Managing Director at Golin, a global communications agency, leading the Southeast Region where he oversees a portfolio of multimillion client projects and team of 35+ direct reports across the region with physical offices in Miami and Atlanta. Ian has spent his 20+ years at the firm managing the agency’s government and social marketing projects, including signature campaigns for Legacy (now truth initiative) and the widely recognized truth® anti-smoking counter-marketing campaign and the Tips From Former Smokers® campaign for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition to these campaigns, he has considerable experience building communications and social marketing programs and crisis communications efforts for government, non-profit, and corporate clients including: Carnival Corporation, CDC, Celebrity Cruises, The Children’s Trust, FDA, FEMA, Florida Department of Health, Florida International University, Florida Lottery, Kennedy Krieger Institute, The Miami Foundation, NHLBI, NASA, Royal Caribbean, U.S. Navy Recruiting Command, Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, University of Miami, Walmart, and YMCA of the USA, along with campaigns for various issues in a dozen states and numerous countries. Ian is a regular speaker and trainer on the topic of social marketing campaigns and understands the approaches necessary to achieve true behavioral change.

Ian Abrams joined Golin in 1999 to manage social marketing, youth advocacy, and marketing communications projects for a range of clients, most notably Legacy (now truth initiative) and the widely recognized truth® anti-smoking counter-marketing campaign. He has extensive experience designing social marketing campaigns that achieve true behavioral change as well as developing and managing programs to connect with and mobilize teen, young adult, and adult advocates. In addition to his work on truth®, Ian has also played a significant leadership role in the creation and execution of another iconic and groundbreaking campaign, Tips From Former Smokers, on behalf of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He has worked on numerous tobacco control and prevention campaigns to help youth reject tobacco and adults quit in several countries and in states and communities across the U.S. including the Florida Department of Health and its Tobacco Free Florida campaign.Ian has considerable experience building communications and social marketing programs for government, non-profit, and corporate clients including NASA, YMCA of the USA, Florida Lottery, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Kennedy Krieger Institute, Office of the Surgeon General, the University of Miami, Hospice Foundation of America, and The Children’s Trust, in addition to creating campaigns for various issues for state government agencies and government entities outside the U.S. Beyond social marketing, Ian has extensive experience in other public relations disciplines including strategic communications, media relations, crisis communications, product launches, employee communications, stakeholder communications, and franchisee relations for clients such as Walmart, Staples, Burger King, Cigna Dental, Royal Caribbean, Florida International University, Seminole Tribe of Florida, United Healthcare of Florida, Noven Pharmaceuticals, and Coulter Corporation.

Ian was the Director of Programs for Best Buddies International, heading up the organization’s global volunteer programs that totaled 15,000 annual volunteers in 40 states and four countries. Best Buddies matches people with intellectual disabilities in friendships with teens and adults in the community in order to break down barriers and stereotypes that lead to greater understanding and inclusion. During his tenure, Ian oversaw the organization’s greatest increase in growth, doubling its size in less than two years without an increase in funding. During his tenure, he also established the program in Egypt.