Edelman names Jo Burford as Head of Creator Marketing EMEA

Edelman has appointed Jo Burford as Head of Creator Marketing for EMEA, a move that signals the agency’s intention to scale its Creator capabilities across the region in response to rising client demand. The role has been created as part of Edelman’s broader plan to expand its Creator offering beyond North America.

Jo Burford will report to Tyler Vaught, Global Head of Creator, and will work in partnership with Arent Jan Hesselink, President & CEO Edelman EMEA. Her remit includes building a dedicated regional team to support clients across key growth markets, including the UK, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, with MENA identified as a future area of expansion.

Expanding Creator marketing across EMEA

The appointment reflects growing demand from brands for Creator-led marketing approaches that move beyond traditional influencer models. Edelman’s Creator practice focuses on earned-first storytelling designed to build trust and deeper connections with communities, rather than prioritising reach-based metrics alone.

Tyler Vaught, Global Head of Creator, Edelman: "Jo’s arrival marks an exciting next chapter for Edelman’s Creator ambitions, as we look to double our business over the next year. She brings an incredible mix of experience across platforms, agencies, and as a Creator herself, she understands this industry from every angle. More importantly, she gets what we’re building here – we are not chasing reach and impressions, we’re scaling brand trust through the right Creator partnerships."

Leadership and regional growth plans

Arent Jan Hesselink, President & CEO Edelman EMEA: "With Jo now in place to shape our EMEA Creator practice, we’re poised to accelerate growth and raise the bar for the region and our clients. She knows how to build teams, nurture talent, and create work that truly connects brands and communities. She also brings a finely tuned understanding of what creators mean to culture across Europe and how brands need to show up to earn trust."

Burford brings more than 15 years of experience across the Creator and branded content landscape. She joins Edelman from TikTok, where she served as Head of Creators for the UK, Ireland and Nordics. Her previous roles include Global Head of Marketing at Whalar and Head of Creator Partnerships for EMEA at Twitter, giving her experience working across brands, platforms and Creator ecosystems.

Team structure and client remit

Jo Burford: "I’m thrilled to join Edelman at such an exciting inflection point for the Creator industry. There’s so much momentum in EMEA, and we have a real opportunity to build something transformative, a practice that puts trusted Creators at the center of brand storytelling. I’m looking forward to working with our clients and our teams across the region to bring that vision to life."

As part of her role, Burford will oversee Edelman’s EMEA Creator team of 30 specialists, with Germany and the UK serving as key hubs. She will lead the Creator offering for clients including Unilever, PayPal and Microsoft. Based in Edelman’s London office, she will work alongside Freya Lifely, who has been appointed Head of Creators for the UK and will report into Burford.

Following its growth in 2025, Edelman’s Creator business is expected to double over the next year as it continues to develop its capabilities across talent partnerships, social storytelling and Creator-led brand activations.

www.edelman.com

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