In Their Own Words: 2018 President Award Honorees
On Wednesday, July 18 we celebrated our Annual Gathering of Members. As part of this gathering we induct our 2018-2019 Board of Directors and honor those who embody the spirit of volunteerism by offering their time and talent regardless of their busy schedules making them invaluable Club partners.
We are pleased to capture and share with you from our 2018 President Award Recipients “What does this honor means to them?”
Rick Boyko, Retired, Co-President, CCO, Ogilvy NA / Director VCU BrandCenter
“I am honored to be one of The Advertising Club President Award recipients for 2018. My association with the club goes back many years, first as an ANDY judge, then ANDY chairman, and most recently collaborating with them to create the “Inspiration” documentary series. The club through its mission continues to be a haven for education and promotion of our industry and is the reason I want to thank Gina, her staff and the Board for all they do in advancing Advertising.”
Adam Cohen-Alsatei, VP of Marketing, Jun Group
“Thank you, Gina and the AD Club, for this award. I am truly honored and humbled.
I want to thank Jun Group for entrusting me with their brand. And for empowering me to take chances and pave a new path for marketing at the company. The word Jun means truth in Mandarin Chinese, and it is this ethos that first attracted me to the company. It is a real privilege to get to work for a company whose very mission is to improve the industry you love.
Yes, I’m a nerd. I do love ads! Well, brands — and most people do, too!
Everyone can recall at least one special moment they shared with a brand. For me, some include:
- Enjoying a Dairy Queen Blizzard with high school friends on a hot summer’s day
- Buying my first car (an Acura) and learning the art of negotiations
- Experiencing the wonderful world of Disney and the “It’s A Small World” ride
Our favorite brands mean something to us, and I’ve always been fascinated by recreating that emotional connection digitally.
A good ad experience brings consumers closer to the brands they love in value-enhancing ways. The Ad Club does the same for our industry –they bring people together in value-enhancing ways, and create communities which cultivate environments for learning, progress, and change.
Our industry is going through major transitions, and I’m not talking about tech. Diversity and inclusion have never been more important — and the Ad Club has been a major champion for this cause. They bring us together to have sometimes difficult conversations, but it is these very conversations that become the breeding ground for progress.
As you can tell, I am a huge Ad Club fan, and I strongly encourage more companies to become vocal ambassadors for their team members, especially for young people!
Young people are the lifeblood of our industry and we need to go out of our way to bring them in, empower them, and mentor them. We can’t afford to lose top talent to other industries. And, if we all do our part, the next 50+ years will certainly be a new golden age in advertising.”
Lukeisha Paul, Senior Partner, Associate Director, Print, GroupM
“Thank you Gina and the AD Club for this award of recognition. I’m humbled and honored to receive this award.
I was chosen by my agency GroupM to be on the steering committee for
The AD Club working on inclusivity and diversity a few years ago. I didn’t know what to expect at the initial meeting but welcomed the opportunity to serve on behalf of my company. At the end of that meeting I felt excited and impassioned because I was finally in a place where I not only represented my company but I able to represent myself. In that meeting, we spoke about creating a safe space for minorities to have a voice. I selfishly stayed behind and took advantage of MY new-found safe space. I listened in awe to stories of like trials and triumphs from the beautiful, bold, unapologetic women I sat amongst. What I received in that one meeting I committed myself to ensure others had the opportunity to experience.
That’s the motivation behind my contribution and what this award means to me.
Thank you, Gina for allowing me to be a part of this journey and Thank you to everyone here tonight in support of paving this path for inclusion and diversity in our great advertising industry. “
Barbara Pelham, VP of Global Agency Partnerships, OATH
“I was delighted to be nominated and to receive the 2018 Presidents award. For a woman who started at Wunderman, where I was told data would be king and media was still part of the Agency, to expand my experience to Y&R and Ogilvy to now residing on the Publisher side, the AD Club was always there.
I am honored to represent Oath on the Board of Directors. Oath’s mission is to Build Brands People Love through trusted. brand safe content delivered at scale underpinned by global data. Oath includes amazing brands like AOL, Yahoo News, Sports, Finance as well as Microsoft. It is through Oath’s partnership with the AD Club, I have been given the opportunity to pay it forward to the Next Generation of talented leaders. I am truly grateful for the chance to participate.
Thank you and congratulations to another amazing year!”
Carly Zipp, Senior Director of Communications, Sponsorships & Events, Outfront Media
“It is a great honor to be recognized by the New York Advertising Club, one of the largest and most prestigious ad clubs in the US whose work has touched us all. I have loved becoming more involved with the Club and working with Elicia, Cathryn, Gina, and their teams!
I came to OUTFRONT Media 4 years ago, with a history in print, television, and digital media. Our industry has seen a seismic shift; out-of-home is having a renaissance and I truly believe that billboards are the new black. I am very grateful to work with amazing people at OUTFRONT and in the OOH industry and share this honor with them. Thank you!”
Jordan Weinsten, Director of Business Development, Candid Worldwide
“Thank you, Gina AND THANK YOU to The AD Club of New York for this incredible honor!
Through their many events and programs, The Advertising Club has greatly expanded my organization’s industry knowledge and opportunities.
Started in 1956 – here in Manhattan – Candid Worldwide is a third generation family business founded during a time when print was the most popular and widely utilized advertisement medium.
Today, the printing industry finds itself competing with a wide variety of advertising methods in a constant effort to effectively reach consumers.
This reality requires every professional in advertising to truly differentiate not only the product, but service, they offer to clients. It’s this level of commitment and adaptation in a growing industry that led me to The Advertising Club — where exposure to innovation is everything.
Everyone here this evening holds that same commitment in this exciting, dynamic industry.
Thank you to my Candid team, and to my family, for your support. My additional thanks to Horizon Media for hosting tonight’s gathering and thank you all for being here.”