Edelman UK appoints Bell Pottinger veteran as general manager

Edelman UK has appointed Hugh Taggart, the former Bell Pottinger managing director and partner, as its general manager for corporate affairs.

As part of Edelman UK’s executive operations team, Taggart will be responsible for leading the corporate affairs and Ireland teams, growing its integrated client work and driving collaboration across the business.

He will use his 15 years’ experience of building teams and providing strategic counsel to blue chip organisations to manage a combined team of over 150 consultants.

At Bell Pottinger, Taggart spent five years in leadership positions, most recently as managing director of its award-winning Engage practice.

In launching Engage, he brought together Bell Pottinger’s corporate, brand, digital and content teams to create an integrated communications offering for its clients, many of which were also serviced by the firm’s political and financial practices.

Before that, Taggart worked in senior communications and corporate affairs roles at online gaming company Betfair in the UK and Australia.

“It’s a big thrill to be joining a company that I’ve admired for a long time,” said Taggart. “And it’s particularly exciting to be joining at a time when the business has made significant investment into its corporate affairs practices.

“We share very similar views on how we need to shape the offer and I’m now looking forward to working with the outstanding individual teams to create a more holistic and powerful corporate affairs proposition for Edelman and its clients.”

Ed Williams, Edelman UK’s CEO, added: “Hugh stands out as one of a small group of people in our industry who truly understands the corporate affairs discipline and the exciting new opportunities to communicate that come from digital and creative.

“It is always personally satisfying to see new talent come into the business, and I am particularly pleased that Hugh is joining us.”