Areas of Expertise:
Kelly Mullens Brown is senior director, Corporate Brand Strategy at APCO and is based in Raleigh, North Carolina. She specializes in driving brand innovation and business growth through game-changing communications campaigns for public and private companies, as well as non-profit organizations. She has spent her 20-year career building and protecting brands, products, services and programming through corporate, advocacy and issues management programs, frequently at the intersection of pop culture and commerce.
Prior to joining APCO, Ms. Mullens Brown was the global lead for Content Strategy + Planning at Apple. She worked to elevate editorial storytelling on a global basis, and her team was responsible for developing hundreds of campaigns annually, including integrated programs for cultural moments and events, seasonal and strategic initiatives, new product features, as well as key programming launches. She also served as President, Ryan Seacrest Enterprises, overseeing corporate strategy and operations, brand innovation, strategic alliances and philanthropy for creative entrepreneur and popular TV/radio host and producer Ryan Seacrest. Previously, she served as the co-lead and Managing Director of the Strategic Communications practice at 42West and was a leader in the Entertainment practice at crisis communications firm Sitrick and Company. Ms. Mullens Brown held senior corporate communications roles at Sony Corporation of America, Universal Music Group (UMG), and was a Vice President in the corporate practice at Fleishman-Hillard in the Los Angeles and New York offices. She began her career in public affairs at the University of Oregon
Ms. Mullens Brown is active in public education-focused charities and has been a board member for City Year Los Angles, and she’s also passionate about mentoring female entrepreneurs and business leaders. She earned her master’s degree in journalism and communications from the University of Oregon, and her bachelor of arts degree from Indiana University.