Stephen Lock joins Edelman in IndoPacific, SEA lead role

In his new role, Lock will work closely with chairman Chadd McLisky and the leadership team at IndoPacific Edelman to help the firm meet the new opportunities presented by Indonesia’s rapidly expanding and buoyant economy.

Lock also takes on the newly created role as Southeast Asia public affairs practice head, reporting to Bob Grove, managing director of Edelman Southeast Asia. His role will be to provide strategic counsel to the firm’s local and multinational clients, as well as build upon the strong public affairs capabilities already established in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.
 
Lock has almost two decades of international experience in investor relations, ethical government relations, crisis management health care communications and reputation management. Having lived in emerging markets for a decade, he was most recently the managing director for Eurasia and global co-head of public affairs for Grayling (a Huntsworth Plc company and the world’s second largest independent PR firm). He has more than 14 years' experience of Russian and other CIS matters, as well as experience with high profile projects in the UK, EU institutions, US, Turkey and other European countries. Indonesia is the seventh country in which he has lived and worked.
 
High profile contentious dispute management has been a core feature of his work, including cross-border litigation PR matters. He has also advised on 16 IPOs around the world. Stephen has counselled clients such as GE (its financial and energy units across several countries), MTV Networks International, Google, Skype, Rosneft Oil, and several oil and gas pipeline projects. He has also run a 13-country disease awareness programme for Schering Plough/ Merck.  Stephen graduated in law from Cambridge University and started his career as a bond trader at Lazards, before moving into financial PR and IR.
 
Chadd McLisky, chairman of IndoPacific Edelman, stated, “Stephen has a reputation as a world-class strategic adviser and will be a great addition to our leadership team. His entrepreneurism mirrors that of Edelman, and will help us deliver the highest quality corporate and public affairs capabilities to our clients.”
 
Lock commented, “Joining the best PR firm in Indonesia and the largest independent PR firm in the world is a fantastic personal opportunity for me. I have spent years admiring Edelman and trying to make the businesses I’ve been running more like it, so it’s great to actually join the real thing. IndoPacific Edelman has achieved so much – it’s a wonderful business – and I look forward to helping it develop further.”