Payne will lead Edelman's corporate affairs offer across the EMEA region when he joins as an executive director in the spring, the agency announced today.
He will leave Clarence House after almost five years, joining in 2016 from fashion company Burberry, where he was VP, global PR and corporate relations.
Payne previously held a number of PR roles at the BBC, including director of communications, and was also a senior publicist at Sky. His agency-side experience includes a stint at Lynne Franks PR, where he began his career, and later at Henry's House, where Payne's clients included BT, ITV, Honda F1 and Virgin Media.
At The Royal Household, Payne leads on public presentation of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall’s work both in the UK and around the world including through charities such as The Prince’s Trust and The Prince’s Foundation.
Payne will report to Ed Williams, president & CEO at Edelman EMEA, who said: “In Julian we have a leader, and communicator of the highest calibre. The breadth of his global experience will be invaluable to our clients across the region as they seek to build trust and successfully navigate a rapidly shifting set of societal expectations. He is highly attuned to the reputational challenges that businesses and their leaders face today and has outstanding experience advising high-profile global brands and individuals. This hire reflects our strategy of having our most senior advisers work transversally across the region, not just focused on one market.”
Payne said: “This is a crucial time for so many organisations as they seek to recalibrate their position and approach in a world that is changing in so many ways. To be able to contribute to that process as part of the Edelman team will be a fantastic challenge and great privilege.”
Last week Edelman announced a new corporate affairs chairman in the UK: John Kiely, co-founder of Edelman-owned financial PR and strategic comms shop Smithfield. Kiely was previously MD of Smithfield - a position now filled by head of special projects Iain Dey.
