The hallmark of any agency’s health is the size and caliber of its team, and to that end, Wilks Communications Group has been working diligently in recent months to expand our professional capabilities and leadership bench, strengthen our client services, and sustain our strong growth momentum.

WCG is proud to welcome a slew of new talent to our team so we can better serve our clients, bring new ideas to the table, and continue to deliver results. Since May we’ve added six new professionals to our team – with more to come on the horizon. These individuals bring a wealth of industry knowledge and experience spanning creative and analytical backgrounds.

Please join us in welcoming our new team members and read on to learn more about their background and skills.

Ashley Schaible, Senior Account Director

Ashley Schaible is a Senior Account Director at WCG where she plays an integral role in strengthening our team, delivering strategies to grow business, sales channel marketing support, chef relations and web development. For over 14 years, Ashley has helped make meaningful impacts for clients, including leading public relations and account teams at Bader Rutter. These roles provided a strong understanding of the food, beverage and agriculture industries, including work with Dairy Management Inc., Kerry Ingredients, Corteva Agriscience and Pioneer Seeds. She’s also executed programs for Culvers, Nestlé, Oregon Chai and The Swiss Colony.

Ashley comes to us with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Outside of work, you’ll find Ashley baking up a storm for her husband and three sons, paddle boarding Wisconsin’s lakes or curled up with a good book.

Stephen Fong, Senior Account Director

Stephen Fong is a Senior Account Director at WCG, where he brings a wealth of B2B and B2C experience, including Molson Coors, Pioneer Seeds, Johnson Controls, and more. He has led award-winning, customer-first, omnichannel campaigns and is always looking to maximize the impact of the work. Before joining the team, Stephen was an Account Supervisor at Bader Rutter and JacobsonRost. These roles provided a strong understanding of the beverage and retail space and sales engagement campaigns. Stephen has executed everything from research and strategy work to large national product launches.

Stephen has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an MBA from Marquette University. Outside of work, Stephen enjoys traveling and exploring new places, finding new restaurants, and staying active at the gym.

Melanie Janisse, Account Supervisor

Melanie Janisse is an Account Supervisor at Wilks Communications Group, supporting media relations and content marketing programs, where she specializes in building media relationships and creating content that drives results. Prior to joining the firm, she spent 9 years managing earned media and content marketing strategies for clients at Influence & Co. across a variety of industries including technology, nonprofit, education, and supply chain.

Melanie is a graduate of the University of Missouri, where she has bachelor’s degrees in Magazine Journalism and Communications. Outside of the office, she loves spending time outside and being active with her husband, Josh, and two kids, James and Gracelyn.

Maggie Knox, Senior Account Executive

Maggie is a Senior Account Executive at Wilks Communications Group where she supports the digital marketing team at WCG. Prior to joining Wilks, she spent three years at the parking app SpotHero managing paid marketing spend. She has experience in search engine marketing, display advertising, and paid social.

Maggie graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in Communications Studies and Corporate Strategy. Outside of work, Maggie enjoys running along the Chicago lakefront, reading murder mysteries, and attending concerts and comedy shows.

Emma Perona, Account Executive

Emma Perona is an Account Executive at Wilks Communications Group, supporting social media and influencer relations for clients in the CPG food space. Prior to joining WCG, Emma worked for Weber Shandwick in the telecommunications and sports space where she gained experience in curating content for digital media activations, managing social channels, and collaborating with agency partners to execute integrated campaigns.

Emma graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Public Relations. In her free time, Emma enjoys spending time with her friends and family, eating pasta at her family’s restaurant, and staying up to date on anything and everything pop culture.

Christina Brewer, Assistant Account Executive

Christina Brewer is an Assistant Account Executive at Wilks Communications Group, supporting e-commerce strategy and website uploads and maintenance. Before joining the team, Christina worked as a Branding and Communications Intern for Captive Resources, LLC. She has experience in writing newsletters, social media management, company branding, and advertising. Christina graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a major in Communication Arts and minors in both Business and Digital Studies.

In her free time, Christina enjoys drawing, crocheting, and spending time with friends.

Wilks Communications Group is always looking for talented, creative, hard-working individuals. To view current job openings, please visit our careers page or contact us at hello@wilksgrp.com to learn more about our award-winning agency.