Ellen Owens-Karcsay

Ellen Owens-Karcsay is an experienced transformation advisor, supporting businesses and nonprofit organizations through various stages of the organizational lifecycle.  This includes acquisition or merger integration and process improvement.   Ellen’s M&A Experience is diverse, from managing international integrations to nonprofit and membership-based organization consolidations.  

Ellen describes her career path as “eclectic,” starting in healthcare and then moving to community-based nonprofits. Ellen spent eight years with Avnet, a Fortune 500 company that designs and distributes technology solutions globally.  In her first year as the Global Director of Mergers and Acquisitions Integration, Avnet was on track to acquire 11 companies. Ellen leveraged her previous experiences and gained valuable experience to develop and launch a standardized integration process globally.  Ellen first met Jim Jeffries and the M&A Council while in this role. She has participated in training, achieved her CMAS credential, and now applies her knowledge to nonprofit organizations looking to develop strategic alliances.  
 
Ellen believes that every organization, regardless of size or type, should develop a discipline around understanding processes and people before products.  In practice, you must first clarify your desired business processes along with the people and talent responsible for them and then match the solution enabling that process.
 
Developing that organizational discipline comes naturally.  Ellen was a competitive triathlete, competing in over 100 events, including the Arizona Ironman in 2011. Since retiring from triathlon, Ellen leveraged her experience and knowledge to achieve her American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Personal Training Certification.  
 
Originally from the farmland of Indiana, Ellen now lives with her husband in Tempe, Arizona, and enjoys the outdoors, hiking, biking, and running.  She enjoys “creating,” which may include something baked, painted, or planted.