Suzanne Hart, the Young & Rubicam staffer who died in an elevator accident at the agency today, had held a series of jobs in new business development and account management during her advertising career.
At Y&R, Hart was director of new business content and experience. She joined the WPP Group agency in June 2007, according to her LinkedIn profile page. Before Y&R, the 41-year-old worked at several other New York shops, including Hanft Raboy and Partners, Euro RSCG, and Merkley + Partners, where she was a new business manager from May 2001 until the end of 2004.
Merkley CEO Alex Gellert described Hart as "hard-working, dedicated, and smart," adding, "When she left, we were sorry to see her go." After Merkley, Hart was a marketing director at Euro RSCG and an account director at Hanft before returning to the new business fold at Y&R.
The accident occurred around 10 a.m. as Hart attempted to board an elevator on the first floor. According to a New York City Fire Department account, the doors closed on her leg and the elevator shot up. Hart was pronounced dead at the scene.
In a statement this afternoon, Y&R said it was "deeply saddened to confirm that one of our employees has died.
"Our focus at this moment is the well-being of our employee's family and our larger Y&R family. As you can imagine, this is a great emotional shock to all."
