NEW BRIGHTON, MINN. (July 16, 2008) – After a surge of new business during first and second quarter, Risdall Advertising Agency (RMG) recently added nine people to its staff roster to match the addition of 61 new accounts in 2008.

“Clients and prospects are tapping a mix of RMG’s integrated marketing divisions to reach key audiences and increase visibility,” said John Risdall, vice-chairman and CEO of RMG. “With these growing client needs, the newest batch of team members represents the experience and depth to support the demand.”

The nine new RMG employees include:

• Jeff Busch, executive vice president/national sales, RMG
• Jordan Stradtman, vice president/director of Web technology, Risdall Advertising Agency Interactive (RAAi)
• Amy Funk, interactive strategist/project manager, RMG
• Björn Holine, Web master, RAAi
• Kareem Ahmed, interactive marketing specialist, Risdall Integration Group (RIG)
• Cydney Wuerffel, online visibility specialist, Risdall Search Marketing (RSM)
• Jason Douglas, search marketing assistant, RSM
• Lisa Kunkel, account coordinator, Risdall McKinney Public Relations (RMPR)
• Dan Ashwood, Web/creative intern, RMG

Jeff Busch, executive vice president/national sales, joins RMG with more than 25 years of marketing and leadership experience in both corporate and agency sectors. Known for superior marketing management and branding insight, Jeff owned and was president of Seattle-based Busch & Company for 16 years. His experience includes retail, health care, government and technology, and has worked on campaigns for Nike, Microsoft, Hallmark Refining Corporation and Attachment Software, among others. Jeff has a B.A. degree in advertising and marketing from Washington State University.

Jordan Stradtman joins RMG as a vice president/director of Web technology and is responsible for developing and defining workflow processes, as well as Web site design, development and coding. Stradtman has a variety of both agency and corporate experience and has worked with Treasure Island Casino, Arctic Cat, Fair Isaac, Best Buy, Jostens, Data Recognition Corporation and HealthPartners. Stradtman was a .NET developer at Periscope and space150, and served as director of IT at CoalitionWorks.

As an interactive strategist/project manager, Amy Funk will produce and manage Web projects from concept to completion. Prior to joining RMG, she gained experience at Colle+McVoy and Thomson West. Funk will develop integrated marketing campaigns including Web site strategy/development and eMarketing campaigns (email, direct mail, and search engine marketing) at RMG.

As Web master, Björn Holine is responsible for front-end programming, back-end programming, content management systems, graphic design and search engine optimization for RMG clients. Prior to joining RMG, Holine was the editor-in-chief and Web master of 2404- PC Gaming, LLC, where he enhanced the graphic designs, wrote reviews, created and updated both the front-end and the back-end content. He graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S. degree in management information systems.

After a six-month internship, Kareem Ahmed joins RMG as an interactive marketing specialist. He will work in tandem with other RMG divisions to facilitate the crossover of social media into other traditional media pieces for clients. He graduated in May with a B.A. degree in professional strategic communications from the University of Minnesota.   

Cydney Wuerffel joins RMG as an online visibility specialist. Prior to joining RMG, Wuerffel was an account intern at A/B Group One Advertising and has a diverse background in public relations, advertising and online marketing. She graduated in May with a B.A. degree in professional strategic communications from the University of Minnesota.

Jason Douglas has a record of success and leadership, and joins RMG as a search marketing assistant. He has a B.S. degree in marketing from St. Cloud State University where he was president of the student chapter’s American Marketing Association.

Lisa Kunkel joins RMPR as an account coordinator. Prior to joining RMPR, Kunkel completed a public relations and research internship with ASI Communications where she developed a working knowledge of social media, media relations and client management. Kunkel graduated from Metropolitan State University with a B.A. degree in professional communications.

Dan Ashwood joins RMG as a Web/creative intern and will provide support for its interactive client work. A National Merit Scholar and graduate of Irondale High School, Ashwood will be a junior at Harvard University where he studies film, animation, video production and English. He will resume his position as art director for the Harvard Lampoon in the fall – a position that provides Ashwood a working knowledge of illustration, cartooning work and a variety of computer applications.

About Risdall Marketing Group
Founded in 1972, Risdall Marketing Group has annual capitalized billings of $170 million and over 70 employees. Headquartered in New Brighton, Minn., Risdall is heralded as one of the oldest and most successful agencies in the Twin Cities market and is recognized nationally for its leading-edge interactive marketing capabilities. According to the 2008 Twin Cities Business Annual Business Information Guide, RMG is ranked as the largest Web developer, fifth largest PR agency and the seventh largest advertising agency in Minnesota. For more information, visit www.risdall.com.

Editor note: Please e-mail Sarah Ryder at sarah@risdall.com to obtain images.

Amy Funk	Bjorn Holine	Cydney Wuerffel	Dan Ashwood	Jason Douglas
Jeff Busch	Jordan Stradtman	Kareem Ahmed	Lisa Kunkel

Sarah Ryder
Risdall McKinney Public Relations
651.286.6713

John Risdall
Risdall Marketing Group
651.286.6702