Global | Edelman

Edelman Announces Leadership Evolution & Continued Focus on Strategic Priorities
Matthew Harrington Named Executive Vice Chairman
Mainardo de Nardis Named Global President and Chief Operating Officer
Brian Buchwald Named President, Global Transformation and Performance

NEW YORK October 6, 2025 — Edelman today announced a series of senior leadership appointments that will accelerate the firm’s strategic agenda. Matthew Harrington has been named Executive Vice Chairman, Mainardo de Nardis has been appointed Global President and Chief Operating Officer, and Brian Buchwald will serve as President, Global Transformation and Performance.

“These leadership appointments mark an important new chapter for Edelman as we double down on innovation, global growth, and trust,” said Richard Edelman, CEO. “Each of these leaders brings unique strengths that will help us move forward in a rapidly changing communications landscape. Their focus will be on delivering greater impact for our clients, strengthening our internal operations, and driving the firm’s ongoing transformation and innovation.”

Matthew Harrington Named Executive Vice Chairman

A 41-year veteran of the firm, Harrington has held several key leadership roles, including U.S. CEO, and most recently served as Global President and Chief Operating Officer. In his new role as Executive Vice Chairman, he will concentrate on strengthening relationships with Edelman’s largest global clients, serving as senior counselor to C-suites and boards. Harrington has advised some of Edelman’s most important clients, including Samsung, Microsoft, eBay, and Starbucks, guiding them through pivotal moments and transformation.

“Matt has been my partner for more than four decades and a key force in our success and trajectory over that timeframe. He has helped our firm, and our clients navigate defining moments, including 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis and the recovery from Covid,” said Edelman. “Through his work as a client and CEO counselor, he has helped elevate the role and strategic significance of communications. His global perspective, deep relationships, and steady leadership make him uniquely suited to strengthen our most important client partnerships and drive growth across the network. I am grateful that our clients and our leaders will continue to benefit from Matt’s contributions in this next phase of his distinguished career.”

“I look forward to this next chapter and the opportunity to focus on my passion – what has kept me deeply engaged over my tenure – counseling our clients,” said Harrington. “It has been an honor to serve as COO these past 14 years and I’m grateful to Richard, our leadership team and many colleagues for making it so rewarding. I’m excited about Edelman’s ability to continue shaping the future of communications at this transformational time.”

Mainardo de Nardis Named Global President and Chief Operating Officer

de Nardis, a member of Edelman’s board of directors for the past five years, brings decades of experience in global media and communications leadership. As Global President and COO, he will focus on driving client growth and strong financial performance, guiding global strategy, and ensuring consistency and excellence across Edelman’s worldwide network. His remit includes strengthening the firm’s operating model to support sustainable, profitable growth while extending Edelman’s cultural and industry impact.

He previously served as Executive Vice Chairman of Omnicom Media Group and CEO of OMD Worldwide at Omnicom, Global CEO of Aegis Media, and CEO of MEC at WPP, where he also sat on the founding board of GroupM. In recent years, he has served as Chairman, board director, and investor, primarily in the AdTech sector for companies including Vidmob and the AI-powered mobile advertising platform LoopMe. This experience has helped broaden his perspective and deepen his knowledge of technology-driven transformation across industries.

“I’ve known Mainardo for 30 years and he is a seasoned executive who has deep CMO relationships. He knows what they want, and he understands the evolving landscape and the needs of our clients,” said Edelman. “He brings deep conviction to our continued evolution and the power of our global network. As President and COO, he will work with me to chart Edelman’s next phase of growth and extend our leadership in helping clients earn stakeholder trust. Mainardo is a truly global leader who has built his career across Milan, London, and New York.”

“Edelman has a singular role in shaping trust between companies, brands, and society,” said de Nardis. “I look forward to working across the entire global network to help guide our strategy, deepen relationships with clients and communities, and extend Edelman’s cultural impact while ensuring the firm thrives during this exciting period of transformation.”

Brian Buchwald Named President, Global Transformation and Performance

Buchwald joined Edelman three years ago to help build out the firm’s suite of Trust products and services. He has since been elevated to Global Chair of Product and AI, leading efforts that have firmly established Edelman as a pioneer in the use of artificial intelligence within the communications sector. In his new role, he will drive the firm’s modernization of its service delivery model and operationalize its innovation agenda as Edelman escalates its integration of AI and technology to deliver increased value to clients. He will report to de Nardis. “Brian is a rare talent who has put us far ahead in AI,” said Edelman. “He is operationalizing the technology across teams and workflows in a way that reflects real cultural and capability shift. His early work to redefine the value of earned media and to initiate a new flywheel approach has already helped us take marketing spend from ad agencies and reshaped how we think about communications.”

“We are at a once-in-a-generation moment for our industry,” said Buchwald. “I am proud of the groundbreaking work our teams have done to apply AI and data-driven insights to client challenges, and I look forward to helping Edelman lead the way in defining what transformation means for communications and for trust.”

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To truly understand Gen Z, you must understand this: we operate from a scarcity mindset - shaped by fear, frustration and fractured trust.   

We were raised in an emotional pressure cooker - school shootings, the climate crisis, a pandemic that disrupted milestones, and persistent economic instability. Today, personal safety and security top the list of Gen Z  priorities. That same fear is driving how we think about power, money, law and order, and the systems that surround us, including the system of brand communications.    

The good news? Communicators can tap into Gen Z’s deep emotional investment in progress. A recent Edelman Brand Trust  report  suggests that for Gen Z, brand trust is increasingly personal, not institutional. We’re not looking to brands to fix society, we're looking to them to show up in our lives with optimism, clarity and care. We value emotional connection as much as ethical alignment, and we notice when brands make our world feel more stable, even in small, personal ways.   

Our passion isn’t performative; it’s personal. It’s born from lived experience, systemic frustration and the belief that something better is possible. And while it’s natural for brands to hesitate, fearful of saying the wrong thing or stepping into polarized debates, Gen Z’s passion can be a permission space, not a pressure cooker. When brands act with clarity and care, they won’t just avoid backlash; they’ll gain advocates.    

Let’s take a closer look:   

More than half (51%) of highly aggrieved Gen Z believe that helping people with different beliefs comes at a cost to themselves. That’s textbook zero-sum thinking. In other words: if you’re winning, we’re probably losing.   
Confidence in government, media and business is near all-time lows. Many young people believe that these institutions serve the elite and wealthy, leaving others behind. Even the pastimes and entertainment that once brought us joy feel complicated; performative stories of nepotism in Hollywood, influencers-turned-villains, and even hobbies have become a feeding ground for political turmoil (they said what at the run club!?). What used to be casual interests now act as litmus tests for someone’s politics or values.    
We believe in driving real change, even if it’s sometimes perceived by other generations as confrontational. Edelman’s Gen Z and Grievance research shows that 53% of Gen Z expresses approval of what’s often labeled “hostile activism,” a broad category that can include everything from online pressure campaigns to direct action. That support reflects frustration and urgency, not an endorsement of unethical behavior – it's a response to collective trauma. For many, it’s not just about protest; but rejecting the idea that traditional reform is enough.

As a Gen Z comms professional, I’ve seen our role evolve from simply executing tasks to harnessing our unique lived experiences and cultural fluency as strategic assets.   

I remember the gut punch I felt reading about the evolving landscape of DEI programs across major companies. As a communicator, it raised questions about how progress is sustained over time and I recognized that my role as an advisor was entering a new chapter. As a Gen Zer, it stirred a familiar tension: the sense that momentum can stall when urgency fades. But rather than discouragement, what I felt most was determination. A quiet but steady reminder: we’re still here, and we’re still paying attention. For brands, this moment isn’t about taking a side, it’s about honoring your values with consistency, even as the world around you becomes more complex.    

Gen Z doesn’t expect perfection, but we do expect progress, consistency and proof. We want brands to show up as the company that you say they are, not just when the spotlight is on, but when no one is looking. We want actions, not just awareness. Proof looks like: 

Enforcing workplace policies and commitments 
Engagement on social issues that support your people and customers 
Tangible progress in local communities and our world

When we see real effort, we show up as advocates, amplifiers and even employees. But that trust must be earned, not assumed.   

So, for communications teams, this means: 

Pressure-test your values.  Ask: “Would we still do this if no one were watching?” If not, it may lean toward being performative.  Brands have been publicly called out in media for making bold public statements during moments of reckoning, like posting solidarity during racial justice protests, only for internal policies or business decisions to quietly contradict them. Analysts and commentators have flagged this disconnect as a key driver of reputational risk. Gen Z doesn’t just notice the gap between values, words and behavior; we log it as a red flag, and that disconnect undermines trust at its core. 
Gauge issue salience. Ask: “Would silence here cause backlash or disengagement?” Coverage in major outlets has highlighted instances where brands have tried to sidestep cultural moments, like quietly opting out of Pride after facing political backlash, only to be called out by LGBTQ+ consumers and allies for what felt like a retreat. Gen Z isn’t asking for constant commentary, but we do notice when brands are selectively visible. In key moments, silence can speak louder than a statement and often signals disengagement, indifference, or worse, fear. 
Make your receipts visible. Help Gen Z assess your brand by making your track record easy to find and hard to fake. When brands lean on words like “sustainable” or “ethical” without offering data, methodology, or third-party proof, it sets off alarms. We've seen fashion and beauty brands face backlash when those claims didn't hold up under scrutiny, especially when product lines or supply chain practices told a different story. We’re not asking for perfection, but if the receipts are vague or hard to find, we assume there’s something to hide.

The takeaway is clear: Gen Z’s fear isn’t going anywhere. Whether you’re launching a product, navigating layoffs or shifting your sustainability strategy, we’re watching. Not with passive interest, but with the belief that what benefits you might come at our expense. If that fear is confirmed, you don’t just lose our trust – you lose our loyalty, our voices, and our dollars.    

To stop being seen as part of the problem, brands must show up like allies - with values and with verifiable action.     

Olivia Tompkins is a senior account executive of corporate reputation and the global knowledge manager of the Gen Z Lab at Edelman.   

Last night I presented the PRSA-NYC Dan Edelman award to Sam Jacobs, Editor in Chief of TIME. Sam is the youngest editor of the magazine since founder Henry Luce. He is the 19th editor of the magazine, with such distinguished predecessors as Norman Pearlstine and Nancy Gibbs.

The Daniel J. Edelman Award for Social Impact celebrates journalists whose work exemplifies a commitment to truth, public service, and a free press. Dan was a working journalist at the Poughkeepsie News and CBS News before going into PR. Dan read five newspapers every day before going to work, starting with The New York Times, then The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. He was an inveterate communicator, sending along clips from these papers to our account team members, with commentary about the article and advice on best way forward (these notes were known as Dan-o-grams).

In my introductory remarks, I said that Sam had brought TIME back to its deserved position as a leading voice in global affairs. The first big interview of the new South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, done by Western media, was with TIME. Sam has maintained TIME’s coverage of climate, health and diversity even as the political winds have changed. He has pushed the magazine into new geographies and lines of business, from TIME100 AI to TIME100 Philanthropy and the TIME Earth Awards. I pitched Sam successfully an op-ed from the President of the Church of Latter-Day Saints, Russell Nelson, observations on his 100th birthday.

During last night’s ceremony, I also took the opportunity to highlight the critical role of an independent press corps in a functioning democracy. I said that Sam and other editors in chief must keep their nerves in the face of political pressure. I said that PR people must do their best to provide truthful information to the media. Ours is a symbiotic relationship between PR and media; we rely on the media to enable our work; they depend on us for story ideas and credible spokespeople.

Sam’s acceptance speech was a reminder of the powerful role of media in educating society, through important stories that are exaggerated or overlooked in social media. He spoke about the TIME cover with reverence, the “power of the Red Border” framing a face of a world figure. He also recognized the power of iconic traditions such as the TIME Person of the Year or TIME100.

In the anteroom to the stage, I also had an opportunity to speak with Brian Stelter, who is the media correspondent for CNN. I told him to keep doing his job, to call it as he sees it, to be free to speak the truth to power. He promised to carry on, with a sense of responsibility, for delivering the facts in an objective manner. In the context of establishing boundaries for a free press, these discussions could not have been timelier or more relevant. All of us in the PR business should be helping the media to succeed.

Richard Edelman is CEO.

Over the weekend I learnt about the passing of Diwan Arun Nanda, founder of Rediffusion, India’s creative hot shop for the past four decades. Nanda was Edelman’s partner on the Tata business for six years. In that period, he adopted me as a friend, with a singular purpose of explaining India and its vast potential as a talent hub and creative entrepot.

Nanda was a fearless entrepreneur. After beginning his career at Hindustan Lever, he opened the doors of his own agency in 1973. He identified with my father, Daniel, as a marketer and founder. He loved my stories about the early days of Edelman, the media tours with the Toni Twins, and the ambition to build a global enterprise. He matched those with tales of his work with Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and his campaigns for multinationals Eveready and Palmolive to Indian powerhouses Tata and Airtel.

He understood the intersection of marketing and culture, from art to cinema to spirituality. He pushed me to appreciate the scale of the rising middle class with aspirations for cars and consumer products. He gave me history lessons on the country, from independence to its emergence first as an IT superpower, then to a manufacturing giant.

Our work together on the Tata group companies offered a clear view of the country’s potential. We worked on Tata Motors and JLR, the steel business across two continents, on IT, hospitality, power, infrastructure, and a multitude of innovative domestic and international consumer brands ranging from its tea portfolio, the launch of the Tata-Starbucks JV in India, to premium watches and jewelry.

I particularly admired his steadfast resistance to a takeover by WPP. He had been part of the Dentsu Y&R joint venture, which gave his agency access to global clients such as Palmolive. When Sir Martin Sorrell issued an ultimatum-- join WPP or lose the global assignments -- he chose to go his own way and build back Rediffusion revenues.

I will remember his twinkling eyes, his hearty laugh, his courtly manner, his elegant dress, and his love for his people. He was an inspiration to all who encountered him, insisting on best work, participating in brainstorming, and then presenting the creative to the clients with flair. I will miss him profoundly.

Richard Edelman is CEO.

Twenty-Year Saatchi Veteran Joins Firm To Oversee Creative Business and Community Internationally

NEW YORK, September 3, 2025 – Edelman has named Kate Stanners as Chief Creative Officer, International. In this newly created role, Stanners will be charged with overseeing Edelman’s creative business and community across international markets. She will partner with teams throughout the network to ensure the firm delivers industry-leading, cutting-edge creative that is impactful and drives cultural and business change. Her appointment underscores Edelman’s continued investment in creative leadership and its earned-first approach to global brand storytelling. Stanners will report to Judy John, Global Chief Creative Officer, and Ed Williams, President, International.

“We are doubling down on creative while others in the sector are moving in the opposite direction,” said Richard Edelman, CEO, Edelman. “Kate is one of the most formidable creative leaders in the industry, and I’m thrilled to finally welcome her to Edelman after trying to recruit her for many years. This is a moment in time for Edelman to emerge as a creative powerhouse—we believe in creative based on action and our deep understanding of Earned Creative in the Creator Economy. Our position at the intersection of brand and reputation makes us uniquely equipped to lead the industry forward.”

A distinguished and highly decorated creative leader, Stanners joins Edelman after more than two decades at Saatchi & Saatchi, where she most recently served as Global Chief Creative Officer and Global Chair. Throughout her tenure there, she held multiple leadership roles, including Chair and Executive Creative Director, leading creativity for global and regional clients such as HSBC, Visa, T-Mobile and P&G. Stanners is an award-winning industry leader recognized with multiple Cannes Lions for her work. She served as President of D&AD from 2019 to 2020 and sits on councils for AB InBev Europe and The Kraft Heinz Company. Stanners has also served as a committee member for the Victoria & Albert Museum and is a co-founder of St. Luke’s in London.

“Earned media has become such a powerful tool in a brand’s communications armory, building community, conversation, and connection in impactful ways,” said Stanners. “There’s a freedom that comes when you truly unleash the unreasonable power of creativity on real business problems. I look forward to collaborating with Edelman’s talented teams across the network to build work that not only stands out but makes a difference.”

“We’re at a cultural inflection point where brand, media and culture are colliding in new and unpredictable ways,” said John. “This is exactly when creativity matters most—when ideas need to break through the noise, earn attention, and drive action. Kate’s appointment reinforces our commitment to building bold, earned-first work that drives conversation and makes an impact.”

Last year marked a breakthrough year for Edelman’s creative reputation. The firm won 16 Cannes Lions, including a historic Titanium Lion for DP World’s The Move to Minus 15, a first for a PR agency. Additional honors included four Gold Lions, six Silver, and five Bronze for standout earned-first campaigns like Dove’s Code My Crown, IKEA’s SHT, Heineken’s Bar Experience, and Sanofi’s Allegra Airways. And the firm continued that momentum in 2025 with 9 Cannes Lions including one Gold, for Progresso’s Soup Drops, four Silver and four Bronze.

I met Richard Reeves at the PR Seminar in June in Savannah. He is the founder of the American Institute for Boys and Men, launched after a decade at the Brookings Institution, and the author of Of Boys and Men, which argues that supporting young men and boys is essential to true equality. As Reeves puts it, “we can do more for boys and men without doing less for women and girls.” He also warns that “the sense of male obsolescence is growing, along with signs of failure and alienation,” particularly lower down the social order. This view mirrors reporting that came out after the 2024 Presidential election, which found young men across races felt overlooked and economically stressed, factors that shaped their votes. A key finding from the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer underscores this theme: 57 percent of men aged 18-34 support hostile activism as a means to bring about change.

Reeves provides some compelling statistics:

The gender gap in education has flipped. Men now earn 42 percent of college degrees, a complete reversal in the past 50 years.
The risk of suicide for boys and men is four times higher than for girls; it has increased by 40 percent since 2010.
There are more working-class men than women (men 64 percent, women 57 percent. This has changed fundamentally since 1980 when 85 percent of women were working class versus 75 percent of men. The large majority of Latino (81 percent) and Black (77 percent) males are working class.
Employment among working-class men has fallen from 90 percent in 1979 to 81 percent in 2024, while women’s employment has risen from 55 percent to 68 percent. White working-class employment declined from 91 percent to 82 percent, and Black male employment from 79 percent to 73 percent. In total, 9 million working-age men are out of work.
The average wage for working-class men has stagnated in the past 45 years at $852 per week, while the weekly wage for working-class women has gone up from $503 to $667 per week.

Reeves wants to reframe the narrative around young men. He is joined in this by former President Barack Obama, who was just on a podcast with his wife Michelle and brother-in-law Craig Robinson, where he said, “We’re constantly talking about what’s wrong with boys instead of what’s right with them.” Reeves goes on to assert that the term “toxic masculinity” is being used indiscriminately and that there are male traits that are a function of biology, not just socialization.

Obama and Reeves agree that there is important space for male solidarity. The former President said, “Having male friends I could talk to and count on was important in my life.” Obama hosted Camp Athlon at Camp David, a multi-sport, middle-aged male Olympics every year for his staff.

Males should feel good about going into fast growing professions according to Reeves, such as health, education, literacy and administration. These have been female professions with stigma for males; that stereotyping must end.

Reeves also wants significant investment in mental health and education for boys and men. Reeves writes, “One of the primary functions of human culture is to help young people to become responsible adults…To be grown up means learning how to temper our own natures…Boys become men, even gentlemen. The boy is still with us, just not in charge anymore.”

As a concluding thought, Reeves asks you to consider shifting the mental frame from “men are the problem to men having problems.” Male identity has been linked to having a good job and providing for the family. With globalization and deindustrialization, men have lost the provider status, with women picking up that responsibility. President Obama notes, “As a society we must make sure that men don’t feel redundant and that there’s not a place for them.” As the father of three daughters, I want their partners to be strong and confident, products of intentional investment in boys and young men.

Richard Edelman is CEO.

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