NEW YORK — Edelman has made two senior leadership appointments in the US, promoting Margot Edelman to lead the New York office and Atlanta lead Radina Russell to chair of the US corporate practice.

In her new role, Edelman succeeds Oscar Suris, who joined the firm last year from sister agency Zeno and is departing for a new role as the chief communications officer of electric power and natural gas holding company Duke Energy. She will report to US COO Dave Samson.

As president of the New York operation, Edelman (pictured, left) will lead a team of more than 800 in the firm’s largest global office. During her 12 years with the family business, Edelman has served in a variety of leadership roles across the network, including heading up Edelman’s Bay Area office and technology practice. In May last year, she returned to New York as deputy general manager.

Edelman told PRovoke Media: “New York is the co-headquarters for the firm and my home town, and as the largest office in our network I want it to continue to be a place where we do excellent work for the best clients, and is a destination for talent in New York and across Edelman.

“For the past year I’ve been focused on the corporate practice, so I will be getting to know other facets of the business: we have significant health and brand practices, and we do some amazing creative work out of New York. I was also in San Francisco for a long time, where I worked with a lot of innovators, and I’m hoping we can work with more innovators and bring some of that spirit to New York.”

On her confidence in the business, Edelman added: “To be completely honest, we did feel a bit of a slowdown last summer and into the fall, which was a reflection of economy, but it has definitely picked up – there are some significant RFPs we are pitching for now and I feel a real sense of confidence.

“Our client roster here should reflect the vibrancy and dynamism of New York City – we already work with the best of the best companies headquartered in New York, and I will continue to build on that. We want to be not just the biggest agency in New York, but also the best.”

At the same time, Radina Russell (pictured, right), who joined Edelman last summer to lead the Atlanta office and serve as a managing director for Edelman Smithfield, the firm’s financial communications boutique, will serve as the firm’s new US corporate practice chair. She succeeds Jim O’Leary, who left in February to join Weber Shandwick as North America CEO.

In her new role, Russell will oversee around 400 employees across corporate reputation and specialty areas, including business transformation, employee experience, social issues and sustainability.

Russell will retain her role leading Edelman’s Atlanta office, and will report to US CEO Lisa Osborne Ross, who said: “Together, Margot and Radina represent the best of Edelman – tenacity, ambition, connection, a certain fearlessness, and a desire to operate in the future.

“Margot’s ability to connect clients to solutions, her passion for business development, and her relentless pursuit of excellence make her the right leader for the moment. And Radina has quickly proven herself to be a sought-after C-suite counselor, combining a deep expertise in the inner workings of the boardroom with a commitment to and passion for the issues executives are facing.”

Both leaders will assume their new roles effective May 1.