Posted on by Christopher Carfi

I’m Joining the Edelman Digital Team

Picture 1I'm joining the Edelman Digital team.

Yes, really.

All stories have multiple acts.  My first act was in the land of large firms, and I spent nearly a decade at Andersen Consulting back in the late 1980s and 1990s, working on everything from artificial intelligence to Indy cars.  After catching the startup bug in 1999, I spent a few years at startup called Extricity that grew to be acquired in the early 2000s.  And most of you know the work that has been done under the Cerado banner over the past eight-plus years.

So, it's now time for the next act.  I was offered a stellar opportunity to join folks like Scott Wilder, David Armano, Michael Brito, Steve Rubel and the rest of the industry-leading Edelman Digital team, working directly with clients to help them not only figure out their social and mobile strategies, but to also help them execute those strategies to connect with and build better relationships with their customers.  I accepted.

In some ways, it's going to be a bit of a change.  I've spent the last eight years as a pure, one-hundred-percent entrepreneur, and now I'm joining an organization that has thousands of other professionals.  On the other hand, with the conversations I've had with Scott and David and Michael and others, I truly get the feeling that the entrepreneurial spirit is a core part of the Edelman DNA.  The digital team, in particular, is growing rapidly, and a lot of the things I've learned over the last eight years in growing Cerado are going to be directly applicable in helping Edelman Digital to continue to grow and evolve.

I can't think of a better time to be joining Edelman.  A lot of the ideas that grew out of conversations here on the Social Customer blog that started back in 2004 (especially in the area of what's now being called "Social CRM") are reaching a mass audience.  Edelman is helping its clients understand these concepts and, more importantly, put them into practice.  I'm looking forward to digging in and helping them do so.

The Social Customer will continue, as well as my Twitter stream.

Seeya out there…

20 Replies to “I’m Joining the Edelman Digital Team”

  1. Chris,
    Good luck to you and best wishes. Edelman is an excellent, innovative agency as you describe and they are lucky to have someone with your vision, intellect and wacky sense of humor on their team.

    Mark

  3. Chris,

    Little known fact. Your blog is one of the first I began reading and one of the very first that I ever commented on. I consider it an honor to have you joining our team. Welcome to the family. I believe. 😉

  4. Congratulations on your new role. I look forward to seeing how you and the Edelman crew push the envelope forward with Social CRM. Being from the “traditional” CRM camp – I’m not quite sure the term Social CRM is properly applied. However, I’m optimistically looking forward to the work you and the Edelman team put forth the refine, perhaps re-define, the CRM industry.

  5. Chris,

    Congratulations! Your passion for helping companies transform customer experiences from OK to excellent is going to make a huge impact on Edelman clients I’m sure. It’s always great to see someone so passionate about what they do move forward.

    I wish you all the best and thanks for keeping the blog running too.

    Louis

  8. Chris:

    Successful reinvention is a great quality – and you have proven it’s part of YOUR DNA. Sounds like a perfect fit for you.

    Wishing you the best!

  9. Congratulations, dude! Of course, its Edelman who should be congratulated too for getting you into the fold. You will make a giant difference there as you’ve made a giant difference in the area of social media, social networks and most especially, Social CRM. Plus you rock!!

  18. Chris,
    Congratulations. Having worked with you and seen your brain capacity and ability to fiter out the noise and get to the issues will make you a huge asset for Edelman!

    I’ve enjoyed learning from reading your writings and talking to you for 3 years now.

    Congrats!!

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