Bozell, a full-service advertising and public relations agency, earned national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women’s Business Development Center – Chicago, a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

Bozell is one of the larger advertising and public relations agencies in the country to earn WBENC certification. Only 11,000 businesses nationally are Women’s Business Enterprises. WBENC’s national standard of certification is a meticulous process including an in-depth review of the business and site inspection. The certification process confirms the business is at least 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women.

Owners Robin Donovan, who joined Bozell in 1999, and Kim Mickelsen, who joined in 1990 have owned 66 percent of the company since 2006 and became sole owners in June 2012. It is the first time the nationally recognized agency, founded in 1921 by Morris Jacobs, and representing major brands and Fortune 500 companies, has been fully owned by women.

“We began to explore the certification process after it was brought to our attention by one of our long-time clients,” Donovan said. “Certification is a significant commitment of time and resources, but we value and support the issues that are important to our clients.”

“We’re also finding that being a certified women-owned business is important to many of our other clients and in presentations to prospective clients,” Mickelsen said. “Bozell is recognizable for creative, results-oriented national and local campaigns, and now, this certification brings the added dimension of helping companies reach their diversity goals and quotas by working with a Women’s Business Enterprise.”

WBENC’s world-class certification is actively endorsed by more than 1,000 corporations representing America’s largest and most prestigious brands, in addition to many states, cities and other entities.

About Bozell
Bozell is a full-service advertising and public relations agency specializing in advertising, digital marketing, technology and other creative solutions that produce results. We utilize SmartargetingTM and other insights to create winning marketing and sales strategies and build brand stories that are smart and compelling. We stand for doing right by our clients, employees and our community.

About WBENC
The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council is the nation’s largest third party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the United States. WBENC is a resource for the more than 1,000 U.S. companies and government agencies that rely on WBENC’s certification as an integral part of their supplier diversity programs. For more information, go to www.wbenc.org.