WASHINGTON, DC—Richard Edelman, president and chief executive officer at the world’s largest public relations firm, will headline the Independent Public Relations Firm Forum, which takes place at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC, on Monday October 22, kicking off our annual PRovoke18 Global Public Relations Summit.

Edelman will mark his Summit debut with a fireside chat with Holmes Report CEO/editor-in-chief Arun Sudhaman, during which he will discuss the transformation of the public relations industry in recent years, the need for PR firms to compete with other disciplines for greater market share and a more strategic role, ways in which PR firms can attract more diverse talent, and of course the benefits of independence.

With Edelman at the helm, the firm founded by his father Daniel J Edelman has grown to be the largest in the world, with almost 6,000 people and global fee income of close to $900 million. It was named Agency of the Decade by both The Holmes Report and Advertising Age and now has more than 65 offices around the world.

Richard has experience in marketing and reputation management, having led assignments with major corporations, NGOs and family businesses in more than 25 industries around the world. He is a member of the Arthur W Page Society’s Hall of Fame and serves on the boards of directors of the Ad Council, the Atlantic Council, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the Children’s Aid Society, the Gettysburg Foundation, the 9/11 Museum, the National Committee on US China Relations and the University of Chicago Medical Center.

He will be joined at the Independent PR Firm Forum by a host of PR entrepreneurs and agency executives from around the world, including:

  • Jeff Altheide, chief operating officer, G&S Business Communications (US);
  • Madan Bahal, co-founder and co-CEO, Adfactors (India);
  • Girish Balachandran, managing partner, On Purpose Communications (India);
  • Charles Lewington, chief executive officer, Hanover (UK)
  • Mike Liew, managing director, In.fom (Singapore);
  • Philip Nardone, president and CEO, PAN Communications (US);
  • Victoria Page, founder, Victoria Page Communications (UK);
  • Sandrine Raffin, president and founder, Link-Up Factory (France);
  • Richard Tsang, chairman, Strategic Public Relations Group (Hong Kong)

The IPRFF precedes PRovoke18, the Global Public Relations Summit, which will feature leading speakers include Sir Martin Sorrell and P&G chief brand officer Marc Pritchard. Tickets for both the IPRFF and the full three-day Summit can be purchased at our event ,site.