Innovator – Rick Song
Rick Song is a renowned business leader in the New York ad community and has worked in digital and tech for over 20 years. A results-driven, strategic operator with a deep industry rolodex, he’s had proven success contributing to two exits and helping build companies, from start-ups to multi-billion-dollar enterprises. Rick currently serves as President of the Brand Innovators Strategy Group, where his team helps clients engage with the top global brands from the largest marketer community of its kind. Previously, he was the GM of Digital Client Solutions at Nielsen, where he drove consistent double-digit growth, leading to Nielsen’s $16B sale to a private equity consortium. Throughout his career, Rick has held sales leadership posts at industry-leading companies including Yahoo!, Microsoft, iHeartMedia and Rocket Fuel.
Rick first volunteered at the Ad Club almost twenty years ago. Since joining the Club’s Board of Directors in 2013, he’s served as VP and SVP before taking on his current role as Chairman. Rick also sits on the Board of the Harmony Program, a non-profit which provides music education to NYC’s underserved communities. He is a former President of 212NYC, a four-time IAB MIXX Awards juror and a founding member of the Digital Content Newfronts. For seven years, he was the Benefit Chair for Young Audiences New York, a non-profit which provides arts experiences programs to NYC public schools. Rick is a native New Yorker and holds a BA from Carnegie Mellon University.