Edelman announced Jo Burford as Head of Creator Marketing for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) in a newly created role reporting to Tyler Vaught, Global Head of Creator. The appointment signals the communications firm’s expansion of its North American creator offering into European markets.

Burford, who started in the new role on January 5, brings 15 years of experience across the creator and branded content sectors. She joins 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.

In her new role, Burford is leading the development of a dedicated regional team supporting clients in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands, with MENA (Middle East and North Africa) planned for future expansion. She works in partnership with Arent Jan Hesselink, President & CEO Edelman EMEA, and oversees a team of 30 specialists across the region.

The firm established Germany and the UK as key hubs for its EMEA creator operations. Freya Lifely, a three-year Edelman veteran, assumed the role of Head of Creators for the UK, reporting to Burford.

“Jo’s arrival marks an exciting next chapter for Edelman’s creator ambitions, as we look to double our business over the next year,” Vaught said. “She brings an incredible mix of experience across platforms, agencies, and as a creator herself.”

Client Portfolio and Growth Trajectory

Based in Edelman’s London office, Burford will oversee creator offerings for clients including Unilever, PayPal, and Microsoft.

Edelman expects its creator business to double over the next year following growth in 2025. Recent campaigns include Dove’s Share the First, eBay Endless Runway, Microsoft’s Original build, and Progresso’s Soup Drops.

“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,” Hesselink said.

Strategic Direction

The firm positions its approach as moving beyond reach-based influencer marketing toward what it terms “earned-first storytelling” with creators. “We are not chasing reach and impressions, we’re scaling brand trust through the right creator partnerships,” Vaught said.

Burford described the European market as presenting opportunities for the practice. “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,” she said.

Checkout Our Latest Podcast