Edelman Names Brain European President

BOSTON Edelman has appointed David Brain president and CEO of its European operations.

Based in the independent public relation practice’s London office, Brain will oversee all operations and development for Edelman’s second-largest region, which encompassed 350 staffers in 12 offices and more than $45 million in revenue in FY 2003.

Brain reports to worldwide CEO Richard Edelman in New York. He replaces Alison Canning, who left the agency earlier this summer.

Brain cited the opportunity to play a pan-European role with an agency as the key reason for accepting the position. He joins Edelman from Interpublic Group’s Weber Shandwick, where he was joint CEO of its U.K. and Ireland operations since early 2001.

“It’s been a great job, but working only for the U.K. has been constraining in some ways,” Brain said.

Brain said he looks forward to further expanding the presence of European clients such as AstraZeneca, Barilla and Unilever in the U.S. and Asia.

The appointment marks a return to a more international role for Brain, who prior to Weber Shandwick served in European and Asian executive positions with WPP Group’s Burson-Marsteller and independent PR shop Baldwin Boyle Shand and Visa International, both in Singapore.