As chairman and founder of Young & Associates, Jean Young's more than 30 years of experience within the technology marketplace have shaped the philosophy of the agency. Jean serves as a strategic consultant for the leadership team and leads staff-wide brainstorming sessions to encourage fresh approaches and creativity. Her strong mentorship with every employee has resulted in positive agency-wide traits, including assertiveness, persistence, preparedness and thinking creatively.

Before founding Young & Associates in 1982, Jean was senior vice president of John Adams Associates in Washington, D.C. She earned a master's degree in Journalism from the University of California at Los Angeles and a bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of Florida.

Based in Chapel Hill, N.C., Jean is the recipient of the Public Relations Society of America's prestigious Silver Anvil. In addition, under her supervision, the agency has won a number of industry awards from MARCOM, IABC and others.