The global strategic communications advisory firm TrailRunner International today announced the appointment of Seth Hand as a Managing Director and head of the firm’s Middle East business. 

Hand brings more than 20 years’ experience, including 15 years in the Gulf region. He joins TrailRunner from Edelman Middle East, where he served as Managing Director for the Middle East and led the regional corporate reputation practice. 

“We are excited to have a leader of Seth’s experience, caliber, and character coming on board as we grow our business internationally, in the Gulf, and in the broader Middle East North Africa region,” TrailRunner International CEO Jim Hughes said. “Our focus at TrailRunner is on delivering for our clients and on creating great career opportunities for ambitious, hard-working communications professionals. We are pleased to have found in Seth a leader who sees the world the same way we do and who will help us find the best ways for TrailRunner to contribute to the broader success of this incredibly dynamic and critically important part of the world.” 

“When TrailRunner International approached me to lead their market entry into the Middle East, I jumped at the opportunity,” said Hand. “With offices across the U.S. and in China, TrailRunner has established a strong reputation as a high-impact firm with an unusual commitment to client service and to its incredibly tight-knit team. I believe TrailRunner’s approach to delivering best-in-class strategic communications counsel will be welcomed by clients across the region and I look forward to the work ahead as we build and grow here.” 

Headquartered in Dallas/Fort Worth, TrailRunner International was founded in 2016 and today has offices in New York, Nashville, Shanghai, and Truckee, Calif. To date, it has supported clients in the region with teams drawn from its U.S. and China offices. 

Before Edelman, Hand held other senior leadership roles in the Gulf region, including at Finsbury, where he was regional managing director for the Middle East, Grayling, where he served as director for new market development, and H+K Strategies, where he was an account director. 

A native of Scotland, Hand graduated from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in corporate communication.