Nelson Schmidt Inc.: Christopher Schell named managing director of Nelson Schmidt’s Madison office

Contact: Marty Ellery
(414) 224-0210
mellery@n-s.com

MILWAUKEE – March 7, 2011 – Nelson Schmidt Inc., a leading full-service marketing communications agency, announced today that it has tapped Christopher Schell to lead the agency’s Madison, Wisconsin operation. That office, operating as Waldbillig & Besteman (W&B) since 1963, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nelson Schmidt. In his role as managing director, Schell will provide day-to-day leadership for the Madison staff as well as oversight of the accounts serviced by that office, which include several Honeywell business units and CUNA Mutual Group. Schell will also serve on the Nelson Schmidt executive management committee, contributing to agency strategy and business development.

Schell joins Nelson Schmidt from AnchorBank, a $4 billion bank and Wisconsin’s largest thrift, where he served as first vice president of marketing and retail product management. Prior to AnchorBank, Schell worked in the agency business, where he was a partner and vice president account service at the Hiebing Group, Madison. He started his agency career at Leo Burnett, Chicago in 1987. In the interim he spent several years serving in client-side positions including roles at United Airlines and A.C. Nielsen. A recognized expert in marketing communications, Schell also served on the faculty of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the FlunoCenter for Executive Education at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

“We are delighted to add someone of Chris’s caliber to our executive team,” said Dan Nelson Jr., president of Nelson Schmidt. “In addition to providing leadership in our Madison office, Chris will lead our financial services practice, one of our key vertical markets. Chris’s deep experience in that industry from both client and agency perspectives will bring a whole new level of service to our clients in that sector.”

“I am very excited to join Nelson Schmidt as they continue to invest and expand in the Madison market,” said Schell. “Being part of the larger NS enterprise offers clients access to deep resources, cutting edge marketing technologies and vertical industry specialization. I look forward to working closely with the entire team to build the Madison office and strengthen our ability to deliver results to our clients.”

About Nelson Schmidt Inc.:
Nelson Schmidt Inc. is a full-service marketing communications agency located in Milwaukee’s central business district with a second office in Madison, Wis. Founded in 1971, Nelson Schmidt was named one of the top marketing firms in the U.S. by BtoB Magazine for the past four years. Its clients include Alliance Laundry Systems, ADP, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Honeywell, McKesson and Northwestern Mutual. Nelson Schmidt is a member of MAGNET, the Marketing & Advertising Global Network of 300 agencies in 70 different countries; the American Advertising Federation; The Public Relations Society of America; and the Business Marketing Association.