Peggy Conlon is retiring as president and CEO of The Advertising Council, board chair Debra Lee announced today. Conlon, along with the members of the board, have initiated the process of finding a successor who will transition into the role by early next year.
Conlon joined the Ad Council back in 1999, and during her tenure the organization “addressed significant social issues on behalf of prominent non-profit and federal government organizations such as United Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, Autism Speaks and the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security.”
“Peggy took over the Ad Council at a critical point in history,” said Debra Lee. “She quickly organized the advertising industry’s response following the September 11th attacks, which changed the way the Ad Council did business and established the organization as the ‘go to’ source for messages on other crises moving forward, including Hurricane Katrina, the Indian Ocean Tsunami and the Haiti earthquake. Peggy’s leadership revolutionized how the Ad Council communicates its messages, leveraging digital and social media and the latest technologies to change social norms on behalf of critically important issues. Her tireless work has been invaluable.”
Under Conlon’s leadership the Ad Council also began addressing issues such as bullying prevention, texting and driving and child hunger. She also helped expand the Ad Council’s agency relationships to include public relations, digital, social and web partners, as well as media buying agencies.
“It has been a tremendous privilege to be a steward of the Ad Council’s mission, representing the extraordinary pro bono efforts of our advertising, media and other agency partners, to stimulate action on key issues and make a measurable impact on our society,” Conlon said. “I look forward to doing all I can to support a seamless transition for the next president and CEO of this wonderful organization.”