Allison+Partners Hires Jen Graves as SVP, Marketing + Business Development

Allison+Partners today announced that it has named Jen Graves senior vice president of marketing + business development. In this newly created position, Graves, formerly vice president of U.S. business development for Edelman, will drive global marketing efforts and spearhead new initiatives designed to fuel agency growth. She will report to Allison+Partners’ Chief Creative Officer, Lisa Rosenberg, and be based out of the agency’s Seattle office.

"As Allison+Partners continues to grow and expand globally, we are fortunate to attract top talent that can help us compete and win on a larger playing field," said Lisa Rosenberg, chief creative officer at Allison+Partners. "Jen's experience doing this for the biggest PR firm in the world, coupled with her fearless and entrepreneurial spirit, made her the obvious choice for the role."

Graves brings more than 15 years of marketing communications, business development and operations experience. Most recently, she led new business operations and marketing for Edelman in the U.S. where she helped to found the firm's national team dedicated to business development and worked with these specialists to create landmark tools designed to streamline and analyze new business efforts. She also led marketing initiatives, which included development of the firm's first brand marketing campaign, advertising, and industry sponsorships and events.

Prior to her U.S. role, Graves served as vice president for new business and marketing for Edelman's Western Region where she drove new business efforts and helped to raise visibility for the six offices in the West. She also spent two years in the consumer marketing practice in Los Angeles, leading new business opportunities for the group and driving communications activities for clients such as Warner Bros., Nestle´ and the American Film Institute.

"I am thrilled to join Allison+Partners at such an exciting time of growth,” Graves said. "It is a first-class agency filled with smart and passionate people, and I look forward to shining the light even brighter on all that it has to offer its clients, people and the industry."

Before joining Edelman, Graves worked at Cohn & Wolfe, where she managed consumer-marketing initiatives for Air New Zealand, Globus Family of Brands and IHOP. Prior to that, she worked at The Phelps Group, Kaplan Communications, Inc. and Lippe Taylor, managing public relations activities for consumer-focused accounts such as American Express, IndyMac Bank and Johnson & Johnson. She received her Bachelor's of Journalism and Political Science from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

About Allison+Partners

Allison+Partners, an MDC Partners company, is a global communications firm driven by a collaborative approach to innovation and creativity. Named 2014 Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report, the firm is organized around seven practices: Consumer Marketing, Corporate, Global China Practice, Health + Wellness, Public Affairs, Social Impact and Technology + Digital Media and has offices in San Francisco, New York, London, Beijing, Shanghai, Paris, Lyon, Singapore, Chicago, Washington D.C., Silicon Valley, Seattle, Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Phoenix and San Diego. The firm has a 50-state grassroots U.S. network and deep affiliations with quality firms worldwide through MDC Partners (NASDAQ: MDCA, Toronto Stock Exchange: MDZ.A), a progressive marketing and communications network, championing the most innovative entrepreneurial talent. Visit us at: www.allisonpr.com.