Hugh Taggart

Hugh is the UK and EMEA CEO of Weber Shandwick, responsible for the agency’s commercial, cultural and operational performance across the region. Based in London, he oversees eight EMEA markets and a team of 800 practitioners, spanning brand strategy and influencer marketing to digital strategy and issues management. Hugh also sits on Weber Shandwick’s Global Operating Board.

 

Hugh has advised senior leaders on building trust and leveraging reputation as an asset to drive business performance for over two decades.

 

An experienced leader, he has advised some of the world’s biggest and most influential brands on how to mitigate reputational risk, develop market leading positions, and win the support of their stakeholders. He has advised the likes of Starbucks, Heineken, HSBC, Sky and Ikea.

 

Before joining Weber Shandwick, Hugh was the co-CEO of Edelman UK where he oversaw a period of rapid growth and cultural transformation. During his time there, Hugh also served as its Global Crisis Chair, overseeing the agency’s network of more than 100 crisis practitioners.

 

Prior to joining Edelman, Hugh was the Managing Director of Bell Pottinger’s award-winning Engage practice and was part of the start-up success of Betfair, now one of the world’s largest gaming companies, where he worked in senior corporate affairs roles in the UK and Australia.

 

A proven leader in challenging corporate environments, Hugh excels at delivering thoughtful counsel, nurturing talent and building high performance teams.