Global Communications Leader Porter Novelli Welcomes Ilene V. Smith, M.S., R.D.

NEW YORK, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Global public relations leader Porter Novelli today announced that Ilene Smith, M.S., R.D. has joined the company as executive vice president, director, Food & Nutrition, responsible for delivering nutrition communications counsel to the agency's global food clients. She is located in the agency's New York headquarters and reports to Julie Winskie, president, global clients. She also connects into Mary Christ-Erwin, global practice leader of Food & Nutrition based in Washington, D.C.

"As nutrition and wellness take center stage on consumer lifestyle and policy agendas, Ilene's expertise in navigating nutrition influencer waters will be a considerable asset to Porter Novelli's clients," said Winskie.  "She joins one of our founding heritage practice groups at a time of significant growth and opportunity."

Smith comes to Porter Novelli from Ketchum, where she has worked since 1998, most recently holding the title of senior vice president, associate director, Global Food & Nutrition practice. In this capacity she provided senior level strategic counsel to food clients and account teams, including Frito-Lay, Kellogg's and Wendy's, on nutrition-related issues and opportunities. In this role, Smith was instrumental in facilitating the growth of Ketchum's food practice and building its capabilities in nutrition marketing.

Prior to joining Ketchum, Smith spent two years in private practice as a nutrition and fitness consultant, working both with individuals seeking specialized nutritional counseling as well as corporations interested in establishing health promotion programs and projects. She developed nutrition programs designed to manage such issues as weight loss, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, Type 2 diabetes and eating disorders.  While in private practice, she also served as an adjunct professor of health and nutrition sciences at the City University of New York, and as associate director of the pediatric obesity program at Metropolitan Hospital in New York. She also was a consultant to the Chronic Disease Prevention Unit at the New York Department of Health.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for me to join a team that boasts not only a deep client roster of global food brands, but a long history trailblazing in the food industry, dating back to helping design the iconic Food Guide Pyramid," said Smith.  "I am very excited to be a part of this team and to help grow this important practice."

Porter Novelli's Food & Nutrition practice has experts, including registered dieticians, in nutrition influencer communications; brand marketing; retail and food service; policy and regulatory; crisis and issues management; and digital/social media including food and nutrition community management capabilities. Clients include McDonald's, the Almond Board of California, SOYJOY/Nature Made, Welch's, Morrisons supermarket chain and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Smith earned her B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications from New York University; and an M.S. in Nutrition and Applied Physiology from Columbia University.

She is a member of the American Dietetic Association, Sports Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutritionists and Dietitians in Business and Communications, for which she services on the executive committee. She also volunteers on behalf of Susan G. Komen of Greater New York, and spent four years on the leadership committee of the Jewish Community Center of the Upper West Side.

About Porter Novelli

A global public relations leader, Porter Novelli was founded in 1972 and is a part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC). In 90 offices in nearly 60 countries, Porter Novelli combines the power of immersion with the rigor of research to create deep human insights that enable us to transform the opinions, beliefs and behaviors of those who matter most to our clients. For additional information, please visit www.porternovelli.com.

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SOURCE Porter Novelli