We’re spotlighting our Edelman Culture Champions, individuals recognized by their peers for exceptional dedication, positivity, and contributions to fostering a supportive workplace environment. These champions play a pivotal role in cultivating a culture where every voice is heard and valued. This edition of Inside Edelman features profiles of these outstanding colleagues from our U.S. offices, showcasing their efforts to uphold Edelman’s values of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB).
Tell us about your Edelman journey.
I began my professional career in the nonprofit sector, working for ALSAC, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the fundraising and awareness arm of St. Jude. If you’re not familiar with St. Jude, it’s a hospital based in Memphis, TN, that focuses on rare childhood cancers and other life-threatening diseases like sickle cell and bubble boy disease. The best part about the hospital is that no one pays a bill for travel, treatment, housing, or food, so families can focus solely on helping their child live.
I worked out of the Chicago office, where my role involved not only fundraising but also making St. Jude—a hospital in Tennessee—relevant to Chicago, a city with its own prominent research hospitals. I raised awareness by sharing stories of patients (both local and global), doctors, caregivers, and even kitchen staff, which sparked my passion for storytelling. I personalized narratives to help people understand the mission’s importance and passion.
When I joined DJE, I had the incredible opportunity to work on executive visibility, which allowed me to continue my love for storytelling across our health clients. In this role, I learn not only about each leader’s company and position but also what they are passionate about, helping to raise their visibility and expertise alongside their company in a meaningful way. What’s especially fulfilling about this opportunity is that I get to showcase each leader’s personality and passions, bringing attention to their leadership in the most authentic way.
You were nominated for Culture Champion by your colleagues – how do you foster a collaborative and respectful culture within your team?
To deliver our best work for clients, we must first create the best environment for ourselves. As my dad says, building a culture takes time, but ruining one can take seconds—so prioritizing respect and collaboration is essential. I've been fortunate to have exceptional leadership during my time at DJE, where there's a strong focus on the importance of "tapping out" when needed and on respecting and empowering others. This has set the standard for a great team and taught me how to build a culture where team members feel valued and understand the importance of their contributions.
Within my team, I prioritize empathy and understanding ensuring all feel included and most importantly heard. I encourage idea sharing, offering the opportunity to challenge ideas that help us grow together.
How does your personal background play a role in your professional life?
Growing up, we moved every three to four years. My dad immigrated from the Netherlands, so we spent time in both the U.S. and Europe. While restarting as a kid was never easy, I had an incredible opportunity to learn from and grow up around many different cultures. One lesson I carry from this experience is the importance of creating an inclusive and safe environment. It’s not easy being the new kid—especially repeatedly—but it taught me to recognize the signs of exclusion and to ensure I’m fostering a space where people feel they not only have a seat at the table but are comfortable bringing their best selves to that seat.
Additionally, my role as a volunteer for Experience Camps, a camp for kids who have lost an immediate family member, parent, caregiver, or sibling, has made a significant impact on my life. While volunteering at a grief camp comes with its challenges, it has provided me with invaluable experience in handling tough conversations, a crucial skill at work and in my personal life. Having very personal conversations with these kids has taught me the importance of creating a safe space for people to share their experiences. It has also provided me with the practice and tools to focus on listening to understand, not just to respond. Listening is a skill we are all trying to grow, and it’s something I have always been actively working on. This experience has helped me to be more present at camp, work and in my personal life, and it’s something I continue to learn from and bring into my role at DJE.
When you think about the future of Edelman, what does it look like for you?
I'm fortunate to have opportunities at DJE that resonate deeply with me, particularly in giving back and storytelling. Looking ahead, I hope to continue combining these passions and further develop my experience in both areas. I want to work with our teams to create impactful thought leadership platforms that highlight the incredible talent, expertise, and personality of the leaders we serve. Additionally, I aim to expand our citizenship initiatives through our Day of Service in Chicago to drive meaningful change. My goal is to keep making a positive impact on our office, our clients, and the communities we serve.
You recently organized a day of service at our office in Chicago. Can you share a few key highlights and takeaways from that experience?
When I first joined the Chicago Citizenship Committee, I often heard from employees that while they knew they had service hours allocated, they were unsure where to start with volunteering. Chicago is a large city with countless opportunities, and figuring out which one is the best fit can sometimes be daunting. The idea behind our Edelman Chicago Day of Service was to bring these opportunities directly to employees, offering a variety of causes they felt passionate about. This not only allowed them to make a meaningful impact on the community but also helped build relationships and broaden their experiences beyond our service activities.
On the day, we hosted five charities onsite at the office and participated in three offsite opportunities. Our initial goal was to have 50 participants, but we ended the day with an incredible 104 people involved. I am immensely grateful to our citizenship committee for their hard work and dedication in making this day such a success and a meaningful experience for our office. I look forward to continuing to grow this initiative in the years to come.
This experience also underscored how important giving back is to the people at DJE, and I am honored to have been a part of creating an opportunity to help them do just that.
Jaymie Polet is a Senior Account Supervisor on the Health team based in Chicago.
