Ellen Brislin is responsible for Smithbucklin’s financial reporting, accounting and treasury functions. She also oversees the company’s Financial Management & Accounting unit and two Smithbucklin companies: SDI and The France Foundation. Ellen serves as Chair of Smithbucklin’s Retirement Plan Committee and is an ex-officio member of the Audit and Risk Oversight Committee.
Ellen joined Smithbucklin in 1996 and held several roles in corporate finance. She left Smithbucklin in 2002 to serve as corporate accounting manager at Sara Lee Corporation, then returned in 2005 as director of Corporate Finance. She later advanced to vice president and senior vice president, leading financial system implementations, strengthening internal processes and supporting acquisition integrations. She also manages Smithbucklin’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), helping employee owners understand and benefit from their ownership in the company. In 2016, Ellen was promoted to her current role of Chief Financial Officer.
Ellen ensures that Smithbucklin’s financial reporting team delivers timely and accurate data, and she works diligently to provide the financial support needed to better serve the company’s client organizations. She has extensive experience in technology and process improvements and has led the implementation of multiple software systems, including general ledger and reporting platforms, time entry and billing systems, accounts payable and expense processing tools and budgeting and forecasting solutions.
Ellen holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accountancy from the University of Notre Dame and is a Registered Certified Public Accountant (CPA). She was named 2025’s Chicago CFO of the Year in the Small Private Company category by Financial Executives International.
