Edelman Appoints New Digital Group Director for the Pacific Northwest

Edelman has named Gina Avila the senior vice president and group director for digital in the Pacific Northwest. In her new role, Avila will partner with leadership in Seattle and Portland to drive digital strategy for clients and lead a staff of digital specialists across the region. Avila will report to Will Ludlam, general manager of Edelman Seattle, and be based out of Edelman’s Seattle office.

Avila brings nearly 20 years of integrated marketing experience to the role. Most recently, she was the senior vice president of internet and mobile marketing for Citi. There, she drove adoption of Citi’s digital and mobile platforms such as the Citi Mobile Snapshot, the first mobile application to allow customers to view deposit and credit card balances and recent transactions without having to log into their accounts. She also oversaw channel marketing strategy and execution across digital, email, television, print and in-branch merchandising.

“Gina's ability to create and amplify authentic stories across multiple channels will no doubt strengthen our digital capabilities in the Pacific Northwest,” said Will Ludlam, general manager of Edelman’s Seattle office. "She also brings a wealth of consumer, technology, financial and corporate experience that will greatly enhance our ability to provide social marketing counsel to clients in those spaces.”

Prior to Citi, Avila was the vice president of business development services at IMG, where she built brand marketing opportunities and sponsorships for IMG College, which offers exclusive marketing rights to nearly 90 universities and conferences in the US. She was also a management director and vice president at Saatchi & Saatchi, leading brand identity projects and integrated marketing campaigns for Pay by Touch and New York State Tourism, among others. Avila also managed integrated marketing for American Express OPEN Small business products while a management supervisor and partner at Ogilvy in New York.

“It’s a great time to be in the Pacific Northwest, which is home to some of the world’s greatest brands, innovative start-ups and emerging technologies,” said Avila. “I’m excited to combine more than 20 years of integrated marketing experience with Edelman’s industry-leading reputation in the digital marketing space to help drive client innovation."