ATLANTA —Former Edelman senior leader Steven Behm has joined Real Chemistry to lead the agency’s new crisis communications and corporate reputation practice.

Behm has spent roughly 16 years at Edelman, where he most recently led the firm’s US crisis, risk and reputation practice. His expertise includes preparedness planning, litigation communication, cybersecurity and immediate response communications.

Behm, who started at Real Chemistry on August 1, is based in Atlanta and reports to Emily Poe, group president of integrated communications.

Brian Tjugum has also joined Real Chemistry, which named him global leader of its new social impact practice. Tjugum spent the last three years running his own consultancy after working at agencies including Weber Shandwick, where he served as executive VP of social impact. London-based Tjugum reports to EMEA president of integrated communications Lucie Harper.

Additionally, Real Chemistry has rolled out a new tool to further boost its reputational offerings. The product, Real Reputation, allows users to tap into online signals, combined with insights healthcare audience panels and real-world data, to measure reputation and develop strategies for building reputational value.

“In today’s healthcare environment, our clients are facing unprecedented challenges. From being responsible stewards globally to addressing the industry challenges presented by the Inflation Reduction Act and the upcoming presidential election in the United States, corporate reputation and ESG factors will be critical elements of both short-term decision-making and longer-term strategic planning,” says Poe. “With Steve and Brian joining us, we are adding two of the most trusted voices in the business to provide unparalleled expertise to our clients – building on the work our teams already do in crisis communications and ESG. Additionally, our new product offering, Real Reputation, makes understanding the nuances of specific healthcare audiences and how to build reputational value among them easier. Bringing together this combination of intelligence and expertise will further enable our clients to make better data- driven and more impactful decisions.”