Ellen Christman currently serves as Vice President, Membership Engagement and Experience for the CHRO Association, providing our members with an exclusive community of trust and expertise to connect and grow.
Prior to her work with the CHRO Association, Ellen led Philanthropy for the SHRM Foundation, the nonprofit arm of SHRM, the world’s largest professional society for HR. Ellen was instrumental in advancing the SHRM Foundation’s mission to elevate and empower HR as a force for social good in the workplace. Under her leadership over six years, revenue increased significantly.
Ellen is a visionary leader in curating high impact events that inspire innovation and drive workplace transformation. Ellen provided strategic counsel to a national youth mentoring organization, MENTOR, co-founded by philanthropists Ray Chambers and Geoff Boisi, among other philanthropic clients. Her work included founding and establishing the MENTOR Illinois partnership and MENTOR Newark, NJ and raising multi-million-dollar funding for the national organization, along with its affiliates. Ellen also played a key role in creating the first-ever National Mentoring Summit
Ellen is an accomplished leader in membership engagement and experience, along with the ability to curate high impact events which inspire innovation and drive workplace innovation. Ellen's career began at the National Restaurant Association’s Foundation. During her nine years there she transformed donor relations, marketing and communications driving significant growth through holistic and integrated partnerships with corporations like American Express, The Coca-Cola Company, Marriott, Disney, and other Fortune 100 and 500 donors. In addition, Ellen secured the organization’s first multi-million government grants and was a liaison between the National Restaurant Association’s Washington, DC office and its Chicago office.
Ellen’s passion for membership engagement and experience, philanthropy and service extends beyond professional pursuits, with active involvement on boards and committees for organizations like Mercury Public Affairs and Munter Koenig Strategy Group where she sits on their advisory boards; Kent School in Kent, CT; Far Hills Country Day School in Far Hills, NJ; Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago in Chicago, IL: IL Mentoring Partnership in Chicago, IL; and the Visiting Nurses Association of Somerset County, NJ.
A graduate of Boston College, Ellen holds memberships in professional organizations including the American Society of Association Executives and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Ellen resides in Far Hills, NJ with her husband and two sons.
