As part of the 4A’s ongoing effort to deliver the best possible value to member agencies across all geographies and service types, I’m pleased to announce the addition of two key senior staff members.
Effective immediately, Greg Walker joins the 4A’s as Vice President, Agency Relations & Membership for the Southern Region, based in Atlanta; and Laurie Stearn joins the 4A’s as Vice President, Agency Relations & Membership for the Central Region, based in Chicago.
Greg and Laurie are seasoned advertising professionals, both with extensive agency and client-side experience.
Greg comes to the 4A’s with more than 30 years of general and multicultural marketing leadership experience. Most recently he was Worldwide Director of Marketing Communications at Eastman Kodak, where he led strategic development and global implementation for the retail printing business. During his 17-year tenure at Kodak, Greg oversaw everything from sponsorships and strategic alliances to multicultural marketing platforms to the consumer film business.
On the agency side, Greg was President and COO of Uniworld Group, working with blue-chip clients, including AT&T, Bank of America, Burger King, Colgate, Ford, Kraft, Microsoft and Pepsi. He started his career at D’Arcy, Masius, Benton and Bowles, where he was promoted through the account management ranks to Vice President.
Laurie joins the 4A’s with more than 20 years of client, agency and consulting experience, including brand management, digital/Internet marketing, strategy development, social media marketing and customer-relationship management for Fortune 150 companies in the travel/hospitality, quick-service restaurant and consumer-packaged goods industries.
She started her agency career in client service at Leo Burnett, where she worked with Disney, McDonald’s and Kraft, rising to Vice President. From there she joined Walt Disney World as Director of Marketing, first guiding domestic marketing programs, then launching a new Internet division. At Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, Laurie headed career coaching and leadership training efforts, while teaching at the graduate level. And during two stints as Senior Vice President at Element 79, she led the Quaker and Sara Lee accounts as well as multiple new business efforts.
Greg and Laurie will work closely with the 4A’s Agency Relations & Membership teams in New York and Los Angeles.
Eastern and Western Region Operations
Harley Griffiths assumes the role of Senior Vice President, Agency Relations & Membership, Eastern Region, representing all 4A’s members in that geography.
Jerry McGee continues in his role as Executive Vice President, Agency Relations & Membership for the Western Region.
Bob Linden will transition to Vice President of the 4A’s Training, Education and Development division while still working closely with the Agency Relations & Membership team.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Jennifer Seidel, SVP, Agency Relations & Membership, 212-850-0757, jseidel@aaaa.org.
