Dear All,
They say that we should know when to leave. I think now is the time for me to leave Edelman. I have been with Edelman Korea for four years since July 2003. Even before that actually I had a kind relationship with Edelman Europe which was a PR agency of Hyundai Motor's regional office in Frankfurt, Germany. The professional attitude and the performance of every single staff of Edelman Korea lead by Bob, Tyler as well as ex-managing director of Edelman Korea Hoh has been extraordinary and I was proud to be a part of the organization.
The past four years has been an excellent time for me and I was so happy to get to know such excellent people at Edelman Korea. All of you will be staying in my memories for my life time.
I wish you all the best,
Mark Juhn
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Dear Edelman Koreans:
Earlier this year, I asked Mark to serve for another term as our Chairman. At first he favourably reflected on our invitation, but in the end he decided to decline our renewal offer, indicating that he felt the time was right. I was not successful in my effort to have him re-consider, so I regret to announce that he is stepping down with immediate effect. There will be no successor.
No successor because Mark is not the kind of man you can replace! His role with our company has always been unique in the Korean PR industry, a special relationship that goes back five years during which Edelman Korea has enjoyed its industry-famous success with Mark at the top of our corporate chart.
Mark's association with Edelman offered us respected credentials and a trusted profile. It provided me and my successors with a wealth of senior wisdom and experience that we otherwise lacked. It served to remind our young staff that while Edelman is an international organization, we are also very definitely and proudly a Korean company in Seoul.
Speaking personally, Mark has also been a fine friend to this foreigner who felt much more comfortable living in a new country knowing such a fine fellow world-traveller (but I will never catch-up to him...he has still been to 60+ more countries than me!).
I look forward to keeping in touch with Mark for years to come, but in the meantime I ask you to join me and Tyler in thanking him for distinguished service and in wishing him well for the future.
There will always be a special place in the mind and heart of Edelman Korea for Mark Juhn.
Bob
Robert Pickard
President, North Asia
