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Ellen Ryan Mardiks is chief marketing officer and worldwide director of the marketing and brand strategy practice at GolinHarris. Experienced in many facets of the business, Ellen is recognized for her effectiveness in leveraging the power of public relations to position or reposition leading or growing brands in a variety of industries. She has led the development of communications programs for top consumer products companies such as McDonald's, Coors and Levi Strauss & Co. Ellen also is tapped to apply the principles of brand strategy to government departments, associations and not-for-profits--including the United States Postal Service, the Florida Orange Growers and Special Olympics International-- looking to build trust and a leadership platform for their business. A frequent speaker at public relations and marketing conferences, Ellen was named a "Public Relations All-Star" by Inside PR magazine in 1999. She is the chief architect behind GH BrandingTM, GolinHarris' proprietary methodologies for building trusted brands and businesses. Work produced by Ellen's teams has been recognized for excellence by the leading public relations organizations, including the Public Relations Society of America, the Publicity Club of Chicago and The Holmes Report.
Prior to assuming her current role, she was general manager of GH Chicago, the firm's headquarters. Ellen rejoined the agency in 1997 from Edelman Worldwide, where she served as general manager of its Chicago consumer marketing office. Before that, she headed GH Chicago's largest business unit, which focused on consumer marketing and healthcare public relations. She began her career in Washington, D.C., holding public relations positions with Georgetown University and on Capitol Hill for an Illinois congressman. Ellen joined GolinHarris in 1984 as an account executive.
Ellen graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American studies. She also studied at the University of London. She lives with her husband and two children in the western suburbs, where she is active in the school district and a great fan of AYSO soccer and Little League.
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