Jim O’Leary advises executives on navigating complex business, social and geopolitical challenges. As U.S. Chief Operating Officer and Chair of Edelman's largest practice, Corporate Affairs and Advisory Services, Jim oversees strategy, large clients, sectors, and operations for Edelman US. He also leads the Corporate Affairs business unit comprising consulting, corporate reputation and business marketing. His clients include PayPal, Mitsubishi, General Electric, Hewlett-Packard and Raytheon, among others.

Jim is an expert in corporate communications, business transformation, and risk management. He has helped integrate mergers, separate conglomerates, turn around legacy enterprises and recover in the wake of crisis. Recent client engagements include:

• Working with diverse leadership teams to enable the integration of two separate publicly traded companies as part of the largest aerospace deal in history
• Advising the new president of a leading university following one of the largest sexual abuse scandals and legal settlements of the #MeToo era
• Repositioning a Fortune 25 global technology company as part of a multi-year turnaround, restructuring and demerger

Jim is recognized for transforming Edelman’s corporate practice consistently delivering double-digit growth. He built Edelman’s first-in-the-industry capability in communications technology, known as CommsTech, as well as Edelman’s Disinformation Shield offering. In 2018, Jim led the development and launch of Edelman’s Business Transformation and Business Marketing. He also created Edelman’s Behavioral Science offering in partnership with researchers from Harvard Business School.

He was recognized in PRWeek’s Dashboard 25 Class of 2021 and 2022 as one of the most innovative professionals in the industry. He was previously named to PRWeek’s “40 Under 40” in 2014. Jim sits on the Foundation Board at Lurie Children’s Hospital, recognized as one of the top children’s hospitals in the nation. He also serves on the Chicago Planning Council’s Board of Governors.