Beth Rilee-Kelley Named President of The Martin Agency

The Martin Agency in Richmond announced that Beth Rilee-Kelley, chief operating officer, has been named president and will retain her COO duties and title. Rilee-Kelley is a 33-year veteran of the company. As president, she will report to CEO Matt Williams and take on an expanded role partnering with clients and participating in the agency’s business development initiatives.

Rilee-Kelley also is one of three managing partners that lead the company’s governing body, the executive committee, along with Williams and Joe Alexander, the company’s chief creative officer. Combined, the three have 83 years of tenure at The Martin Agency.

Rilee-Kelley joined the agency in 1983 as an account executive on the Barnett Bank of Florida account and was responsible for opening and managing the agency’s first satellite office in Jacksonville, Florida. She moved to Martin’s Richmond headquarters in 1986 and managed the Kings Dominion and Virginia Tourism accounts. During her time in account management, she also worked on Healthtex, Kindercare, Men’s Health Magazine and Remy Martin. In 1997, she took on the role of director of creative services and was responsible for the management of the creative department.

She was named partner in 2005 and went on to become chief operating officer in 2011.

Rilee-Kelley has been a panelist at the 3% Conference and a speaker for the Digiday Agency Summit, American Advertising Federation and the Advertising Educational Foundation. She also serves on the 4A’s Finance Committee, Virginia Film Festival Advisory Board and, in January, was named chairperson of the advisory board for Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Media and Culture. In 2013, she was named to the Executive Women in Business list by Style Weekly.

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