Edelman U.S. CEO Lisa Osborne Ross taking "leave of absence"

Be smart: Edelman U.S. chief operating officer Jim O'Leary departed to serve as CEO of rival firm Weber Shandwick, while U.S. chief people officer Amanda Schmidt and U.S. chief financial officer Jenn Rayman also departed earlier this year.

• Global head of corporate affairs Dave Samson retired last month and President of Edelman New York Oscar Suris recently left the firm for an in-house role at Duke Energy.

Catch up quick: Ross took over as CEO in 2020 and was well-regarded for guiding the firm through the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• She also led several strategic initiatives including Mighty Dream, a creative advocacy group launched in partnership with Pharrell Williams, and oversaw the U.S. practice as it achieved record breaking revenue growth, following declines brought on by the pandemic.

Yes, but: Edelman went through two rounds of layoffs under Ross' tenure.

What they're saying: New acting CEO Matthew Harrington told staff in a memo that he is "confident" in the U.S. leadership team's ability to "drive the business forward."

• When asked whether Ross would be returning to her role as CEO, Edelman provided no comment.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with further context.