Dubai, 25th January 2017

Edelman, the world’s leading communications marketing agency, today announced the appointment of Robin Gordon-Farleigh, Regional Director for Government Strategies for the Middle East. He will be based in Edelman’s Dubai office beginning in March 2017.

Most recently Robin was the News Planner in the UK Prime Minister’s Office where he was a senior communications strategist advising Prime Ministers Theresa May and David Cameron, a role he held since 2011. In this role, Robin directed all news announcements across the UK Government and set the Government media agenda, playing a pivotal role in the government speaking with one voice across all departments. Robin led a team of 30 news planning staff located in Government departments in Whitehall and managed a wide range of diverse stakeholders and relationships, both domestic and internationally, acting as an ambassador for the Prime Minister’s Office. Robin has recently advised international Governments at a senior level in the Middle East, Asia, North Africa and Europe on strategic communications.  

Prior to working in the Prime Minister’s office, he was Head of Media Planning and Strategy at the Department of Health where he led the media planning & strategy team for the Ministerial and main departmental business teams from 2008 – 2011. Robin started his government career in the Department for Work and Pensions, where he served as a Ministerial Private Secretary and news planner starting in 2002. 

Robin brings over 23 years’ experience of working in the UK Government performing a variety of roles advising Government Ministers, working in operational management and advising on strategic communications activity for the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health. 

Robin said of his new role, “I am really pleased to be joining the Edelman Middle East team at such an exciting time. They are doing such amazing work there in the space of government communications, and I look forward to helping them to build out the business. It has been a great six years at No10 which throughout I have felt truly honoured and humbled to work there at the top of Government and in some small way contributed to deliver its agenda.” 

Tod Donhauser, CEO of Edelman in the United Arab Emirates, said: “Robin is an internationally-respected government communications strategist, with significant experience working at the heart of government. We are excited to bring Robin’s unique insights and skills to our operations in the Middle East, where he will help us to advise the public and private sectors, and support government clients to execute strategy and position themselves internationally. This important hire is part of a wider Edelman effort to drive growth in our government services work in the critical region of the Middle East and beyond.”

-Ends-

About Edelman
Edelman is a leading global communications marketing firm that partners with many of the world’s largest and emerging businesses and organizations, helping them evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations.

Edelman operates in 13 countries across Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APACMEA) and has affiliates in more than 40 cities. Edelman was named The Holmes Report’s 2013 Middle East, 2014 and 2016 Asia-Pacific Digital, 2015 Korean and 2016 North Asia Consultancy of the Year; Campaign’s 2013 Indonesia Digital, 2013 and 2015 South Asia PR, 2014 Australia/New Zealand PR and 2015 and 2016 Japan/Korea PR Agency of the Year; and Asia-Pacific Excellence Award’s 2015 Agency of the Year. Visit www.edelman.com  for more information.

For more information, contact:
Celeidh Cook
Senior Marketing Manager - Edelman UAE 
Edelman
M: +971 56 665 1865 
E: celeidh.cook@edelman.com

© Press Release 2017