Ellen Willadsen

Ellen Willadsen joined Holmes Murphy in 1995. During her more than 27 years with the company, she’s played a key role in increasing Holmes Murphy’s profitability and igniting innovation and growth within the company and the industry. From 1995 to 2021, Willadsen served as chief financial officer (CFO), assisting in all strategic and tactical matters related to budget management, evaluation of potential acquisitions, cost benefit analysis, and Holmes Murphy’s overall vision of growth.

When Willadsen joined Holmes Murphy in 1995, the company had six owners, none of whom were women. During her tenure, she has grown the enterprise to more than 200 employee-owners, roughly one-third of whom are women — a testament to Willadsen’s mentorship.

Under her leadership as CFO, her visionary thinking and monetary growth projections, 190 employees have grown to more than 1,000. In recent years, Ellen served on the Holmes Murphy Executive Committee (as the first female on the committee) and Board of Directors, as well as on the perpetuation, compensation, and audit committees, providing insight and helping make informed decisions that affect the entire company. In 2021, Ellen transitioned to the role of chief innovation officer (CIO) and serves as Holmes Murphy’s executive sponsor for BrokerTech Ventures.