According to an official news release, Edelman has named Lisa Osborne Ross as CEO of its United States operation.
Ross — who currently serves as U.S. COO — will now oversee the firm’s largest region made up of 2,360 people across 13 offices. She will succeed Russell Dubner who has just been named global vice chairman and chair of the Edelman Trust Institute.
“In the four years since Lisa joined Edelman, she has made an incredible impact on the firm, particularly through her empathetic leadership during Covid and the tragic aftermath of George Floyd’s murder,” said Global President and COO, Matthew Harrington in a statement. “She is a champion of our people, and expansive in her ability to provide senior counsel to clients and drive operations. Lisa is an exemplary leader for extraordinary times, and her many talents will take the U.S. business forward from a position of strength.”
During her tenure as COO, Ross led Edelman’s Covid Task Force and soon became one of the most sought-after client counselors and speakers on the topic of high-performance workplaces navigating through the pandemic.
She was also instrumental in the launch of Edelman’s Racial Justice Task Force following the murder of George Floyd last May.
Since its initiation, the Task Force has counseled over 400 clients on DEI and multicultural outreach engagements in an effort to dismantle systemic racism while also driving equity.
Ross is a true boss having helped to develop several Edelman Trust Barometer special reports that urge brands to play a role in combatting racial injustice in the United States.
“The complexity of issues at this time in our world requires a diverse, thoughtful, culturally competent team to deliver counsel. That is what I’ve found at Edelman and what I hope to drive more of as CEO,” continued Ross in the statement. “Edelman’s belief that it can create movements that impact the world is what inspires me and draws me to this position. The opportunity to lead with that belief is the culmination of what has been a really fortunate and blessed career for me.”
Just last month, Ross was named PRWeek’s Agency Professional of the Year and was inducted into the publication’s Hall of Femme in 2020.
