Corporate Executive by day.
Celia Berk has spent over 20 years at WPP, the world’s largest marketing communications company. As Chief Employee Experience Officer, J. Walter Thompson, she reports to the CEO and focuses on ensuring the work lives of JWT employees are as rewarding as possible. As Group Talent Partner, WPP she reports to the company’s Chief Transformation Officer and works with over 50 global account teams to advance WPP’s strategic focus on “horizontality.”
Award-winning Singer by night.
Celia set out to have a life in the theatre, and returned to performing in 2009. She is the recipient of the 2017 BroadwayWorld Award for Best Female Vocalist and her highly anticipated second album, MANHATTAN SERENADE, won the 2017 LaMott Friedman Award. Of her extended run of shows at New York’s Metropolitan Room celebrating its release, Stephen Holden wrote in The New York Times, “Ms. Berk makes you feel about New York the same way a Cole Porter song makes you feel about Paris.” It received the 2016 BroadwayWorld Award for Best New York Cabaret Show, Female. Rex Reed calls Celia "One of the best singers I've heard in a long time" and Michael Feinstein says, “I so enjoy Celia’s beautiful vocal sound and style, and her taste in song choices.” MANHATTAN SERENADE is arranged and conducted by Alex Rybeck and co-produced by Tony Award-winning sound designer Scott Lehrer, the team behind her 2014 debut album YOU CAN’T RUSH SPRING. That album and Celia’s solo cabaret debut, directed by Jeff Harnar, earned Celia a 2015 Bistro Award: Vocalist, 2015 MAC Award: New York Debut – Female, 2015 BroadwayWorld Award for Best New York Cabaret Debut, and The 2015 Margaret Whiting Award. Celia has made memorable appearances at Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center and The Town Hall.
MANHATTAN SERENADE and YOU CAN’T RUSH SPRING are available at iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby.com, and Pandora. More information can be found at GramercyNightingale.com and at Facebook.com/Instagram/Twitter/YouTube: CeliaBerkMusic
Paying it forward through Philanthropy.
Celia holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Hofstra University and serves on the school’s Women in Leadership initiative. She is on the Advisory Council of the National Executive Service Corps, and sits on the Global Advisory Board for the Future of Advertising Project at Wharton. She is a Trustee of the Nina Abrams Fund.
In this episode, Celia shares her one way ticket to the "present perfect". She also talks about music, music and more music! And of course, the episode features Celia taking to the mic on three enchanting tunes.
Celia is just one of the extraordinary guests featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guests where they'd go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.
Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Grammar Girl, Mignon Fogarty; Journalist-Humorist-Actor Mo Rocca; ; Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, writers and more.