After 18 years of service at Edelman, Matthew Harrington will become US president and CEO, effective July 1.

Though national budgets and strategy await with the start of the fiscal year and his new role, he will continue to serve as president of the Eastern region and global corporate practice chair.

"While my background is really in the corporate, financial, and issues arenas," he says, "almost my [entire] career has been recognizing the intersection with the consumer ...