Edelman, the global communications firm, has made further hires and senior promotions within its rapidly expanding health sector. These moves build on the hires announced in the autumn of 2021 and are part of the firm’s strategy to accelerate growth and deepen expertise within its health business.
Ashlea Reece has been promoted to EMEA Health Operations Director from her previous role in the UK health team. A 12-year veteran of Edelman, Ashlea will bring all the expertise from her various operational and leadership roles during that time, to her new regional position. This is a newly created role which will see Ashlea supercharge talent acquisition and retention, marketing and thought leadership for Health across the region. She will also be working with the regional management team to develop a sector-specific operating model for EMEA.
This appointment recognises both the immense growth in and increasing importance of health within Edelman. Last year health revenue in EMEA grew by 20% and that trend looks set to accelerate over the next 12 months. In her new role Ashlea will report to Carolyn Paul, EMEA Health Chair who said of the appointment: “Health is booming all across the Edelman network and nowhere more so than in this region. Creating this new role will help all our health teams across EMEA to keep up with this incredible pace of growth and ensure we have a strong framework that enables us to continue to deliver award-winning work for our portfolio of world-leading clients”.
Edelman has also made a number of other senior appointments to further strengthen the rapidly expanding team across the region.
Sylvain Volter has joined Edelman to lead the Health and Wellness sector team in Paris. With over 15 years of experience in health and more than two decades working in communications, Sylvain will bring his extensive expertise in driving creative and digitally led integrated campaigns for Edelman France’s growing portfolio of health clients. Sylvain was previously Head of Digital and Brand Innovation at WPP Health in Paris.
Angela Mahaney becomes co-Global Client Relationship Manager for AstraZeneca. Angela previously held the post of Client Relationship Manager in the EMEA region, having been promoted to that post from being one of the three co-leads of Edelman’s UK Health team.
Lou Dalton has been promoted to Senior Director upon her return from maternity leave. Lou joined Edelman nearly six years ago and will be leading Edelman’s work for one of its top ten clients across EMEA from hubs in London and Brussels.
And another Senior Director has been added to the London Health team, Katerina Kelesidi. Katerina was most recently Director at Health Unlimited where she led and established strategic behaviour changes programmes across a number of therapy areas.