BCW’S Brian Ellner Named To City & State's “Pride Power 100 List”June 24, 2019

NEW YORK, June 24, 2019 – BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe), a leading global communications agency, today announced that Brian Ellner, Executive Vice President, Global Corporate Solutions, has been ranked number 39 on City & State magazine’s Pride Power 100 list. The list celebrates 100 people in the LGBT community who are key players in the world of New York politics, government and journalism.

“Brian is a role model for our LGBT colleagues for his commitment to and vocal advocacy for diversity, inclusion and equal rights,” said Jillian Janaczek, Executive Vice President, Managing Director and New York Market Lead for BCW. “He is also a trusted C-suite adviser who helps clients build and manage reputations, navigate complex business issues and develop genuine social purpose platforms. We are all delighted he has once again been recognized as a power player in New York.”

In addition to leading BCW’s North America Corporate Practice, Ellner is the executive sponsor for the New York chapter of BCW PRide – the agency’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group. In this role, Ellner provides guidance and direction to the group and ensures it aligns with BCW’s core values. He also leverages his network to provide talent for quality programming and amplify the group’s initiatives.

In 2011, Ellner was the lead strategist for the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) successful effort to win marriage equality in New York. He also created HRC's Americans for Marriage Equality campaign and provided strategic counsel on the 2012 marriage equality wins in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington. Earlier in his career, he was a senior aide in the administration of Mayor Mike Bloomberg, working with the NYC Department of Education to transform public education.

Brian is also a founding board member of Athlete Ally, a non-profit focused on ending homophobia and transphobia in sport and activating the athletic community to exercise their leadership to champion LGBTQ equality. In 2015 he won the ADCOLOR’s Advocate Award given annually to an advertising, marketing or media professional who increases awareness of LGBT causes within and outside of the communications industry.

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