Edelman Smithfield strengthens Middle East leadership team with senior promotions and appointments

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 4 May 2026 – Edelman Smithfield has announced a series of senior promotions and appointments across its Middle East business, reflecting its focus on building talent and leadership in the region. These moves underscore the firm’s commitment to developing senior expertise and strengthening its capabilities across key client accounts.

Dhanya Issac

Dhanya Issac has been promoted to Managing Director, Edelman Smithfield Middle East. In this expanded regional role, she will continue to lead the firm’s Capital Markets advisory offering, while playing a broader role in strengthening Edelman Smithfield’s financial communications and strategic advisory platform across the Middle East. Dhanya provides senior counsel to sovereign entities, financial institutions, listed companies and global investors on reputation, stakeholder engagement and strategic communications across public and private markets. Her work spans IPOs, M&As, capital raising, investor relations, transaction communications and special situations. She also leads Edelman Smithfield’s Dubai office and will continue to support the development of regional talent and integrated client advisory across the business.

Tarek Zahnan has been promoted to Senior Director, reflecting his expanded leadership remit across Edelman Smithfield’s Middle East business. Since joining Edelman in 2022, he has led strategic advisory for ADGM, overseeing communications support for Abu Dhabi’s international financial centre and playing a central role in strengthening ADGM’s global profile. With more than two decades of experience spanning financial communications, media and journalism, Tarek will continue to drive high-impact client counsel and deliver integrated support across priority mandates.

Alongside internal promotions, Edelman Smithfield has appointed Pia Pennyfather as Director within its Middle East practice, joining from Barclays in London. With specialist expertise in investment banking, investor relations, fintech, and central banks having previously served at the Bank of England, Pia brings world-class experience and will lead key client mandates while providing senior counsel across the Middle East.

The business has also promoted a number of colleagues across its Edelman and Smithfield teams, recognising their contribution to client growth and the continued development of its capabilities in the region.

Alex Simmons, Head of EMEA, Edelman Smithfield, said:

“Over the past five years, we’ve made a sustained investment in our people and in the clients we serve across the Middle East, building a platform with deep sector expertise and the senior counsel the market increasingly demands. Dhanya’s promotion to Managing Director is a natural next step as we continue to strengthen regional leadership. Together with Tarek’s promotion and Pia’s appointment, these moves reinforce our long-term commitment to the region and ensure we keep investing in the capabilities our clients need.”

Simon Hailes, Head of Edelman Smithfield Middle East, said:
“With expert talent of the highest calibre, Edelman Smithfield has achieved record growth in the Middle East—becoming a trusted financial communications advisor to clients and building momentum through a strong team culture. These promotions and appointments reflect the depth of our bench and our focus on the region: developing talent from within, bringing in international expertise, and supporting the next generation of communications professionals as we expand our presence.”

Edelman is investing in the development of local talent, including the addition of emerging Emirati and Saudi professionals to the team. As a signatory to the UAE’s Emirati Media Talent Pledge, the firm is supporting the next generation of communications professionals through mentoring and structured development—contributing to the long-term growth of the regional media ecosystem.

The 40 strong Edelman Smithfield team provides financial communications expertise across key markets in the Middle East as part of Edelman’s broader regional network of over 200 communications professionals and works for key sovereign and financial entities in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Riyadh, whilst also supporting global financial institutions in the region.

•   ENDS      –

About Edelman Smithfield

Edelman Smithfield is a financial communications boutique that specializes in the financial markets and special situations with the full reach and resources of Edelman. With a deep bench of strategic advisors including former sell-side analysts, buy-side investors, investor relations officers, investment bankers, and financial journalists, Edelman Smithfield has teams on the ground in all major markets and serves an expansive roster of top organizations around the world.

To learn more, visit www.EdelmanSmithfield.com

About Edelman

Edelman is a global communications firm that partners with businesses and organizations to evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. Our 6,000 people in more than 60 offices deliver communications strategies that give our clients the confidence to lead and act with certainty, earning the trust of their stakeholders. For more than 20 years, we have studied the influence of trust across society — government, media, business, and NGOs — to shape conversation, drive results and earn action.

In 2024 alone, we were awarded the EMEA SABRE Award for Large Regional Consultancy of the Year, ranked 2nd across the board at Cannes Lions for Independent Network of the Year, were the first legacy PR agency to win a Titanium Lion, recognised as PRWeek’s Dynasty Agency for the Past 25 Years and named an Agency Stand Out by AdAge.

Since our founding in 1952, we have remained an independent, family-run business. Edelman owns specialty companies Edelman Data x Intelligence (research, data), Edelman Smithfield (financial communications), EGA (government and public affairs advisory), and UEG (entertainment, sports and lifestyle

www.edelman.com 

Contacts
For any questions, please contact Zoe Audibert – Zoe.Audibert@edelman.com