Edelman Undergoes Major Restructure

Edelman has added to regional president and CEO for Asia Pacific, David Brain's role, placing Africa and the Middle East in his remit.Brain will continue to report to Matthew J. Harrington, and is based out of New Zealand.These new alignments will take place by 1 July 2013. Richard Edelman, the firm's president and CEO said: "Increasingly our clients are structuring themselves against growth opportunities prompted by ever increasing trade flows between Africa, the Middle East and Asia. We are looking to capitalize on this trend by organizing ourselves in a similar fashion."Brain rationalised the decision by saying that in recent years the rise of Africa will be more determined by China, India and the Middle East than Europe. "That is where the investment is coming from, initially in commodities and infrastructure, but increasingly in wider trade and development areas too. We are experiencing this with our own client base."Brain said that the firm increasingly saw clients organising this way as well. "RFPs and client titles and responsibilities now routinely combine these regions. Certainly our offices in the Middle East have been working more with those in Asia Pacific and staff swaps between Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong and India and Dubai are routine these days," he added.More leadership shuffles have taken place in Asia Pacific, with Southeast Asia managing director Bob Grove moving to Hong Kong to oversee North Asia including China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Iain Twine, currently general manager of Middle East and Africa, will be based in Singapore and manage operations in Southeast Asia and Australia (including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Australia) in Grove's stead.Robert Holdheim, currently managing director of India based in Delhi, will lead the India, Africa and Middle East markets.