Ellen Slauson Joins GERTRUDE as CMO and Growth Officer
Sep. 2026 - Roastbrief
GERTRUDE, INC. has brought on Ellen Slauson as Chief Marketing & Growth Officer, with a mandate that goes well beyond marketing. She’s helping lead the agency’s global strategy, innovation, communications, content and brand consultancy and, importantly, is building relationships with the search consultants who increasingly have a hand in determining which agencies get considered for major assignments.
It’s an interesting shift in how independent agencies are thinking about growth. Rather than simply chasing the next RFP, Ellen is focused on building the agency’s reputation and relationships before the RFP ever arrives, creating deeper connections with search consultants, cultivating relationships across industry organizations and positioning GERTRUDE for the kinds of opportunities where its capabilities and point of view are the right fit. That could make for an interesting story: How agency growth is becoming less about responding to briefs and more about building influence before the brief exists.Ellen brings 25+ years of experience building brands and agencies, with leadership experience across CPG, beauty, Alc. Bev., hospitality, retail, QSR, financial services and technology. She’s worked with brands including Constellation Brands, P&G, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft Heinz, Hilton, Disney, Subway, Diageo and Citibank.