Edelman has named three new senior hires to serve clients in the firm’s employee experience, digital and public affairs functions – three focus areas in the Southwest and beyond.
Edelman appointed:
- Nisha Kassam as senior vice president, employee experience. She is an experienced change management practitioner who specializes in helping clients to design and execute strategic change initiatives using innovative change management and communication tools. Prior to joining Edelman, Nisha worked for both EY and North Highland in their management consulting practices and has experience working in a wide range of industries including healthcare, energy, professional services, higher education, and non-profit organizations. Nisha will lead the Southwest Employee Experience practice enabling us to help our clients with solutions to challenges that impact their current and future employees.
- Joseph Cantu as vice president, digital. Before joining Edelman, Joseph worked as Director - Account Management at Rise Interactive. His work included developing data-driven digital strategies and campaigns for several of Rise's largest clients. Overall, he has nine years of experience developing and managing analytically-driven, revenue-focused performance digital marketing campaigns for clients in various industries, including retail sales, direct to consumer, healthcare, automotive, food & beverage, finance, non-profits, restaurants, and live entertainment. At Edelman, Joseph serves as senior digital lead for existing and future Dallas-based digital client work, leading day-to-day digital workstreams, and providing senior client counsel as needed for client success and growth. He also drives the growth of digital business for the Dallas office across existing client accounts, as well as proactively driving new business growth across incoming RFPs responses, integrated pitches with practice leads, and other new targets he identifies.
- Anne MacDonald, as executive vice president, U.S. Public Affairs and Senior Policy Strategist. Before joining Edelman, Anne ran her own firm, Matterhorn Advisory, that provided policy analysis and developed partnerships for Fortune 500 companies. After working in the White House, Pentagon, and State Department during the Administration of President George W. Bush, she served as the post-presidency chief of staff to Mrs. Laura Bush through the launch of the Bush Presidential Center and Institute. MacDonald also lived and worked in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in one of the world's first organizations dedicated to the fight against HIV/AIDS - GHESKIO Centers. MacDonald is a graduate of Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Rhodes College. She has been an active board member of organizations operating in Burma, Ghana, Haiti, Kenya, Liberia, and Uganda, as well as at home in Dallas, Texas. Now at Edelman, MacDonald leads a team providing strategic counsel and monitoring & analysis of geopolitical issues posing a risk to the brands and businesses of corporate clients.
“With the addition of Nisha, Joseph and Anne, Edelman is increasing its consulting and performance marketing expertise to service a wider range of clients,” said Jorge Ortega, general manager of Edelman's Southwest region. “Each leader provides a unique skillset that will address our ever-evolving client needs."
In the Southwest, Edelman has offices in Austin, Dallas and Houston and supports businesses throughout the surrounding states.
About Edelman
Edelman is a global communications firm that partners with businesses and organizations to evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. Our 6,000 people in more than 60 offices deliver communications strategies that give our clients the confidence to lead and act with certainty, earning the trust of their stakeholders. Our honors include the Cannes Lions Grand Prix for PR; Advertising Age’s 2019 A-List; the Holmes Report’s 2018 Global Digital Agency of the Year; and, five times, Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work. Since our founding in 1952, we have remained an independent, family-run business. Edelman owns specialty companies Edelman Intelligence (research) and United Entertainment Group (entertainment, sports, lifestyle).