Steven Ellman has been Chairman and CEO of The Ellman Companies since the company’s formation in 1972. The group today consists of more than 51 privately held companies with operations in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.
Ellman’s commercial real estate business spans more than 12 million square feet of retail, entertainment centers, office buildings and master planned land developments. Ellman has been designated by the Phoenix Business Journal as the number one commercial real estate developer in Phoenix, Arizona four times since 1998 and within the past few years was one of the largest owners of real estate in Metropolitan Phoenix with holdings in excess of 8,000 acres.
Ellman is Chairman and CEO of EL Media and Branded Cities Network (formerly known as Clear Channel Branded Cities), a spectacular Out of Home media company with operations across the United States. EL Media has an exclusive alliance with Panasonic Corporation in the U.S., Canada and Mexico for all digital and spectacular signage. EL Media also has an exclusive selling alliance with ABC Regional Sports and Entertainment for all digital Out of Home spectacular signage throughout the United States. In addition, Ellman serves as Vice-Chairman and Founding Partner of Clear Channel Outdoor Canada. The company’s outdoor advertising business services airports, transit, freeway and spectacular signage across Canada, with operations in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Edmonton and Winnipeg.
From 2002-2006, Ellman served as Chairman, Governor, and Managing Partner of the Phoenix Coyotes National Hockey League franchise, an organization he acquired along with NHL Hall of Famer, Wayne Gretzky. From 2003-2006, Ellman served as Governor and CEO of the Arizona Sting, a National Lacrosse League Team.
In 2003, Ellman’s companies completed construction on the Glendale Arena, in Glendale, Arizona (now named Jobing.com Arena), a state-of-the-art 17,799 seat multi-purpose venue that anchors Ellman’s flagship Westgate City Center™. In 2004, the Arena was designated as “The Best New Music Venue in North America” and in 2005 under Ellman’s leadership, as “The 18th Busiest Music Venue in the World.”
Westgate City Center is a super-regional mixed-use urban development. The Westgate regional area includes: the Jobing.com Arena; the University of Phoenix Stadium (home of the Arizona Cardinals, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, the 2007 & 2011 BCS National Championship Games, the 2008 Super Bowl and the 2008 NFC Championship game); a 320-room Renaissance Hotel; an 80,000-square-foot convention center and a 4,000-seat 20-screen AMC Multiplex Cinema.
In 2008, The Ellman Companies was designated as one of the fastest growing companies in Arizona by the Arizona Corporate Excellence Awards.
A resident of Phoenix, Steven Ellman is an active community philanthropist and civic leader.