Ellen Elfering

Experience

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  Hornall Anderson Design Works

  Jul 1990 - Dec 1994

  Project Manager / Production Manager

  I worked with this design studio as a project manager and print production manager. I managed the day-to-day communication with clients, presented design, and managed the print process of all projects, including catalogs, packaging, and in-store campaigns. Primary accounts I worked on was Starbucks and Holland America Cruise Line.

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  Cahan & Associates, San Francisco

  Dec 1994 - Jul 1997

  Project Manager / Production Manager

  My primary role within this 15+ person design firm was project manager and print production manager. The focus of the business was on the annual report sector for biotechnology and technology companies. Managed as many as six annual reports at a time working with clients, designers, copy writers, photographers or illustrators, production staff, and printers.

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  Tolleson Design, New York and San Francisco

  Jul 1997 - Jan 2003

  Account Manager / Production Manager / New Business

  New York ~ 2001-2003: Selected to head up a satellite office in New York for this 15+ person design firm based in San Francisco. Primary role was to develop new business opportunities, which included research, targeting leads, and cold calling prospects, as well as created a new business database. I also managed clients and accounts writing creative briefs, proposals, managed budgets, schedules and work plans, and presented creative. San Francisco ~ 1997-2001: My responsibilities included project and production management, handling as many as fifteen projects at one time. Responsible for day-to-day communication with clients, managed design and production staff, budgets, and schedules. Developed print specifications, managed print production process with clients and suppliers, and attended press checks. Acted also as the primary new business contact, talking with leads, sending out portfolios, and managed the follow up and engagement process. Some clients included: Shiseido, The North Face, Urban Outfitters, ALT Spec, Photonica, Liz Claiborne, Verve Records, Gmund Paper, and Mattel. Show less

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  Various

  Jan 2003 - Mar 2007

  Freelance Account Manager and Production Manager

  During this time frame, I contracted with several companies in-house for various length stints: Wolff Olins, Starfish Brand Experience, and Valentine Group. Clients included: Kiehl's, Carter's, Interface FLOR, Trish McEvoy, Outback Steakhouse Company (Bonefish Grill, Roy's).

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  Plaid Inc.

  Mar 2007 - Oct 2009

  Account Manager / Production Manager / Business Development

  I wore several hats at this eight-person brand strategy and design firm - account manager, production manager, and business development. Responsibilities included managing budgets and schedules (design and production), coordinated brainstorming sessions with strategy and design staff, had direct client contact, developed print specifications and managed print process with print vendors, as well as other suppliers. I managed the design and production staff internally, and proofread as required. I managed online communications externally and internally (i.e. websites, micro-sites, intranet sites). Show less

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  Creative Coaching Consulting

  Sept 2007 - now

  Creative Coaching Consultant

  We Coach. We Collaborate. We Partner. We work closely with your organizations' Leadership team to help define areas your company may have challenges – whether with shifts in culture, talent retention, low morale, recruiting talent, learning to lead teams, confidence, diversity and inclusion, professional development, mentoring, benefit management, productivity, and all matters that involve your people. We strategize ways to collaborate, coach, and mentor your teams as well as individuals to create change and foster a positive, healthy, and productive company culture.Today is the perfect time to explore how you do work, how you support your people, how you celebrate, how you promote, how you hire and release talent, and how you want to lead. And we can support you in this endeavor! Areas of focus: Collaboration and coaching with Leadership, training facilitation for Diversity/Inclusion/Bias and Sexual Harassment, director and manager level coaching, staff retention, recruiting, and human resources guidance.We are available to work remotely (via Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, FaceTime), as it’s a viable means for doing this meaningful work. We are also available for in-person sessions with safe protocols.Visit our website to learn more: www.creativecoaching.me Show less

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  Individual and Organization : Life and Creative Coaching

  Sept 2007 - now

  Coaching ~ individual and organizations

  I coach individuals (via phone or video) on all aspects of life and work matters. I also consult/coach leaders of companies and teams to help develop, mentor, and retain their most valuable resource – their people. I have a collaborative and “movement forward” approach that has been successful over the course of my many years of coaching

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  SYPartners - freelance

  Jan 2010 - Dec 2010

  Project Manager

  Contract project management. Maintained workflow of large multi-pronged projects while at SYP, including managing budgets, coordinating strategy experience meetings ("Summits") with varied 3-dimensional visual set ups, worked with internal strategy, design, and production teams. This engagement also required a great deal of direct C-level client interaction and management.

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  Spring Design Partners

  Jul 2011 - Nov 2014

  Studio Manager and Creative Resource Manager

  Worked with all members of this 30+ person packaging and branding studio. Managed recruiting, workflow plans, scheduling, resourcing of design and production talent (staff and freelance), photography and illustration coordination and negotiating, as well as overall listener, issue negotiator, and problem solver to many. Helped to build a fun, creative, dynamic, and highly functioning culture.

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  Carbone Smolan Agency

  Dec 2014 - Dec 2019

  Director of Talent / People & Culture / HR

  Culture-building at its core. My primary role at this 30-person, independently held branding company was that of human resources, as well as growing and prospering the work culture, which included many aspects: performance management, employee relations, talent management, coaching, mentoring and mentor training, policy and benefits management, recruiting, on- and off-boarding, performance reviews, coordinating of freelance consultants, and manifesting company-wide events/speakers/etc. An important aspect of my role was being an active member of the Leadership Team, and was instrumental in helping guide Management on decisions affecting the staff, culture, and business. I recreated the employee handbook, making it a more relevant and user-centric digital tool. I was instrumental in reimagining the performance review process to be one that was more goal-oriented (S.M.A.R.T.) and involved peer feedback and conversations throughout the year. Show less

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  DeSantis Breindel

  Jan 2020 - Mar 2020

  Director of Talent & Culture

  Recruiting was my primary role at this 34-person agency initially. In this short stint, I was able to recruit and secure several full-time creative hires, as well as introduce multiple freelance consulting engagements. Taking on their HR responsibilities was on the horizon, however the business strategy changed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

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  Sequel: A Branding & Digital Agency

  Sept 2021 - Sept 2023

  Resource and Operations Manager