Rita Ferro and Kirk McDonald elevated to Vice Chairs of the nonprofit's Board of Directors


NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2023 - The Ad Council, America's leader in using the power of communications to inspire action and accelerate change around the most pressing issues in the country, elected 18 new members to its Board of Directors, chaired by Verizon CMO, Diego Scotti. In addition to the new Board members, the nonprofit elevated Rita Ferro, President, Global Advertising, Disney and Kirk McDonald, CEO of North America at GroupM, to the roles of Vice Chair.

For more than 80 years, the Ad Council has been at the forefront of driving the communications industry's social impact efforts at scale. Its Board of Directors is comprised of a prestigious group of senior marketing, media and business executives who provide expertise, insights and financial support to ensure the Ad Council's social impact campaigns are effective and drive measurable change. Working in close collaboration with the Ad Council's leadership, the Board helps spearhead the communications industry's efforts to address critical issues such as gun violence, mental health, the drug overdose epidemic, and racial justice.

New members of the Ad Council Board of Directors include:

Brad Blum, Chief Operating Officer, WWE
Christine Cook, Global Chief Revenue Officer, Bloomberg
Greg Glenday, Chief Business Officer, Acast
Patrick Harris, President of Americas & Partnerships, Snap
Michael Komasinski, CEO, dentsu Americas
Ryanne Laredo, SVP of Customer Experience, Nielsen
Ryan Linder, EVP & Global Chief Marketing Officer, Stagwell
Mark Marshall, Chairman, Global Advertising & Partnerships, NBCU
Johanna Mayer-Jones, Global Chief Advertising Officer, The Washington Post
Nicola Mendelsohn, Head of Global Business Group, Meta
Shannon Nunn, Managing Director, TBWA\Chiat\Day NY
Drew Panayiotou, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Pfizer
Chris Paquette, Founder & CEO, DeepIntent
Elliott Pettit, Senior Director of Retention & Brand, USTA
Joy Robins, Global Chief Advertising Officer, The New York Times
Lisa Roath, EVP & Chief Marketing Officer, Target
Andrew Springate, Chief Marketing Officer, Keurig Dr Pepper
Neal Zuckerman, Managing Director & Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group
"The Ad Council's Board of Directors is comprised of some of the most passionate leaders in their industries and their commitment to driving positive change helps us move the needle on America's most pressing issues at an unprecedented scale," said Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council. "I am so honored to welcome our new members and work even closer with Rita and Kirk to create lasting change that will help people across the country."

The Ad Council also added 3 new members to its Leadership Council, which consists of some of the best leaders and innovators in media, tech, marketing, and advertising. Leadership Council members leverage their companies' reach and resources to activate campaigns and share key learnings, insights, and capabilities in support of the Ad Council's work to address the country's most critical social issues.

New members of the Ad Council Leadership Council include:

Michael Benedek, President & CEO, Datonics
Katie Klumper, CEO & Founder, Black Glass
Amanda Tolleson, Global Chief Marketing Officer, WeightWatchers
A complete list of the Ad Council Board of Directors and Leadership Council is available on the organization's website.

THE AD COUNCIL
The Ad Council convenes creative storytellers to educate, unite and uplift audiences by opening hearts, inspiring action and accelerating change around the most pressing issues in America. Since the non-profit's founding, the organization and its partners in advertising, media, marketing and tech have been behind some of the country's most iconic social impact campaigns – Smokey Bear, A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste, Love Has No Labels, Tear the Paper Ceiling and many more. With a current focus on mental health, gun safety, the opioid epidemic, skill-based hiring and other critical issues, the Ad Council's national campaigns encompass advertising and media content, ground game and community efforts, trusted messenger and influencer engagement, and employer programs, among other innovative strategies to move the needle on the most important issues of the day.

To learn more or get involved, visit AdCouncil.org, join the Ad Council's communities on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter, and view campaign creative on YouTube.

SOURCE Ad Council