CHICAGO, IL.- The Art Institute of Chicago announced the appointment of Gordon Montgomery as Vice President of Marketing and Public Affairs, on January 3, 2012 . Montgomery leads a team of more than 50 people that together manages the museum's programs in marketing, public affairs, communications, graphics, and membership. Montgomery brings a wealth of marketing and advertising experience gained from working with a variety of companies--from start-ups to multinational corporations--to a position charged with building new audiences and ensuring that the museum's outreach efforts are consistent with the organization's mission and evolving strategic vision.

"We are very excited to welcome Gordon Montgomery to the museum," said David Thurm, Chief Operating Officer of the Art Institute. "He has exactly the kind of experience we are seeking: a long and extremely effective history with a premier advertising and marketing agency; the flexibility to work equally successfully within both large and small organizations; and a proven record of identifying and addressing audience segments through traditional and non-traditional outreach. Given his reputation for highly creative approaches to the challenges of today's marketing, we are looking forward to his ideas and to the new energy he will bring to the position."

An industry veteran, Montgomery has spent the past 23 years creating and executing comprehensive marketing solutions for some of the world's leading brands. He comes to the Art Institute after serving as Chief Marketing Officer for HomeMade Pizza Company, where he was responsible for strategic planning, consumer and business insights, and an in-house marketing discipline based on local and digital activation. He played a key role in the growth of that Chicago organization as it increased its store count by nearly 50% and established its presence in pivotal markets such as Washington, D.C., New York, and Minneapolis. Prior to his tenure at HomeMade Pizza Company, Montgomery spent four years as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Network Management for NewSight Corporation, a new media and technology startup. In addition to the global marketing of early generation 3DTV (albeit without glasses), he developed and led an emerging media business model consisting of fully customizable and accountable digital signage networks. Montgomery began his career in 1988 and spent 16 years with Publicis Groupe's Leo Burnett Worldwide, rising to Senior Vice President of Account Management. In his time there he delivered idea-based, business-turning efforts for a blue-chip roster of clients that included Gateway, Maytag, Motorola, Sony, and Procter & Gamble, as well as a number of emerging technology clients.

Montgomery received his B.A. in History and Political Science from Amherst College and is a graduate of the Kellogg Graduate School of Management's KMI program. He has served in various alumni leadership roles for Amherst, including over 20 years of annual fundraising.