COMPANY NEWS: The Compass Group Expands its Executive Team

The Compass Group announces two key promotions: Kelly Rollison will assume the new position of Chief Strategy Officer and Beth Ling will now serve as the Chief Communications Officer.

Rollison and Ling join longtime Chief Operating Officer Beth Heikkila, as part of President and CEO Robert Lee Bull, Jr.’s executive leadership team. Bull acquired the company from his career-long mentor, founder Frank Pisch in 2024 after serving as president of The Compass Group for five years.

“2024 was The Compass Group’s best year yet, setting new records for clients served and funds raised, while also adding three new consultants to our team,” says Bull. “Compass continues to provide exceptional counsel to help make fundraising easier for our clients. Kelly and Beth have been instrumental in shaping our company’s direction and supporting client success. Their expertise is unmatched, and I’m thrilled to recognize their contributions, while expanding their opportunities to make an impact for both Compass and our clients.”

Kelly Rollison has been with Compass for five years, most recently serving as Vice President. She exemplifies the progressive fundraising consultant required to meet the needs of today’s nonprofits and serves as Compass’ subject matter expert on development operations, prospect research, and prospect management. As Chief Strategy Officer, Kelly will continue to work directly with clients to guide their campaign planning, strategy, and execution, while also focusing on supporting the broader consulting team to ensure the client success Compass promises.

Before starting with The Compass Group, Rollison served as the Senior Director of Advancement Services for the United States Naval Academy Foundation in Annapolis, Maryland where she helped the Foundation raise over $540 million in its most recent fundraising campaign. Prior to her role with the Naval Academy Foundation, Kelly served as the Director of Individual Giving and Development Chief of Staff at the Land Trust Alliance in Washington, D.C.

Beth Ling joined The Compass Group two years ago to enhance its communications capabilities. She is responsible for leading Compass’ recent rebranding efforts, revamping the website, and maximizing visibility through communications, thought leadership opportunities, and social media. In addition to leading marketing initiatives for the organization she works directly with clients on strategic communications to advance their fundraising goals. In her new role as Chief Communications Officer, she will continue to expand Compass’ communications offerings and play a pivotal role in launching new client service models to support client success in communications.

With more than 25 years of communications experience, Ling offers nonprofits a broad set of skills and expertise to enhance their fundraising efforts. Prior to joining Compass, Beth was Vice President, Corporate Communications and Public Relations for CareSource, a $12 billion nonprofit managed care organization. In this position she led internal and external communications for the mission-driven organization. She has also held leadership positions in the business-to-business space, served as an account executive with a public relations firm, and led communications for a chapter of the American Red Cross.

“Kelly and Beth’s promotions are a testament to the strength and depth of talent within The Compass Group,” says Heikkila. “Their leadership, expertise, and commitment to our clients will be integral as we continue to evolve and scale our services. I’m excited to work alongside them in these new roles to further strengthen Compass and support our clients’ ongoing success.”

These promotions are effective immediately and expand the executive leadership team to four.

“I remember being so humbled in observing how the team began to follow my leadership,” adds Bull. “But moreover, I am thrilled to see how much the Compass team respects and supports Beth, Kelly, and Beth in their executive leadership roles.”