Barbara Laidlaw
Barbara Laidlaw

Barbara Laidlaw, a former executive at Burson-Marsteller, Edelman and FleishmanHillard, has joined Allison+Partners, where she’s been named managing director of global reputation, risk + advisory.

Laidlaw joins the MDC Partners unit from Burson-Marsteller, where she was managing director and provided strategic communications and change management advice. Prior to that, she was president and owner of communications consultancy BEL Communications, which focused on crisis and risk management, corporate communications, media training and executive training.

She was previously an executive vice president and crisis head at Edelman and a partner and senior VP in Fleishman Hillard’s corporate financial and corporate affairs practices.

At Allison+Partners, Laidlaw will be responsible for overseeing the growth of the San Francisco-based agency’s global issues management, crisis and risk mitigation capabilities. She’ll be stationed in New York and will report to partner and Europe + Corporate global president, Matthew Della Croce.