Deborah Hayden

One of Japan’s best is joining us. News release below:

Edelman Hires Deborah Hayden as Regional Director, Capital Markets and M&A, APAC, and Acting Director, Corporate Practice, Japan

Hayden Brings 25 Years of Communications Experience with Her to Serve Edelman Clients

Tokyo, November 27, 2012 – Edelman today announced the hiring of Deborah Hayden as regional director, Capital Markets and M&A practice, Asia Pacific, and acting director, Corporate practice, Japan, effective immediately. Deborah will be based in Tokyo, and will report to David Brain, president & CEO, Edelman Asia Pacific and Ross Rowbury, president, Edelman Japan. The announcement is yet another senior appointment in Japan and the region, further strengthening Edelman’s offering in the fast-growing Asian marketplace.

“We are delighted to add Deborah to our growing team where she will enhance our capital markets and M&A communications work at the regional level,” said Brain. “She is one of the top public relations practitioners in Japan with 25 years’ experience in corporate and financial communications, and will now be able to offer great counsel for our clients and colleagues across Asia Pacific.”

Hayden joins the firm from Kreab Gavin Anderson where she was managing partner, Japan.

“The addition of Deborah to our senior team, which already includes Kuniko Okuwaki and Tomoko Akizawa, makes Edelman Japan the singularly most experienced team in the Japanese market,” said Rowbury. “Deborah’s proven track record providing clients with strategic advice on market entry, positioning and corporate reputation management and her considerable expertise in issues management and investor relations takes our offering to clients to a new level.”

In 2008, Deborah was appointed president and CEO of Gavin Anderson Japan, with specific responsibility for the management of the agency’s Japan operations. With the merger of Gavin Anderson & Company with the Kreab Group in 2009, she was appointed to the Executive Committee and Board of the merged company. She joined Gavin Anderson in Japan in 1988.

Deborah serves on the New Zealand Trade & Enterprise’s Beachhead Committee for Japan, where she offers advice to New Zealand companies entering the Japanese market, together with other local experts. She is also the co-chair of the American Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business Committee, and is a member of the Professional Advisory Board for local NPO Second Harvest Japan.

Hayden and her clients have received several awards for excellence in public relations and public affairs. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) fromOtagoUniversityin New Zealand.

About Edelman

Edelman is the world’s largest public relations firm, with 66 offices and more than 4,500 employees worldwide, as well as affiliates in more than 30 cities. Edelman was named Advertising Age’s top-ranked PR firm of the decade in 2009 and one of its “A-List Agencies” in both 2010 and 2011; Adweek’s “2011 PR Agency of the Year;” PRWeek’s “2011 Large PR Agency of the Year;” and The Holmes Report’s “2011 Global Agency of the Year” and its 2011 “North American Large Agency of the Year.” Edelman was named one of the “Best Places to Work” by Advertising Age in 2010 and 2012 and among Glassdoor’s top five “2011 Best Places to Work.” Edelman owns specialty firms Edelman Berland (research), Blue (advertising), A&R Edelman (technology), BioScience Communications (medical communications), and agencies Edelman Significa (Brazil), and Pegasus (China). Visit http://www.edelman.com for more information.