer and Public Affairs practices, respectively.

• Christina will assume the responsibility for leading the firm’s largest practice at a time when consumers are turning away from the “talk-at” model of communications in favor of being actively engaged with their brands. She brings experience in leading local, national and international accounts, having spent time working in Edelman Atlanta, New York and London. She has worked with leading brands across Europe and Asia, as well as the US.

• Jere Sullivan will assume the leadership of the firm’s global Public Affairs practice at a time when governments are becoming increasingly active partners with business. Jere was part of the team that grew the Washington, DC office into the largest PR firm in the market. He is currently based in Brussels and is a member of the European leadership team. Jere will move back to Washington later this year, and at that time will also assume management of the Washington office International Public Affairs team.

• Neal Flieger is named Chair of StrategyOne. Neal has played a pivotal role in the development of Edelman’s research business and currently provides key insights and measurement metrics for leading brands. Neal will continue to work in a senior capacity on the PR side with clients in the Washington office. Laurence Evans will continue as President of StrategyOne and will be relocating to the UK to focus on developing the firm’s international business, specifically to ensure that we increase the utilization of research in developing strategy and measuring client programming around the world.

“These appointments are indicative of how Edelman develops talent, and I look forward to working with Mitch, Christina, Jere and Neal in their new roles,” said Richard Edelman, President & CEO. “These individuals have grown and developed new client relationships, gained invaluable experience around the world with multi-year stints in other countries, mentored successors, created effective intellectual property and above all, delivered breakthrough thinking to clients.”