Lauren Hannaford
Vice President of Client Services and Chief Administrative Officer
Lauren, a native Memphian, joined the Obsidian team in 2008 as an intern after graduating from Mississippi College with a degree in public relations and journalism.
She put her passion for writing, planning and making a difference through her work into action and quickly adapted to the fast-paced discipline of public relations. For nearly a decade, she served as an account team leader before assuming the role of director of client services in July 2017. She has worked side-by-side with businesses and organizations across a vast set of industries, including professional services such as employee benefits, financial services, commercial janitorial, architecture and engineering and property protection to manufacturing, health care, food and hospitality and entertainment.
A true passion for nonprofit work blossomed from her college internship with the Baptist Children’s Village in Jackson, Mississippi. Over the years, she’s had the pleasure of working with many of the firm’s nonprofit clients, including Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis, HopeWorks, SRVS, International Children’s Heart Foundation, Porter-Leath, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Literacy Mid-South, Tennessee Nonprofit Network, Family Safety Center and more.
Now as VP of client services, Lauren divides Obsidian’s roster with Whitney Nolan and focuses her time on overseeing client strategy, team management and account progress across a range of industries but centering in tourism, hospitality, professional services and non-profit. With her CAO hat on, she focuses her time on all manner of team items like professional development, culture-driven initiatives and general office needs. She thrives on having the opportunity to work with each team member on their accounts in different, challenging ways.
When Lauren is away from the office, she enjoys spending time with family, friends and the main men in her life – her husband and two sons. Now, her free time is mostly filled with sports practices, stocking the pantry with endless snacks and diving into her next great read.