Robert Furlong

Editorial Services

Based in Berlin, I have been working as a copyeditor and proofreader of English-language publications for think tanks, foundations and businesses since 2004. I review texts written by native and non-native English speakers, always aiming to preserve the author's voice while ensuring clarity, consistency and adherence to clients' style guides. I also have comprehensive experience managing the editorial process from early drafts through production to publication, helping to ensure high-quality work at every stage.

MATERIALS
annual reports ● books ● business case studies ● conference papers ● course catalogs ● discussion papers ● journal articles ● marketing materials ● policy briefs ● research papers ● studies ● style guide development and consultation ● summit publications ● working papers

TOPICS
climate policy and finance ● conflict, peacebuilding and security ● corporate sustainability (ESG, CSR) ● democracy promotion and support ● development cooperation and finance ● energy transition ● environmental policy and governance ● foreign policy and international cooperation ● governance, statehood and fragility ● human rights and rule of law ● migration and mobility ● multilateral and transnational cooperation ● organizational behavior ● strategic management ● trade policy and geoeconomics ● sustainable development (2030 Agenda/SDGs)

HIGHLIGHTS
● UN Global Goals Yearbook (United Nations Publications), 2009-2024
● The Palgrave Handbook of Development Cooperation for Achieving the 2030 Agenda (Palgrave)
● Solid Growth – Strategies of Industrial Champions in Global Markets (Palgrave)
● Governability of Regional Challenges: The Arctic Development Paradox (Politics & Governance)
● Debt Relief for Green and Inclusive Recovery Initiative (HBS et al.)
● G7 Elmau Progress Report: Biodiversity (G7 Accountability Working Group)
● Transformation, Politics and Implementation: Smart Implementation in Governance (GIZ)
● How Could This Happen? Managing Errors in Organizations (Palgrave)
● CSR Made in Germany (Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs)

An organization's publications can feel uneven when they are generated by different writers, translators, agencies and teams. A tailored in-house style guide assists in shaping all content, ensuring that language quality is built into the process and the organization's voice is not left to chance.

On the STYLE MATTERS page, I outline what an effective style guide should include and explain how these editorial decisions bring clarity and credibility to publications. This brief essay also covers how support from a professional copyeditor can help organizations turn broad language preferences into practical standards that can be applied to all communications.

THINK TANKS AND FOUNDATIONS (including inter-institutional collaborations)
Bertelsmann Foundation ● Carnegie Endowment for International Peace ● Center for Advanced Turkey Studies (CATS) ● Center for American Progress ● Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF) ● Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) ● ESMT Berlin ● European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI) ● European Council on Foreign Relations ● Federal Chancellery ● Federal Foreign Office (AA) ● Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) ● Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) ● Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) ● Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) ● Federal Press and Information Office (BPA) ● French Institute of International Relations (Ifri) ● Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) ● German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) ● German Development Institute (DIE) ● German Foundation for Peace Research (DSF) ● German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) ● German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) ● German Institute of Global and Area Studies ● German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) ● Green European Foundation ● Harvard Business Publishing ● Heinrich Böll Foundation (HBS) ● Institute for International and Strategic Relations (IRIS) ● International Labour Organization ● macondo publishing ● Overseas Development Institute ● Peterson Institute for International Economics ● Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) ● RAND Corporation ● Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) ● Royal United Services Institute ● Sciences Po ● Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB) ● Stockholm Environment Institute ● Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ● UNIFEM ● United Nations Publications ● Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy

CORPORATIONS (via European partner agencies)
Adecco Group ● ACCIONA ● Air France ● Armacell ● Athens International Airport ● Audi ● BASF ● Bayer ● Bain & Co. ● BBN Technologies ● Blancpain ● CCC ● Bosch ● Capgemini ● Carrefour ● Danfoss ● Danske Bank Group ● Deutsche Bank ● Deutsche Post DHL ● Deutsche Telekom ● E.ON ● EDF Group ● Eurofinsa ● EY ● Gebr. Heinemann ● Grundfos ● IKEA ● KPMG ● Liebherr ● Lufthansa ● MAN ● Miele ● Merck ● MTV ● Nestlé ● Novo Nordisk ● Olympus Nederland ● Otto Group ● Philip Morris International ● Philips Electronics ● Sakhalin Energy ● Sanofi ● SAP ● Siemens ● Sony Ericsson ● 3M ● Toshiba America Vaisala ● Volkswagen ● Volvo ● WWF

editor [at] robert-furlong.com ● +49 30 2546 9888 ● Berlin

Robert Furlong

BACKGROUND

PORTFOLIO

STYLE MATTERS

SELECTED CLIENTS