Chris Ortman Executive Vice President

Chris Ortman is a seasoned executive with more than 15 years of experience in politics, government, entertainment, and non-profits, with a proven track record managing innovative communications strategies in high-pressure, politically charged environments.
 
Prior to joining Signal, as the Founder and CEO of Ortman Strategies, he provided strategic communications counsel for a variety of corporate and non-profit clients, as well as individuals with high-profile litigation cases as part of the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund.
 
For nearly a decade, Chris led media relations, crisis communications, and message development strategies for entertainment industry coalitions during a period of rapid transformation that gave way to the rise of digital distribution models and more inclusive global storytelling. Most recently, he served as the Chief Spokesperson and Senior Vice President of Communications at the Motion Picture Association, where he managed high-profile media engagements for two CEOs, provided communications leadership for successful advocacy campaigns, and led rapid response efforts to protect members from reputational harm. At the MPA, Chris spearheaded an initiative to bring “Hollywood magic” to association’s newly renovated D.C. headquarters, enlisting studio archives teams to develop a museum-style exhibit featuring props, costumes, and memorabilia from iconic films and television shows.
 
Previously, Chris was an Obama political appointee and one of three national spokespeople for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he played a lead role in numerous crisis communications events – most notably, the BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. He also worked for the 2008 Democratic National Convention Committee and on the 2009 Presidential Inauguration Committee for the historic inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.
 
Chris is a graduate of Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a native of Omaha, Nebraska.