IAA to honour three industry legends with IAA Golden Compass Awards
To mark IAA's 80th anniversary, Shelly Lazarus of O&M, Paul Polman of Unilever and Paul Rossi of The Economist will be honoured
Published - 25-April-2018
The International Advertising Association (IAA) announced the winners of its inaugural Golden Compass Awards, which honor legends in the marketing, advertising and media industries, in celebration of IAA's 80th anniversary. In a nod to its newly revealed value proposition, identity and logo centered on a twenty-first century compass, the IAA Golden Compass Awards celebrate visionary leaders in the marketing communications industry who have guided their organizations through the disruptions of our modern era and inspired the industry at large by their excellent achievements of global impact.
"We created the IAA Golden Compass Awards to honor industry legends that have shown ingenuity, creativity and perseverance throughout their careers, to advance professional quality standards and best practices in our industry which can enhance the value brands can have in consumers' lives," said IAA Chairman and Global President Felix Tataru. "IAA is looking forward to bringing together the global advertising community to celebrate these influential leaders."
The IAA Golden Compass Award honorees were selected based on the executives' impact on the marketing communications business in the three key sectors of the industry. Honorees will receive the Golden Compass Awards at a presentation ceremony at the IAA's 80th Anniversary reception on April 26 at Intersection HQ in New York.
The honorees of the 2018 Golden Compass Awards are:
Shelly Lazarus, Ogilvy & Mather
Shelly Lazarus has spent more than four decades and the majority of her career at full-service ad agency Ogilvy & Mather. She started when the agency's legendary founder David Ogilvy still walked the halls, and personally preached that the purpose of advertising was to build great brands. Throughout her time at Ogilvy & Mather, Lazarus has risen through the ranks of the agency, assuming positions of increasing responsibility in the management of the company, including as President of O&M Direct North America, Ogilvy & Mather New York, and Ogilvy & Mather North America. She also served as Worldwide CEO of Ogilvy & Mather and Chairman, thereafter. In 2012, she was appointed Chairman Emeritus. Under Lazarus' leadership, the agency has attracted and created memorable campaigns for some of the world's largest brands including American Express, BP, Coca-Cola, IBM, and Unilever.
Paul Polman, Unilever
Under Paul Polman's leadership, Unilever has been moving to fully decouple its growth from an environmental footprint and increase its positive social impact. In his role as CEO, Polman actively seeks cooperation with other companies to implement sustainable, long-term business strategies and drive systemic change. He is a member of the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum, a member of the B Team and sits on the Board of the UN Global Compact, and the Consumer Goods Forum, where he co-chairs the Sustainability Committee. Additionally, Polman is the incoming Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce. His commitment to long-term, sustainable capitalism is also reflected in his membership of the Global Board of Directors of Financing Capitalism for the Long-Term and the Coalition for Inclusive Capitalism Embankment Project. He also played a significant role in developing the UN Sustainable Development Goals and in promoting action towards its delivery.
Paul Rossi, The Economist Group
Paul Rossi joined The Economist 30 years ago in London to manage advertising sales for the Middle East and Africa. He held regional sales director positions in Singapore and New York, and then became Commercial Director of Economist.com, where he established the website as a profitable global business. Rossi was later named Publisher of The Economist in North America, responsible for all commercial aspects of the business, including advertising, circulation and marketing for The Economist magazine, Economist.com and other Economist brand businesses. Continuing his rise through the ranks, he then became Managing Director, EVP of The Economist Group with full responsibility for all Economist and CFO brand businesses in the Americas. Most recently, Rossi has been President of The Economist Group's global media businesses, which consist of The Economist, The World in and 1843 magazines, as well as Economist events, Thought Leadership and Content Solutions, EuroFinance, Ideas People Media, the TVC Group and Signal Noise.
Following its 80th anniversary celebration and the Golden Compass Awards presentation, the IAA will be hosting its Global Marketing Summit on April 27 at Time Warner Center in New York. The annual conference brings together more than 200 of the world's leading members of the international advertising community to share best practices and share industry challenges. For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Tags Paul polman Paul rossi Shelly lazarus Iaa awards