The ADVERTISING Club of New York (The AD Club) has announced five new appointments to its Board of Directors for the 2026–2027 term, reinforcing its leadership across the advertising, marketing, media, and AdTech industries. The appointments bring senior executives from companies including Index Exchange, OMD Worldwide, Unilever, eos, and Moët Hennessy USA, reflecting the organization's continued focus on industry collaboration, professional development, and innovation.

The ADVERTISING Club of New York has expanded its leadership team with the appointment of five new Board members for the 2026–2027 term, strengthening representation from leading organizations across advertising, media, consumer brands, and advertising technology.

The new Board members include Lori Goode, Chief Marketing Officer at Index Exchange; Ellen Griffin, Global President of OMD Worldwide; Ellen Hawes, Senior Vice President of Omnichannel & Strategy at eos; Aaron Sobol, Head of North America Media Investment and Data Governance at Unilever; and Carlos Zepeda, Senior Vice President of Strategy & Marketing at Moët Hennessy USA.

Their appointments come as the industry continues to navigate rapid transformation driven by artificial intelligence, retail media, data privacy regulations, connected television (CTV), and evolving consumer expectations. By adding executives with expertise spanning brand marketing, omnichannel strategy, media investment, and programmatic advertising, the organization is broadening the range of perspectives guiding its educational and professional initiatives.

The AD Club serves as one of the advertising industry's longest-standing professional organizations, bringing together executives from agencies, publishers, technology companies, consumer brands, and media organizations to foster collaboration, professional development, and thought leadership.

The newly appointed directors join an experienced leadership team headed by Sophie Kelly, Senior Vice President of Global Tequila at Diageo, who continues as Board Chair. The executive leadership also includes senior executives from Mastercard, Google, Best Buy Ads, and other prominent organizations.

The broader Board reflects the increasingly interconnected nature of modern marketing. Executives from companies including Google, Meta, Amazon Ads, LinkedIn, Verizon, Nielsen, Hearst Magazines, Kargo, and Walmart collectively represent expertise across retail media, audience measurement, digital advertising, commerce media, and brand strategy.

Alongside the Board appointments, the organization recognized exceptional volunteer contributions through its annual President's Awards, honoring eleven members whose sustained service has supported the Club's educational programs, networking initiatives, and industry events.

Recipients represented organizations including PwC, Verizon, Paramount, Clear Channel Outdoor, and Powell Communications, highlighting the collaborative nature of the advertising ecosystem that extends beyond agencies to brands, consultancies, publishers, and technology providers.

A separate distinction, The Key To The Club, was presented to Lee Nadler, Chief Marketing Officer of FLIP and Founder of Sherpa Marketing. The award recognizes long-term commitment and leadership within the organization, honoring Nadler's continued involvement from his early participation as a Young Professional through his service as Board Chair and industry ambassador.

The leadership changes arrive during a period of significant evolution for the advertising industry. Artificial intelligence is reshaping campaign planning, audience targeting, creative production, and measurement, while retail media networks, commerce media, and first-party data strategies continue redefining digital advertising investments.

Organizations such as Index Exchange and Unilever have been active participants in these transformations, making their executives' inclusion particularly relevant as industry organizations increasingly address topics including AI governance, responsible data usage, programmatic innovation, and omnichannel customer engagement.

According to Gartner, marketing leaders are accelerating investments in AI-powered marketing technologies, customer analytics, and digital advertising platforms as organizations adapt to changing consumer behavior and stricter privacy expectations. Forrester likewise identifies retail media, first-party data, and AI-enabled personalization as strategic priorities shaping enterprise marketing over the coming years.

Professional organizations such as The AD Club continue to play an important role by creating forums where marketers, publishers, agencies, technology providers, and brands can exchange knowledge on emerging technologies, measurement standards, workforce development, and leadership best practices.

For executives across the advertising and marketing ecosystem, the newly appointed Board reflects the industry's continued convergence of brand marketing, media investment, AdTech, commerce media, and data-driven customer engagement. As these disciplines become increasingly interconnected, leadership organizations are evolving to better represent the broader digital marketing landscape.

Market Landscape

The advertising industry is undergoing rapid transformation as AI, retail media networks, first-party data strategies, and privacy-focused measurement reshape digital marketing. Gartner and Forrester report growing enterprise investment in AI-powered campaign optimization, customer analytics, and omnichannel advertising platforms, increasing the need for cross-industry collaboration among brands, agencies, publishers, and AdTech providers.

Strategic Outlook

The ADVERTISING Club of New York's expanded Board reflects the industry's increasing convergence of marketing, media, technology, and commerce. Leadership from global brands, media agencies, and AdTech companies is expected to strengthen discussions around AI adoption, retail media, measurement innovation, and future workforce development.

Top Insights

• The ADVERTISING Club of New York appointed five new Board members representing leading organizations across marketing, media, consumer brands, and AdTech.
• New leadership includes executives from Index Exchange, OMD Worldwide, Unilever, eos, and Moët Hennessy USA, expanding expertise across digital marketing disciplines.
• The organization also recognized eleven volunteers through its President's Awards for exceptional contributions to industry education and professional development.
• Lee Nadler received the prestigious "Key To The Club" honor for years of leadership and service supporting the organization's mission.
• The appointments reflect growing collaboration between advertising, media, retail media, AI, and marketing technology ecosystems.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts