One high-powered entrepreneur creates imaginative campaigns for major-league clients to reach any constituency. An enterprising executive finds new ways to communicate the value of buying and selling products online. Another power player boosts sales for a beverage giant by connecting with new audiences through music and technology while his peer bridges the cultural gap, marketing pharmaceuticals from here to Mumbai. Meet GlobalHue's Don Coleman, eBay's Richelle Parham, PepsiCo's Frank Cooper III, and Merck's Charlotte McKines. They represent just a sampling of the innovators found on our latest exclusive roster: Black Enterprise's Top Executives in Marketing & Advertising. For this groundbreaking list, our editors selected more than 100 of the highest-ranking and most influential execs who have positioned the world's most valued brands, engaged consumers, and generated millions in revenues in the process. Ranging from C-suite corporate professionals to be 100s CEOs, some have created ads that move millions to act while others have targeted influential segments of our multicultural world. These men and women are among chief marketing officers, senior vice presidents, senior media directors, creative directors, brand strategists, and other such business leaders overseeing multimillion-dollar campaigns, controlling media buying, and creating new audience development strategies. Why did we choose to develop such a list now? "The rules have changed,†asserts PepsiCo's Cooper, responding to generational shifts and a society driven by social media and other emerging platforms. Moreover, we found it vital to shine a spotlight on today's generation of leaders as the sector undergoes a major transition. For example, the Advertising Educational Foundation, forecasts that ad spending targeted at minority audiences is expected to jump significantly as 2010 Census data is revealed. This development should be good news for African American advertising agencies. However, such firms continue to face pressure from general market firms, which have been developing in-house multicultural shops as they lose ground in media buying and engage in less lucrative consulting and creative jobs. On the corporate front, trade associations and publications continue to admit that African Americans remain woefully underrepresented. On the following pages, you'll find a list of executives and entrepreneurs seeking to raise the game, make new inroads, and become a transformative force within the industry. METHODOLOGY To select our top executives in marketing and advertising, BE's editors sought to identify the highest-ranking and most influential corporate professionals and entrepreneurs in the field. As part of our comprehensive search, our editorial researchers contacted the nation's leading 100 U.S. advertisers, the top 100 global marketers, and general market advertising firms, as well as reviewed our proprietary database of the nation's largest black advertising agencies developed by be Research. We further consulted scores of advertising experts and marketing consultants, contacted top officials at and reviewed materials from leading trade associations, and pored over hundreds of biographies and résumés. (Continued on next page) Our editors did not include executives associated with nonprofit organizations or public relations firms on this list. The roster also excludes general counsels, chief diversity officers, human resources officers, corporate foundation executives or senior managers who oversee media relations, public affairs, investor relations, community development, and government affairs. All executives on this listing held their positions as of Dec. 31, 2010. All marketing and advertising firms must have been in business for the full calendar year. Our selections met the following criteria: Agencies: Executives who hold C-suite positions such as CEO, CMO, or creative director and/or senior executive positions in management, sales, and creative areas of their firms. Managing significant lines of businesses, they serve as a representative on or report to the leadership team of a major agency as well as significantly contribute to that firm's revenues and/or billings or lead creative direction and execution. They also maintain significant budget authority and have achieved leadership or innovator status within their field. Corporate: Executives who hold C-suite titles and/or senior management rank including but not limited to the CMO, EVP, and SVP positions in marketing and advertising within the parent company or key operating units. They are responsible for significantly contributing to their company's revenues, overall corporate branding strategy, and/or marketing of key products and services, development and promotion of major product lines, and oversight of social media strategy for corporate brands and products. They also maintain significant budget authority and have achieved leadership or innovator status within their industry. ADVERTISING AGENCIES CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS Danielle Austen Managing Partner & CEO Team Ignition (Agency launched to handle Infiniti Motors account) Kimberly Blackwell Managing Partner & CEO PMM Agency Howard Buford President & CEO Prime Access Inc. Donald A. Coleman Chairman & CEO GlobalHue Robert J. Dale President & CEO R.J. Dale Advertising & Public Relations Inc. Fay Ferguson Co-CEO Burrell Communications Group L.L.C. Clifford Franklin President & CEO Fuse3 Advertising Alvin Gay CEO & Owner Footsteps Group Byron Lewis Chairman & CEO UniWorld Group Inc. Kent Matlock Chairman & CEO Matlock Advertising & Public Relations Robert L. McNeil President & CEO IMAGES USA Faith Morris CEO & Chief Strategist OwensMorris Communications Jo Muse Chairman & CEO Muse Communications Inc. Shelley Stewart President & CEO o2ideas Inc. Steve Stoute Founder & CEO Translation L.L.C. Aaron Walton Co-Founder & CEO Walton|Isaacson Carol H. Williams President, CEO & Chief Creative Officer Carol H. Williams Advertising McGhee Williams Osse Co-CEO Burrell Communications Group L.L.C. Robert V. Wingo President & CEO Sanders\Wingo Advertising Inc. EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENTS/Executive officers Antonio Patric Buchanan Chief Strategic Officer & SVP Sanders\Wingo Advertising Inc. Ricki Fairley-Brown CMO & Partner IMAGES USA (Continued on next page) Esther Franklin EVP & Director, Cultural Identities Starcom MediaVest Group Vita M. Harris Chief Strategy Officer DraftFCB New York Verdia Johnson President & CMO Footsteps Group Sheldon Levy EVP & Deputy Director of Broadcast Production Saatchi & Saatchi New York Ray Lyle EVP & COO Carol H. Williams Advertising Don Moore President, Digital Burrell Communications Group L.L.C. Charles E. Morrison EVP & General Manager UniWorld Group Inc. Allen Pugh Vice Chairman GlobalHue Detavio Samuels EVP, Client Services GlobalHue Lewis Williams EVP & Chief Creative Officer Burrell Communications Group L.L.C. EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTORS Quincy Cherry VP & Chief Creative Officer UniWorld Group Inc. Vida Cornelious Executive Creative Director GlobalHue Mike Franklin Executive Creative Director FUSE3 Advertising R. Vann Graves SVP & Group Creative Director McCann Erickson New York Jimmy Smith Group Creative Director TBWA\ Chiat\Day, Los Angeles SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS Karen Coleman SVP & Media Director Spark Communications (A unit of Starcom MediaVest Group) Linda Jefferson SVP, Media Services Burrell Communications Group L.L.C. Kay Lucas SVP & Director of Media Services Carol H. Williams Advertising Monique Nelson SVP, Brand Integration UniWorld Group Inc. Rodney Northern SVP & Director of Marketing Integration Carol H. Williams Advertising Austin Patrick SVP Carol H. Williams Advertising Joi Tyrrell SVP & Client Service Director Identity, Mediabrands Worldwide TOP EXECUTIVES Robert Birks VP & Director of New Business Carol H. Williams Advertising Earl Black VP & Client Planning Director Zenith Media USA Robbyn K. Ennis VP & Media Director Identity, Mediabrands Worldwide Deborah Gray-Young VP & Media Director Burrell Communications Group L.L.C. (Continued on next page) Ericka M. Pittman VP, Brand Strategy The Blue Flame Agency Ean Shearer VP & Communications Planning Director Carat Kendra Hatcher King Worldwide Director, Insight & Innovation, Initiative (An Interpublic Group media agency) Adele Lassere Media Director Burrell Communications Group L.L.C. Camellia Ware VP & Director of Media Services UniWorld Group Inc. Corporate Marketers CHIEF MARKETING OFFICERS James C. Dennis CMO AXA, China Brenda Freeman CMO, Animation, Young Adults & Kids Media Turner Broadcasting System Inc. James Hutchinson CMO & SVP HUB International Ltd., Northeast Candace S. Matthews CMO, Global Marketing Amway Corp. Sarah Mensah COO & CMO Portland Trail Blazers Michael McCullough EVP & CMO Miami Heat Richelle Parham CMO eBay North America D. Keith Pigues SVP & CMO Ply Gem Industries Debra Sandler Chief Consumer Officer Mars Inc. Mary Beth West EVP, Chief Category & Marketing Officer Kraft Foods Inc. EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENTS/ DIVISION PRESIDENTS/GENERAL MANAGERS Y. Marc Belton EVP, Global Strategy, Growth, & Marketing Innovation General Mills Inc. Esi Eggleston Bracey VP & General Manager, Global Cosmetics Innovation, Branding & Operations Procter & Gamble Co. Vince Hudson General Manager, Cover Girl North America P&G Cosmetics Procter & Gamble Co. Olivia Smashum EVP, Affiliate Marketing & Business Development Home Box Office Inc. Anton Vincent VP; President, Baking Products General Mills Inc. SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS/MANAGING DIRECTORS Paul G. Alexander SVP & Manager, Communications Liberty Mutual Group Inc. Priscilla Brown SVP & Head of Marketing Sun Life Financial Bernice Clark Bonnett SVP, Marketing Macy's Inc. Frank Cooper III SVP & Chief Consumer Engagement Officer PepsiCo Hoyt H. Harper II SVP, Brand Management Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. Kat Peeler SVP of Marketing L'Oreal USA Inc. Bonita C. Stewart Managing Director, U.S. Sales Google Inc. Xiomara Wiley SVP, Marketing & Sales Universal Studios Hollywood TOP EXECUTIVES Sheryl Adkins-Green VP, Global Brand Development Mary Kay Inc. Phyllis Anderson VP, Marketing Humana Inc. Lawyer L. Burks III VP, Marketing & Product Management Cardinal Health Inc. Don Butler VP, Marketing General Motors Co. Pam El VP, Marketing State Farm Insurance (Continued on next page) Vicky Free VP, 360 Consumer Marketing for Cartoon Network Turner Broadcasting System Inc. Myorr Janha VP, Marketing & PR Rush Communications/Simmons Design Jennifer Jones VP, Diverse Markets & Post Sale Communications AT&T, Mobility and Consumer Markets Cindy Kent VP, Neuromodulation Division Medtronic Inc. Nicole M. Lewis VP, Global Marketing Kelly Services Inc. Candace McCullom VP & Brand & Advertising Manager Wells Fargo Charlotte McKines VP, Global Marketing Communications Merck & Co. Jonathan Mildenhall VP, Global Advertising Strategy & Content Excellence The Coca-Cola Co. Barbara Ross Miller VP, Customer Experience Marketing Sony Electronics Inc. Talitha Watkins VP of Multicultural Marketing Universal Pictures Yolanda White VP, Brand Marketing Powerade, Coca-Cola North America Richard Williams Executive Director of Multicultural Marketing Verizon Wireless TOP MANAGERS Donna Aaron Marketing Manager, Multicultural Chrysler Group L.L.C. Kim Adams House Head of Jeep Brand Advertising Chrysler Group L.L.C., Jeep Division Aurora Archer Sr. Director, Digital Distribution Channels AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals Stacy Brown-Philpot Director, Owned & Operated Properties Google Inc. John Casmon Advertising & Promotions Manager, Buick General Motors Co. Toure S. Claiborne Director of Marketing Allstate Insurance Co. Jerome M. Clark Director, Global Marketing L'Oreal USA Inc. Dionne Colvin National Media Manager Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. John Comissiong Director, Outreach Marketing Harley-Davidson Motor Co. Greg Cunningham Group Manager, Brand Marketing Target Corp. Gwen Fortune-Blakely Sr. Director, Marketing & Integration Marriott International Inc. Chauncey Hamlett Brand Manager Bacardi USA Rob Jackson Marketing Director, African American Consumer Market McDonald's Corp. Barry Jennings Sr. Market Research Strategist Dell Inc. (Continued on next page) Tracey Johnson Brand Manager, Gentlemen Jack, Jack Daniels Brown-Forman Corp. Ayana Jordan Chevrolet Advertising & Sales Promotion Diversity Advertising Manager General Motors Co. Ervin Lee Director of African American Brand Marketing MillerCoors L.L.C. Adrienne Lofton Sr. Marketing Director Under Armour Inc. Shawn Lollie Multicultural Marketing Manager Ford Motor Co. Karine Mehu Director, Digital Media Marketing ESPN.com, Mobile, and Broadband The Walt Disney Co. Kisha Mitchell Williams Multicultural Brand Manager Procter & Gamble Co. Sonia Myles Director, Global Printed Packaging Purchases Procter & Gamble Co. Sherri Outler Marketing Director Dell Inc. Karen Rafferty Regional Director, Cadillac Sales Service and Marketing General Motors Co. Anita Randall Corporate Media Planner & Marketing Manager Nissan North America Inc. Caralene Robinson Director, Brand & Marketing Communications Boost Mobile Marina L. Shoemaker Director of Women's Retail Network General Motors Co. Lesley Slaton McNorton Multicultural Marketing & Americas Brand Manager Hewlett-Packard Co. Aubyn Thomas Head of CRM, Database Marketing, Analytics and Loyalty Luxottica Group Sonja Whitemon Advertising and Promotions Manager American Airlines Inc. Catherine Wilkins On-Line & Relationship Marketing Specialist Porsche Cars North America Inc. Paul G. Alexander Senior Vice President and Manager, Communications Liberty Mutual Group Inc. Liberty Mutual's top brass look to Paul Alexander to build the brand both in the U.S. and internationally using the "Responsibility†platform and positioning. The top executive oversees all marketing initiatives for the nation's fifth largest property and casualty insurer. Alexander is responsible for partnering with design firms and ad agencies for print, social media, and innovative technology from Androids to iPads. He was instrumental in launching Liberty Mutual's 2009 social awareness campaign and new editions of its popular Responsibility project. He takes pride in the "Pay It Forward†television and online advertisements that use the selling line "Responsibility. What's Your Policy?†Alexander has been senior vice president and manager, communications for the Liberty Mutual Group since 2009. He joined the company after serving as vice president, global advertising and package design at Campbell Soup Co.    –Carolyn M. Brown Donald A. Coleman Chairman & CEO GlobalHue Don Coleman is a highly regarded pioneer in the field of multicultural and cross-cultural marketing. In addition to targeting ethnic- specific segments, his agency focuses on young adult markets. GlobalHue works with blue-chip brands, including Verizon, Wal-Mart, FedEx, Subway, and the U.S. Census Bureau. Coleman and his team spearheaded the launch of Neon for Chrysler, the Jeep Cherokee Classic, and Bermuda Department of Tourism ad campaigns. GlobalHue was formed in 2002 through the merger of several shops: the Don Coleman Agency, Innovasia Communications, and Montemayor y Asociados. Under Coleman's leadership, GlobalHue has grown to be No. 1 on the be advertising agencies list with $483.5 million in billings. An All-American athlete, Coleman ventured into advertising following a short-lived career in the National Football League playing for teams such as the New Orleans Saints and the New York Jets. He worked at Chicago's Burrell Advertising prior to starting his own agency.                                   –C.M.B. (Continued on next page) Dionne Colvin National Media Manager Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. Exploring new platforms to communicate with consumers is a core tenet at Toyota. Dionne Colvin is leading that charge, helping the automaker implement campaigns from a multidimensional integrated standpoint and working with all of its ad agencies on idea development. Colvin and her team ensure that each agency delivers a campaign that best fits Toyota's multicultural focus. She headed the prestigious placement campaign "Faces†used to introduce the 2009 Toyota Venza. The ad debuted during Super Bowl XLIII with the TV spots "Are You Venza?†She also oversaw Toyota's participation as the official vehicle partner for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater during the U.S. portion of the company's historic 50th anniversary global tour. Colvin has also been instrumental in involving Toyota in groundbreaking integrated marketing sponsorships for television.–Carolyn M. Brown Frank Cooper III Senior Vice President & Chief Consumer Engagement Officer PepsiCo Frank Cooper is charged with developing initiatives to drive consumer engagement across key operational areas for PepsiCo Americas Beverages, including digital, media, sports, multicultural, and entertainment. And he's done big things for the PepsiCo brand. Cooper is the man behind the Pepsi We Inspire online community; the Pepsi Refresh Project, a community initiative that raised money for environmental and cultural projects; and the Dewmocracy campaign, which let consumers choose the next Mountain Dew soft drink flavor. He's also responsible for the brand's video game marketing promotions: the Pepsi " Rock Band†video contest, the Pepsi Madden Sweepstakes, and Mountain Dew Game Fuel for "World of Warcraft†and "Halo†games, among others. A few months ago, he was appointed to gaming company Ogmento Inc.'s board of directors. Cooper joined Pepsi in 2003 as CMO, Sparkling Beverages, Pepsi-Cola North America. He's a graduate of Harvard Law School and the recipient of a 2010 AdColor Legend Award. –Sonja D. Mack Esi Eggleston Bracey Vice President & General Manager of Global Cosmetics Innovation, Branding & Operations Procter & Gamble Co. Esi Eggleston Bracey has made a prominent mark in the beauty and grooming industry; she is recognized for her role in the systematic growth and evolution of P&G's brand marketing strategy in the face of a financial downturn. With more than 1,000 people under her leadership, Eggleston Bracey oversees the operations of P&G's CoverGirl and Max Factor brands, which have generated more than $2 billion in retail sales worldwide. Among Eggleston Bracey's greatest triumphs is ushering in a new era of brand identity and cross-demographic marketing. This included redefining "All-American beauty†by signing such diverse celebrities as Queen Latifah, Drew Barrymore, and Ellen DeGeneres as CoverGirl spokeswomen. She began her tenure in 1991 and made history as one of P&G's youngest general managers and the first African American to attain such status. She takes pride in helping female consumers feel good about themselves from the inside-out. –Carolyn M. Brown Charlotte McKines Vice President, Global Marketing Communications Merck & Co. Charlotte McKines remembers when the primary pharmaceutical outreach to physicians was through a representative who made face-to-face office visits. Today the industry has multiple channels, including social media, by which to provide information on research and product development. The other major change, McKines says, has been the rise of consumer activism: "consumers wanting to be more engaged with pharmaceutical companies around their healthcare.†And so Merck's marketing messaging is twofold in talking to healthcare providers as well as patients. "We really want to encourage the patient—physician dialogue around disease and around appropriate treatments. And for patients, we want to encourage them to better engage their doctors.†In the end, McKines says Merck's goal is to leverage a consistent customer experience through all its channels as well as through partnerships to enhance and engage the conversation around better choices in health management.         –Sonia Alleyne Sarah Mensah Chief Operating Officer & Chief Marketing Officer Portland Trail Blazers There's never a dull moment for the COO of a major sports team. "One day I may focus primarily on communications and public affairs issues, and another day I might be completely immersed in forecasting pricing and finance,†says Sarah Mensah, who assumed her most recent post with the Portland Trail Blazers in June 2010. Mensah spent the two years prior to her appointment to COO as CMO for the popular sports franchise. In her new role, she still is the lead executive with oversight of all marketing and branding activities related to the franchise. She joined the Trail Blazers as a corporate sales manager in 1993 and has steadily worked her way up. "I have developed two skills that I feel are most valuable. The first is the freedom to admit when I'm wrong and change course on a dime. The second is the ability to welcome and seek out risks. I've learned that if there is no risk there will be no reward.â€Â            –Sonja D. Mack (Continued on next page) Richelle Parham Chief Marketing Officer eBay, North America Just five weeks into the job, Richelle Parham was clear about her first priorities as CMO at eBay, the world's largest online marketplace. They include understanding eBay's broad customer base–both the buyer and seller –as she develops a marketing plan for activity on the site as well as one to drive traffic to the site. With 40% of revenues from auctions and 60% from "buy it now†products, she wants eBay to be first in consideration for shopping enthusiasts. Parham's last position was head of global marketing innovation and initiatives for Visa and she began her career in direct marketing roughly 20 years ago. She believes this is the most exciting time to be in marketing because of the ability to thoroughly engage with consumers and gain accurate insights to better create the right experiences to drive business.     –Sonia Alleyne Jimmy Smith Group Creative Director TBWA\Chiat\Day, Los Angeles Jimmy Smith has produced an incredible body of award-winning work. From Nike to Snickers to Gatorade, he is an advertising tour de force. Smith sparked a national frenzy of blog chatter and industry discussion with his "What is G?â€commercial, which became a viral sensation. The ad featured a voiceover from Lil' Wayne and was crammed with celebrities but never mentioned Gatorade as the actual product. Smith notes it was a move designed to revamp Gatorade and bring back its "cool factor†across generations–"There are a lot of things represented by "G†from God to gangsters to gravity.†Before TBWA\Chiat\Day, Smith was executive creative director at BBDO and creative director at Wieden + Kennedy, where he was the chief artisan behind some of Nike's most memorable commercials, including the merger of hip-hop and basketball ad classic "Freestyle†and LeBron James and Bernie Mac in the church-themed ad "Book of Dimes.†                   –Carolyn M. Brown Steve Stoute Founder & CEO Translation L.L.C. Steve Stoute believes in creating the right alignment to develop messages that resonate with audiences. He can take a traditional blue-chip company and make it appealing to a younger, often urban, demographic with a reported spending power of $1.2 trillion. He does this by leveraging music and celebrity, skillfully and creatively pairing people such as Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, and No Doubt front woman Gwen Stefani with companies such as Reebok, McDonald's and HP. In addition to his successful branding strategy, Stoute has lent his savvy to the Carol's Daughter beauty line, helping founder Lisa Price grow from a mom-and-pop to nine stores across the country and into major department stores. He has also joined forces with R&B artist Mary J. Blige to launch Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN). In 2008, Stoute was inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement.   –Sonja D. Mack Aaron Walton Co-Founder and Co-CEO Walton | Isaacson Walton | Isaacson's creed is: We do one thing. Whatever needs to be done. "It speaks to our single-minded focus and priority–our clients' connection with the right consumers in the right ways, whatever ways those may be,†explains Aaron Walton, the company's co-founder and co-CEO, whose drive and creativity have fueled his marketing service agency's impressive growth. "I love when a client gives us their toughest challenges or those assignments that aren't perceived as glamorous or desirable. When I can roll up my sleeves with our amazing team and dedicate all of our best thinking into turning those assignments into real success stories, there is no describing that sense of collective achievement and purpose.†As a result, they have developed innovative advertising, consumer promotion, and event marketing campaigns for companies such as Lexus, Pepsi, and Pond's. Says Walton, "Consumers decide what interests them and where they will or won't receive and respond to messages. Our [business] model was developed to be better, faster, and more relevant to consumers and to our clients.â€Â                           –Carolyn M. Brown & Sonja D. Mack Richard Williams Executive Director of Multicultural Marketing Verizon Wireless Executive Director of Multicultural Marketing at Verizon Wireless is Richard Williams' most recent appointment in his impressive eight-year career with Verizon. He was a management consultant when Verizon hired him for a project and he's been with the company ever since. He spends a quarter of his time traveling, gauging the needs of the Verizon Wireless customer and making sure Verizon service providers are equipped to fulfill those needs. The remainder of his time is spent learning about developments in the industry, new applications and technologies, and, of course, keeping an eye on the competition. Williams enjoys every aspect of his job, from working with new technologies to seeing a project go from ideation/strategy to finished product. And he credits everything he's learned at Verizon as well as his prior professional experience, which includes a stint on Wall Street, with his ability to negotiate well and thrive in a high-pressure environment.    –S.D.M.