Charlotte Milan, Principal
San Francisco native Charlotte Milan brings more than twelve years of strategic media and public relations experience to C. Milan Communications. Her proven track record of success includes high profile media placements in a variety of publications including New York Times, Architectural Digest, TIME, Business Week, ForbesLife, Saveur, Newsweek, Robb Report, Bon Appetit, Wall Street Journal, Condé Nast Traveler, Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine and Wine Spectator. Milan has represented and launched a variety of wineries and luxury industry projects, including Cliff Lede Vineyards, Poetry Inn, Mayacama Golf and Residence Club and Les Mars Hotel.
Prior to founding CMC, Milan opened the Northern California office of Wagstaff Worldwide as Executive Director, where she handled media relations for world-renowned restaurants including Masa’s, Tra Vigne and Lark Creek Restaurant Group. Milan also served as Director, Public Relations and Corporate Communications for Clos Du Val Wine Co., Ltd, a global network of wineries. At Clos Du Val, she repositioned the 30-year old brand, spearheaded the winery’s product placement and entertainment marketing campaigns and launched a new wine, Domaine de Nizas, from the Languedoc.
Milan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Georgetown University. While at Georgetown, Milan explored her passion for food by working in the prep kitchen of Roberto Donna’s Galileo. She has lectured on public relations at The Stanford Graduate School of Business, and her work at Clos Du Val has been developed into a marketing case study for University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.
A food and restaurant obsessed San Franciscan, Milan is (thankfully!) an avid runner and hiker and loves to explore the Bay Area’s trails. Her current favorite food finds include Ron Siegel’s amuse of sea urchin panna cotta at The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton, steamed spot prawns at R&G Lounge, and Double Doubles at In-N-Out. She’s always on the look-out for old-school, East-Coast-style mozzarella sticks.
Keely Carollo, Account Supervisor
Keely Carollo joined C. Milan Communications in June 2006. An integral part of the CMC team, Carollo focuses her efforts on developing relationships with local and national media and hosting media at client properties. A pitching natural, Carollo has garnered press coverage in Brides, ToDo Monthly, Chicago Tribune and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. She serves as the account lead for Ladera Vineyards, Pillow Road and Michel-Schlumberger Wine Estate.
Growing up, Carollo had several family members in the wine industry and developed a passion for wine at an early age. While a student at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, she assisted in the redevelopment of Robert Talbott Vineyards’ second label, Pumari. Carollo also interned at J.A.M. PR, where she learned the ins and outs of wine public relations, working with Rosenblum Cellars, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Beckmen Vineyards and Duckhorn Wine Company. She also spent a summer studying in Florence, Italy, where she was able to enjoy some of her favorite activities: wine, food and travel.
Originally from the Lake Tahoe area, Carollo made a beeline to the Central Coast wine country for college where she earned a B.S. in Wine and Viticulture with a Concentration in Wine Business, making her CMC’s go-to wine expert on everything from the vine to the bottle. Only scratching the surface of San Francisco in her first year, Carollo spends time exploring the city’s different neighborhoods and emerging herself into the Bay Area’s old and new restaurant scenes, where she has recently been wowed by Cyrus’ “Peanut Butter and Jelly” Foie Gras and Zuni Café’s “caramel in a pot”. Carollo can also be found in the kitchen cooking her family’s secret Italian recipes, at the driving range perfecting her golf game and exploring Northern and Central California’s wineries and vineyards.
Robin O'Malley, Account Supervisor
CMC’s first employee, Robin O'Malley recently rejoined the company after a 12-month stint in “sunny” Phoenix, Arizona, where she served as an Account Executive at Mullen Public Relations, a hospitality and real estate public relations firm. At Mullen, O'Malley managed several key accounts, including Rancho de los Caballeros, a 79-room historic guest ranch and championship golf course in Wickenburg, Arizona. She also managed media relations activities for Pointe South Mountain Resort, a 640-suite property in Phoenix, with an 18-hole golf course, spa, five on-site restaurants and a six-acre water park, as well as Estrella, a 20,000 acre master planned community in Western Phoenix.
O'Malley started her career with CMC in 2005, creating innovative programs for clients, including a “bootlegged tequila” concept and a sake-pairing menu for a restaurant client. She has secured placements in a variety of publications, including USA TODAY, Golf Living, Bon Appetit, Arizona Foothills, San Francisco magazine, 7x7, and the San Francisco Chronicle.
O'Malley graduated from Santa Clara University with a B.A. in Communications and a B.S. in Psychology. While in school, she lived abroad in both London and Vienna, which allowed her the opportunity to travel throughout the continent. She fell in love with varied European cuisines, the laid back culture and the occasional plate of Wiener schnitzel.
When not at the office, O'Malley’s favorite San Francisco activities include her morning coffee and dining at tiny, neighborhood restaurants. Closely connected to her east coast upbringing, some of her favorite things include Patagonia fleeces, her chocolate Labrador, Gus, and trips to the beach in Nantucket.
Olivia Ware, Intern
Olivia Ware joined C. Milan Communications as an intern in July 2008 after her graduation from Northwestern University, where she studied magazine journalism and French. While in college, Ware held internships at two local publications in Chicago and took a semester to work for a national magazine in New York City. In San Francisco, she also works as an editorial assistant for Better Homes and Gardens.
During college, Ware also spent a semester studying at the Sorbonne in Paris, an opportunity that she used to see more of the world. Traveling in Europe fed her passion for food, wine, culture and people – all of which she brings to CMC.
A Jackson, Mississippi native, Ware is thrilled to have made her way over to the west coast and to apply her magazine expertise to the public relations field. Her family trip to Sonoma last fall convinced her that northern California is truly the most beautiful place in the country, and she is happy to be able to call it home.
In her spare time, Ware enjoys leisurely bike rides, practicing her French and having breakfast, lunch and dinner with friends.
Our Editorial Team
Behind the scenes, CMC works with some of San Francisco’s top writers and editors to craft our messages, develop press materials and write pitch letters and press releases that wow.