Nancy Hill, president and CEO, American Association of Advertising Agencies, today announced the appointment of
Laura J. Bartlett as executive vice president and chief financial officer of the Association, effective immediately. Bartlett succeeds
James C. Martucci Jr., who has served as EVP-CFO since 1997, and will retire June 30. Martucci joined the AAAA in 1982 as executive treasurer and was elevated to senior vice president in 1988. He will serve in an advisory capacity to Bartlett during the two-month transition period.
“Jim Martucci is a dedicated and brilliant CFO, and has been a cornerstone of the Association for 26 years,” said Hill. “His attention to detail and hard work have contributed immeasurably to the financial well-being of the AAAA, and we all wish him a happy and healthy retirement.”
Bartlett comes to the AAAA after 15 years with DraftFCB, most recently serving as executive vice president, responsible for global corporate development, including M&A. In that position, she also negotiated service and pricing contracts with major clients. Prior to that role, Bartlett served as FCB’s Worldwide CFO, and CFO for the company’s flagship New York agency.
“I am delighted that Laura is coming aboard,” said Hill. “Her extensive experience on both the client and agency sides of the business, and her deep knowledge of the industry will greatly serve not only the AAAA, but the needs of our members as well.”
Bartlett has more than 30 years of experience in the industry, having held financial leadership positions at Nelson Communications and Ogilvy & Mather. She began her career and established the foundation of her in-depth understanding of business on the client side with Johnson & Johnson, where she was a key member of the team charged with relaunching the Tylenol brand after the poisoning incident in 1982; she forecasted and monitored the $125 million cost of the crisis/relaunch. While CFO of FCB Worldwide, she led the separation of FCB from the True North holding company and established a worldwide financial function to manage and report on the global network.
Bartlett will be responsible for all financial affairs for the AAAA, as well as oversee administration, personnel, IT, and the association management system (AMS) at the Association.
Bartlett is a graduate of Drexel University and completed an MBA at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She is active in her church and does volunteer work with elders. She, her husband, triplet stepsons and father-in-law reside in Connecticut.
About the AAAA The American Association of Advertising Agencies is the national trade association of the advertising agency business. The 1,196 member agency offices it serves in the United States employ 65,000 people, offer a wide range of marketing communications services, and place 80 percent of all national advertising. The management-oriented association helps its members build their businesses, and acts as the industry’s spokesman with government, media, and the public sector. For more information visit our Web site at
www.aaaa.org.