30-Year Edelman Veteran Will Lead the Firm’s Talent and Culture Initiatives.
NEW YORK, May 16, 2024 — Edelman has named Lisa Sepulveda its first-ever Global Chief People and Culture officer, effective immediately. Sepulveda, currently Edelman’s Global Chief Client Officer, will now oversee the firm’s global talent development, recruitment and retention efforts. She will work with leaders across the network to meet the ever-changing and diverse needs of employees and clients. Sepulveda will also focus on nurturing Edelman’s culture of innovation, creativity and inclusion across the firm’s 65 offices. She will report to Matthew Harrington, Global President and Chief Operating Officer. Sepulveda will continue to serve as a senior advisor to the global client community, which will now be co-led by Smita Reddy and Courtney McCraw Bigelow. Reddy and Bigelow will continue to assume their account leadership roles, in addition to the management of the Global Client portfolio.
“Identifying, developing and retaining top talent today is vital to the success of any organization,” said Harrington. “Lisa’s track record of cultivating great talent and building destination teams, most recently with the global client leader community, is a hallmark of her career. She is one of the industry’s best mentors and strongest advocates for the importance of culture and belonging. As the workplace and employee experience continue to evolve along with industry and client needs, finding the right balance between those ever-changing dynamics has never been more important.”
A 30-year veteran of Edelman, Sepulveda has served as the firm’s Global Chief Client Officer for the past decade leading its portfolio of global clients. She works with teams across practices, specialties and geographies to ensure clients receive industry-leading and cutting-edge creative work. Under her direction, Edelman’s global client program has grown for 11 consecutive years and has produced award-winning work including Vaseline’s “See My Skin”, “Up the Antibodies” for AstraZeneca, the “Taco Bell Hotel”, and “Street Code” for HP. Sepulveda also played an integral role in some of Edelman’s most significant work, including the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, marking its 20th anniversary this spring.
“Developing great talent has always been one of the cornerstones of Edelman and at the core of what I have done throughout my career,” said Sepulveda. “The most effective teams and talent are built and maintained on inspirational culture. I am focused on delivering value for clients and building teams and communities of the future. What better way to drive success and happiness than by focusing on the culture of teams directly responsible. I am excited for the opportunity to guide our teams on career pathing and further cultivate our culture across the network.”
Sepulveda is the executive sponsor of Edelman’s Global Women’s Equality Network – an employee resource group focused on developing an environment where women of all backgrounds can enjoy equal opportunities to grow, lead and succeed in and beyond Edelman. She serves on numerous advisory boards including the Englewood Health Medical Center, and She’s the First, a non-profit focused on girls’ education in the developing world. In 2017, She’s the First named her Mentor of the Year and in 2021 she was named one of PRWeek’s Women of Distinction.
She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst.