Richard Edelman

Richard Edelman is the president and CEO of Edelman, the world’s largest public relations firm, with 67 offices and 4,800 employees worldwide. Richard was named president and CEO in September 1996.

Richard has extensive experience in marketing and reputation management, with current assignments for Hewlett-Packard, Dairy Management Inc., Penn State, and PepsiCo. He has counseled several countries on economic development programs, including Egypt, Israel, and Mexico.

As the creator of the annual Edelman Trust Barometer, Richard has become one of the foremost authorities on trust in business, government, media, and NGOs. He has spoken on this topic at several conferences including the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where he regularly leads discussions among global heads of business, government, and media conglomerates. The firm’s research is widely cited in media publications and academic journals from around the globe. The 2012 Barometer was covered by the Financial Times, the New York Times, the Economist, and Forbes, among many others.

He serves on the Board of Directors of the Ad Council, the Atlantic Council, the Children’s Aid Society, and the National Committee on US-China Relations. He is a member of the World Economic Forum, the Arthur Page Society, and PR Seminar. His blog, 6 A.M., which launched in September 2004, receives more than 2,000 visitors a day.

Under his leadership, the agency has garnered many of the industry’s top accolades. In 2012, Edelman was named to Advertising Age’s “Agency A-List” for the second consecutive year. Adweek named the firm 2011 “PR Agency of the Year.” Edelman earned comparable awards from The Holmes Report (2013 and 2011 Global Agency of the Year), and in 2012, the firm was named the publication’s Digital Agency of the Year. In 2011, PRWeek named the firm both its Large PR Agency of the Year and its Large UK Consultancy of the Year. In 2010, The Holmes Report named it “Agency of the Decade,” and in 2009, Edelman was Advertising Age’s top-ranked PR firm of the decade.

Richard, himself, also has earned many industry honors. He is regarded as an industry thought leader and posts weekly to his blog, 6 A.M. Richard topped PRWeek’s list of most powerful executives in 2013 and was recognized as the third highest rated CEO by Glassdoor in 2014. In 2011, he was ranked #78 on Ethisphere Institute’s “100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics.” In 2010, Forbes named him one of “America’s Favorite Bosses” (#8). Advertising Age recognized Richard as “Agency Executive of the Year” in 2008.

Richard earned his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1978 and a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College in 1976. He graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1972. He lives in New York City with his wife, Roz, and three daughters.