Former South Carolina Governor, United Nations ambassador and presidential hopeful Nikki Haley is getting into the communications business, joining the public relations and crisis communications firm Edelman as vice chair of its EGA division.

EGA is Edelmans Global Advisory consultancy focused on public and government affairs. She will join another new hire, former Democratic Senator Max Baucus, who also served as President Obamas ambassador to China. Baucus will be a senior advisor to EGA, and both will join the company later this month. According to Haley and Edelman CEO Richard Edelman, Haley will be involved in helping companies and brands understand the role politics plays in corporate America, and navigating that world.

Politics has become a critical consideration for clients in brand marketing, employee engagement and reputation management,saidEdelman. In her time as Governor, Haley had great success in attracting foreign companies to South Carolina and as Ambassador to the UN, helped lead important work on global issues.

In a time of growing complexities in business, policy, and politicsbrands need to anticipate whats coming next, Haley added. Whether managing a crisis or celebrating a success, industry leaders must be ready to communicate clearly and share their vision forward. Im excited to join the team at Edelman to help their clients navigate the challenges ahead.

There have been a number of instances in recent years of major brands and companies finding themselves in the middle of a cultural or political firestorm. Disney, of course, had to navigate both employee outrage and retribution from the state of Florida due to the response to Floridas so-called dont say gay bill (that fight ended up in litigation).

Its a world where brands and companies need to tread carefully, and walk a fine line, lest they spark outrage either internally or externally. Haley, it seems, will be a part of that solution for Edelman, which counts many of the largest companies in the world as its clients.