KIRSTY GRAHAM

Kirsty Graham is the CEO of Edelman U.S.

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Kirsty Graham is a seasoned leader with a 30-year career in policy, communications, and public relations, spanning senior roles in government, Corporate America, and the agency world.

 

Kirsty began her career in international diplomacy, serving 16 years in the New Zealand Foreign Service where she worked on a range of economic, trade, and political issues. Her diplomatic assignments included a secondment to support Foreign Minister Sir Don McKinnon (1994–1996), a five-year posting to Washington, D.C. (1996–2000), a secondment as Deputy Spokesperson at the British Embassy in Washington (2001), and five years as New Zealand’s Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations (2006–2010).

 

Following her government service, Kirsty spent a decade at Pfizer Inc. in a series of senior leadership roles. Most notably, she served as Head of Global Policy and later as Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs for the Biopharmaceuticals Group, where she directed global public affairs, communications, and policy across more than 125 markets.

 

In March 2020, Kirsty joined Edelman and has since held four leadership roles, including Global Chair of the Health sector and Global President of Practices and Sectors. In these positions, she led strategy for the firm’s largest practice areas, spearheaded award-winning global client work, and guided the development of Edelman’s corporate and brand communications, ESG, and industry sector strategies.

 

Today, as CEO of Edelman U.S., Kirsty continues to serve on Edelman’s Executive Leadership Team, bringing together her deep expertise in diplomacy, corporate affairs, and communications to help clients navigate the intersection of business, policy, and society.