HomeLatest Edelman Makes Senior Middle East Financial Hires Maja Pawinska Sims Edelman Makes Senior Middle East Financial Hires The three appointments build on the expansion of the Edelman Smithfield financial communication offering across EMEA. ABU DHABI — Edelman has added three senior hires to its Middle East operations to strengthen its regional financial communications offer. Simon Hailes joins Edelman Middle East as the new director of financial communications, bringing 20 years of experience in banking, broadcasting and government. He was previously in-house at Barclays for nearly 10 years, latterly as director of group media relations. Hailes (pictured, right) was also a chief press officer at the BBC and for the UK’s Department for Communities and Local Government.