Troika has promoted Kristen Olsen to General Manager, effective immediately. Acting as Troika's first GM, Olsen is charged with leading all internal operations and logistics for the agency, including production, financial planning, business affairs, operations, and administration.
As Troika continues to grow to meet the demands of the shifting media marketplace, Olsen will play an instrumental role in this evolution by orchestrating Troika's business planning, organizational strategy, and employee development. In her officer-level position, Olsen will report directly to Troika Founder & CEO Dan Pappalardo, working closely with him to effectively develop internal operations that usher the agency's growth into emerging media, and further establish Troika's traditional media expertise.
"Kristen has the perfect mix of leadership skills and industry expertise to develop Troika as we continue to build our business," said Pappalardo. "She's extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of our agency - creative, production, business development, accounting, operations. This breadth of knowledge is invaluable to Troika, and her insights, strategic thinking, and drive for excellence will play a key role in Troika's continued success."
Olsen, a 15-year veteran of the entertainment branding and marketing industry, joined Troika in 2002 as a Producer. Since then, she has served as Executive Producer and Senior Executive Producer, leading large-scale branding assignments for ABC, The CW, and FOX, and overseeing the agency's financial growth, staff growth, and client relations.
Olsen began her career in the entertainment industry as a post-production editor, and has also held positions as Account Executive and Manager of Creative Services at advertising agency Friedland Jacobs Communications.
A Southern California native, Olsen holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of California, San Diego. She has won an Emmy for her work on ESPN's 25th Anniversary graphics package, and is an active member of the Producers Guild of America, PromaxBDA, and the UCSD Business and Finance Alumni Committee. In her spare time, Olsen travels the country competing in extreme obstacle races, practices yoga, and enjoys discovering new local eateries.