Rick Murray

Respected Leader in Public Relations

About This Expert

Rick Murray is a dynamic, forward thinking leader whose passion, creativity, adaptability and empowering approach consistently inspire those around him to raise their games. Widely respected as an industry pioneer and thought leader, he has deep expertise in brand development, integrated marketing communications, all facets of public relations, digital strategy, social business, online advocacy and word of mouth marketing.
Since joining NATIONAL, the Toronto office has doubled its monthly run rate, driven new business wins; the acquisition of Equicom (Canada’s leading IR firm); and substantial investments in analytics, strategy and creative talent, all of which are fueling NATIONAL’s transformation into a leader in data-driven storytelling. He and his teams are proud to represent many of the leading private and public sector institutions in the market, including OPG, OLG, Ford, Amazon.com, Accenture, Pfizer and Boehringer Ingleheim, among others.

Previously, Rick spent thirteen years with Edelman. He founded and grew Edelman Digital into the world’s leading social media agency, and subsequently grew the firm’s flagship Chicago office 40% in four years. During his tenure, he focused on the CPG, Hospitality and Technology spaces, leading the Unilever AXE and BlackBerry global teams, and also providing ongoing strategic counsel and issues management support to Kraft, ConAgra, SC Johnson, Butterball, HP and eBay, among others.

Rick also started an integrated marketing business for Golin/Harris; executed a turnaround in a privately-held meeting and media production company; created a kiosk-based database marketing application for a global CPG marketer; and directed sales and brand teams at Ocean Spray and Pepsi Cola International, where as vice president of marketing in Canada and led the business to market leadership at the peak of the cola wars.

He is a frequent speaker and often cited in the media on the topics of social media, word of mouth marketing, and trends to watch in marketing and communications. Rick has served on the boards of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, the Chicago Architecture Foundation and the Schools of Communications at Auburn and Georgetown Universities. He is currently an advisor to several technology start-ups in Canada and the US.

Rick earned his B.A. in economics from the University of Vermont. New empty-nesters, he and his wife Lea now live in Toronto’s entertainment district.

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