Advice from the PR Pros: Richard Edelman

The Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication has conducted oral history interviews with dozens of the nation’s most influential public relations practitioners. The Page Center website features a vast collection of transcripts and videos of these interviews. On this blog, we will highlight some of the advice given by professionals on attaining positions in the field of public relations.

Resilience is key for PR execs, especially in the family business

“The first thing is to realize that even if I made a mistake, I’d rather act and correct than temporize. And I’ve made some hiring mistakes, I’ve made some acquisitions that probably weren’t the best but you know, you’re going to get up the next day, put your shorts on and get back in the ring.”

“Some element of stamina or just determination, that’s really essential if you’re going to be a senior executive. You’ve got to be able to take the punch, because they’re going to come, and you don’t know when they’re going to come.”

“And then, it’s also a challenge when you take over your dad’s company, let’s be real. And I had several people who were longtime partners of his kind of thinking, what did he do here, naming this guy to run the firm? And I never had that as sort of a chip on my shoulder I just did what I did but I think it’s a special burden, in a way, to have the family name on the door but, it’s a special advantage too.”

“If you’re going to get yelled at, it’s going to be by your dad who ultimately has an interest in your succeeding as opposed to some German who ultimately wants to stab you in the back and bring in one of his henchmen or something.”

Richard Edelman is the president and CEO of the world’s largest independent public relations firm with wholly-owned offices in 53 cities and more than 3,600 employees worldwide. He was named president and CEO in September 1996. Prior to that, he served as president of Edelman’s U.S. operations, regional manager of Europe and manager of the firm’s New York office.

Richard has extensive experience in marketing and reputation management, with current assignments for the National Dairy Council, Hewlett-Packard, McGraw-Hill and Scotts Miracle Gro. He has counseled several countries on economic development programs, including Egypt, Israel and Mexico.

Richard won the Silver Anvil, the highest award in the public relations industry, in 1981. He was named “Best Manager of the Year” by Inside PR magazine in 1995. In 2006, he was awarded “Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 – NY Metropolitan Area” by Ernst & Young. Richard was named the “Most Powerful PR Executive” by PR Week in October 2008, for the second year in a row, and “Agency Executive of the Year” by AdAge in January 2008. In 2010, he was named one of “America’s Favorite Bosses” (#8) by Forbes.