ZURICH--Edelman has named former Shell communications chief Bjorn Edlund as non-executive chairman of its EMEA operations.
Edlund will arrive at the firm in October, after spending the past year as a senior adviser at Burson-Marsteller. He will split his time between Switzerland and Brussels, and report to Edelman EMEA CEO Robert Phillips.
“Bjorn will act as senior counsellor for both clients and teams,” Phillips told the Holmes Report. “We believe that Bjorn brings both greater depth and new dimensions to the team and what we offer. His experience speaks for itself.”
Edlund spent five years in charge of Shell’s global communications, before retiring from the company in early 2010. He has amassed two decades years of experience in public relations, working client-side for ABB and Sandoz, and agency-side at his own consultancy. Prior to moving into PR, Edlund spent 12 years as a journalist.
“As companies strive to align their reputation and marketing strategies in a rapidly evolving stakeholder and communications context, I look forward to working with Edelman’s leaders in the region to ensure we are offering strategic solutions that are both relevant and attractive and help create space for business growth,” said Edlund.