Global Team Has Doubled with Recent Acquisitions in UK and Germany Firm Achieves Record M&A Performance in 2015, Ranking Top 5 in U.S.; Also Ranks among Leading PR Firms Serving Alternative and Traditional Asset Managers
Edelman today announced that Lex Suvanto has been appointed global managing director of its Financial Communications and Capital Markets offering, effective immediately. In this newly created role, Suvanto will be responsible for further globalizing the offer and further establishing Edelman as a top global firm in this area. As a part of this, he will continue leading selected client engagements and will work closely with a specialized global team of more than 100 experts to further deepen the firm’s capabilities in services ranging from M&A and shareholder activism to investor relations and IPOs.
“Lex has done a terrific job raising the quality, profile and trajectory of our financial communications offering and we are proud to recognize his leadership and contribution to this important global specialty within the firm,” said Russell Dubner, president and CEO of Edelman U.S. “Our financial communications team rivals some of the best in the business and clients around the world have shown strong demand for our differentiated offering. We have ambitious plans to further deepen our expertise and compete on the global stage.”
Suvanto said: “Edelman is now one of the world’s best global financial communications firms. We have more than doubled the size of our specialized team globally in the last year and we continue to add new talent and new capabilities. We offer clients a highly differentiated offer from other players in the industry because we have a dedicated financial communications team that can also deliver fully integrated communications solutions, deep industry expertise and unmatched global scale.”
Since Suvanto joined three years ago, Edelman has rapidly climbed the M&A league tables. In 2015, Edelman reached record levels ranking among the top five leading PR firms in the U.S., Europe and Japan, demonstrating significant and consistent improvement. Edelman has also quickly expanded its capital markets practice in the U.S. and globally, advising some of the world’s most high profile and influential asset management firms and institutions across the capital markets. In particular, Edelman now ranks as a leading PR firm serving hedge funds and alternative asset managers.
This past year, Edelman expanded its footprint and capabilities in the space with the acquisitions of Smithfield Consultants in London and ergo in Germany.
The firm has continued to bolster the strength of its financial communications offering with a number of high profile hires with backgrounds in financial journalism, investor relations, law and corporate communications. Noteworthy hires include Nadia Damouni, previously M&A team leader at Reuters, Brett Philbin, previously banking reporter at Wall Street Journal, Deb Wasser, an IR industry veteran with over 25 years of experience and Ted McHugh, previously head of IR at a real estate investment trust.
Prior to joining Edelman, Suvanto was a managing director and chief marketing officer at Abernathy MacGregor. He holds an honors degree in Economics from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Suvanto will continue to report to Russell Dubner and be based in New York.
About Edelman
Edelman is a leading global communications marketing firm that partners with many of the world’s largest and emerging businesses and organizations, helping them evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. Edelman was named one of Advertising Age’s “Agency to Watch” in 2014; one of Forbes’ “14 Most Influential Agencies of 2014”; and The Holmes Report’s “2013 Global Agency of the Year.” Edelman was awarded the Grand Prix Cannes Lion for PR in 2014 and was among Glassdoor’s “Best Places to Work” for the third time in 2014. Edelman owns specialty firms Edelman Intelligence (research) and United Entertainment Group (entertainment, sports, experiential), a joint venture with United Talent Agency.
About Edelman Financial Communications & Capital Markets
Edelman financial communications & capital markets is a boutique strategic consultancy with the reach and resources of the world’s largest public relations firm. We advise public and private companies on strategic and capital markets communications to help effectively position them with the financial community during transformative events as well as during normal-course business. Visit us at: www.edelmanfincomms.com