Ben Gardeen

Ben Gardeen has over 15 years of experience in corporate communications and public relations. Ben is currently serving as the Vice President of Corporate Communications & Public Relations at Neighborly®. In this role, they are responsible for overseeing the strategic planning and execution of internal communications and public relations initiatives.

Prior to joining Neighborly®, Ben worked at Radisson Hotel Group as the Vice President of Corporate Communications and Public Relations from 2016 to 2020. In this position, they led the strategic planning and execution of internal communications, public relations, responsible business, and corporate events in the Americas. Ben provided counsel and prepared communications materials for the CEO and executive leadership team and managed a team of six individuals.

Before their time at Radisson Hotel Group, Ben held various positions at Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group from 2009 to 2016. Ben served as the Director of Public Relations, Americas, where they drove external communications initiatives for the company's owned and managed hotel portfolio. Ben also provided public relations and crisis communications counsel to senior company executives and managed relationships with external PR agencies. Additionally, they held roles as a Public Relations Manager and Senior Specialist during their tenure at Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.

Prior to Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Ben worked at Carmichael Lynch Spong as a Senior Associate, where they primarily supported Maytag, the agency's largest client. Ben led the external strategy for a high-visibility campaign for Maytag Repairman, handling public appearances, media relations, and event staffing.

Ben's career in public relations began at Porter Novelli, where they worked as an Account Executive from 2005 to 2008. Ben supported the Vice Presidents of Consumer Brands and Healthcare for key clients such as Merck & Co., Gillette, and Verizon Yellow Pages.

Ben also gained experience as a post-graduate intern at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide.

Overall, Ben Gardeen has a strong background in corporate communications and public relations, with experience in strategic planning, crisis communications, media relations, and event management.

Ben Gardeen obtained a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Iowa State University, where they studied from 2000 to 2004. During the same period, they also earned a second Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree in Spanish Language and Literature from the same institution. In terms of additional certifications, Ben obtained a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate from the University of South Florida Muma College of Business in May 2021, a Prosci® Certified Change Practitioner certification from Prosci in May 2021, a Finance for Non-Financial Managers certification from LinkedIn in April 2021, and completed The Strategic Communication Academy at Sundance offered by CRA, Inc. in June 2017.