Bjorn Edlund

Björn Edlund is a communications counsel focusing on the societal role of business, and has served as Head of Communications in three issues-rich corporations: Sandoz AG 1992-1996 (through the merger with Ciba-Geigy to Novartis); ABB Ltd. 1998-2005; and Shell 2005-2010.

After leaving Shell in 2010, Bjorn has run his own strategic communications firm, Edlund Consulting.

For three years starting October, 2011, he served as non-executive Chairman, Europe & CIS at Edelman, the world's largest independent PR company. He earlier worked as a Senior Advisor, EMEA, at Burson-Marsteller,

Edlund is Visiting Fellow at Henley Business School and a Board Trustee of the Institute of Human Rights and Business.

In 2009, he was one of five practitioners to receive the first ever SABRE Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement given in Europe, Middle East and Africa. In 2013, Edlund became the first non-US recipient of the Alexander Hamilton Medal, the highest award given by the Institute for Public Relations. The medal recognizes contributions advancing the field of public relations, especially using research. In 2015, Edlund was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Arthur W. Page Society for his lifetime achievement as a leader in public relations with significant impact on both communications and business issues.

Edlund works in English, German, Spanish and French as well as in his native Swedish. He came to business communications in 1989 after 12 years as a staff correspondent, bureau chief and news editor with UPI (77-83, based in Sweden, Germany and Spain) and Reuters (83-89, based in Mexico, Argentina and Germany).