Ensemble Names Shirk Marketing VP

writingGeorganne Shirk has been named vice president of marketing for Ensemble Travel Group, which has 850 member agencies in the U.S. and Canada. Shirk has more than a decade of executive experience in the consumer products industry, managing such diverse brands as Skippy Peanut Butter, Slim-Fast, L’Oreal Skin Care and Hair Care, Aqua Velva, and Dixie Cups and Plates.

In her new position, Shirk will be responsible for creating an overall North American marketing strategy that balances the needs of both the organization’s members and travel partners, including print, email, and web-based marketing initiatives. 

In a cross-functional capacity, she works closely with other departments to improve operational efficiencies for the entire organization. In addition, Shirk and her team located in the New York, Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal offices create and implement marketing products and campaigns that showcase the expertise of the Ensemble member as well as strengthen the overall Ensemble brand.

“Georganne’s experience spans the range of marketing campaigns from traditional TV, print, online, instore, and SEO/SEM, to branding and packaging,” said Libbie Rice, co-president, Ensemble Travel Group. “Although new to the travel industry, her unique blend of creative and analytical skills will fit well with our business needs and strategies. The new cross-border role allows us to truly ‘North Americanize’ this key function, yet allows each country to retain its own marketing identity when it makes sense.”

While working on Unilever’s Skippy and Slim-Fast products, Shirk led multimillion-dollar brand positioning and fully integrated marketing campaigns, garnering multiple industry and corporate awards and driving double-digit gains in return on investment along the way. 

In addition to her marketing posts, Shirk worked six years in the financial and banking industry, advancing to assistant vice president in commercial and real estate lending for the Bank of America in the Metro Baltimore/Washington D.C. area. She holds an M.B.A. from The Wharton School and a B.A. from The College of William and Mary.

“At Ensemble, I’ll be able to build on this experience to strengthen our marketing portfolio and ensure that we clearly deliver best-of-breed product and service for our members and supplier partners," Shirk said. She will work out of Ensemble's  New York office and report directly to Co-President Rice.

Visit www.joinensemble.com