The 4A's Announces Executive Leadership Team Changes

New appointments reflect the Association's continued commitment to enhance the membership experience and drive diversity, equity and inclusion

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The American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's)

May 03, 2021, 10:00 ET

NEW YORK, May 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's), the leading trade organization for marketing communications agencies, today announced several new roles to its Executive Leadership Team. The appointments build on the organization's mission to help its members compete, as it builds a diverse leadership team with a proven track record for success to help propel the organization and its members forward. Ashwini Karandikar joins the 4A's as the new EVP, Media, Tech & Data; 4A's vet Mollie Rosen takes on a new role as EVP, Strategy, Insight & Innovation; and with the opportunity to further invest in expanding member engagement while delivering on the evolving needs within a membership that is split between holding and independent companies, Greg Walker has been promoted to EVP, Member Engagement & Development - Independent Agencies & Retention, and Brian Nienhaus has been promoted into the role of EVP, Member Engagement & Development - Holding Companies & Growth.

"At the 4A's, we know there are opportunities to focus our attention and offerings differently and we are committed to building a senior team that best serves the needs of today's members," said 4A's President and CEO Marla Kaplowitz. "The elevation and appointments of these leaders reflect our mission to further invest in the member experience, while also driving change within our own organization.Today's announcement is a testament to our continued commitment to drive diversity, equity and inclusion across our own organization while we also work to support the industry to be as diverse and inclusive as the brands that they represent. We know that we have more work to do but we are thrilled to welcome these new leaders to our senior team," added Kaplowitz.

The appointments also mark a significant shift at the 4A's organization as it continues to embrace the future of work amid the pandemic. With its new leaders spread across the U.S., the moves reflect the organization's dedication to finding the best talent, and allows its team to truly reflect the geographical breadth of its members.

As the new EVP, Media, Tech & Data, Ashwini Karandikar will provide leadership, guidance, advocacy and consultative support to member agencies on all media and data related issues including measurement, analytics, brand safety, programmatic, digital and distributed ledger technology. In addition to supporting members, Karandikar will work alongside industry partners across trade associations, media companies, platforms and technology providers. With over 25 years of experience in advertising, business development and operational excellence, Karandikar is an entrepreneurial executive who has built diverse and talented teams in over 50 markets and most recently worked as a senior advisor for McKinsey's High Tech, Media & Telecom Practice. Prior to that, she spent 10 years at Dentsu, initially at iProspect and then led Amnet (Dentsu's programmatic group) in the US. In 2013, she took on the role of Global President expanding the capabilities and offerings. She started her career in the US in Dallas, Texas at Tribal DDB and later Temerlin McLain followed by a client-side role at Match.com. Prior to joining Dentsu, Ashwini was at Range Online Media where she led client services for the expanding digital offerings.

After successfully leading Member Engagement & Development for the past seven years, Mollie Rosen is moving into a new role as EVP, Strategy, Insight & Innovation, with a focus on opportunities to enhance the member experience. Rosen will lead the 4A's Business Intelligence & Insight team as well as Creative Technology & Innovation. She joined the 4A's in 2014 after nearly 20 years in agency client leadership roles at McCann, D'Arcy, Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis and Leo Burnett Atelier. During her time at the 4A's, Mollie has become a well-respected leader adding tremendous guidance and value to 4A's members as well as the industry. Her impact and efforts includes the launch of the annual Member Value Report, successfully leading StratFest events and passionately identifying needs for members.

Greg Walker who last served as SVP, Member Engagement & Development for the Southern Region at the 4A's, has been promoted to the EVP role within Member Engagement & Development leading Independent Agencies & Retention, with oversight of the 4A's Forum program, the Management Practitioners Forum event, and the Business Leadership committee. Walker has spent the past 11 years with the 4A's strengthening the membership in the South and facilitating strong relationships driving growth and retention. He leveraged his passion for members and the industry to reinvigorate the region – creating strong communities, unique local programs and driving value in membership. Prior to joining the 4A's, Walker was Director & VP, Presence, Alliance & Multicultural Marketing for Kodak in addition to several other roles during his tenure across 17 years. On the agency side for 15 years, Walker was the President & COO of Uniworld Group for several years, one of the leading minority-owned agencies specializing in multicultural advertising, as well as in Account Management positions with DMB&B.

Brian Nienhaus who last served as SVP, Member Engagement & Development for the Central Region at the 4A's, has been promoted to the new role of EVP, Member Engagement & Development focused on Holding Companies & Growth. In this newly focused role, Nienhaus will oversee member development and prospecting, the 4A's Strategy Committee, the annual StratFest conference and Jay Chiat Awards. Nienhaus' understanding of the industry and detailed knowledge of the challenges facing members from his own experience has made him valued by colleagues and members alike. He spent the past 15 months at the 4A's sharing his leadership experience as he focused on membership and opportunities including the development of The Future of Work series. Nienhaus has held leadership positions at holding company and independent agencies across full service, creative and digital shops including Digitas, Cramer-Krasselt, Grey, McCann and BBDO among others. He's also created new models including the Omnicom solution for McDonald's (We Are United) where as pitch lead and ultimately CEO, he worked to create a unique team across Omnicom agencies as well as external platform partners.

To learn more about the 4A's please visit: https://www.aaaa.org/.

About the 4A's: The 4A's was established in 1917 to promote, advance, and defend the interests of our member agencies, employees and the advertising and marketing industries overall. We empower our members to drive commerce, spark connections, and shape culture through infinite creativity. With a focus on advocacy, talent and the value of creativity and technology to drive business growth and cultural change, the organization serves 600+ member agencies across 1,200 offices, which help direct more than 85% of total U.S. advertising spend. The 4A's includes the 4A's Benefits division, which insures more than 160,000 employees; the government relations team, who advocate for policies to support the industry; and the 4A's Foundation, which advocates for and connects multicultural talent to the marketing industry by fostering a culture of curiosity, creativity and craft to fuel a more equitable future for the industry.

Media Contact: Natalie Kawam, [email protected], 862-222-2239

SOURCE The American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's)