President and CEO, Marla Kaplowitz, of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s), the leading U.S.-based advertising trade association, announced today the appointment of Ann Rubin as the new EVP, Marketing Communications & Events. In this role, Ann will join the 4A’s executive leadership team to continue to build out a comprehensive and dynamic marketing and communications strategy for the organization while elevating the 4A’s best-in-class event programs and offerings to its 600+ members nationwide.
Recognized for her strategic and creative leadership experience in complex, global, matrix organizations, Ann joins the 4A’s from IBM where she spent more than 20 years, most recently as VP, Corporate Marketing. In this role, Ann led IBM’s global brand marketing programs to raise brand engagement and equity for IBM. Some of her greatest accomplishments were helping create the award-winning smarter planet campaign that improved IBM’s brand value, as well as driving IBM’s flagship event Think, a unique and engaging experience that brings to life technology’s essential role in business and society. While the event attracts nearly 30,000 client attendees, in 2020 and due to COVID-19, Ann and her team successfully pivoted the legacy event to a virtual format, surpassing engagement goals with a reach of 108,000 total attendees. Ann was also responsible for managing IBM’s global advertising, agency operations, media planning, brand experience and design, experiential programs and the ibm.com homepage editorial strategy. Prior to joining IBM, Ann worked with a range of clients on the agency side including Procter & Gamble and AT&T.
“We are thrilled to have Ann join the 4A’s team and evolve our marketing approach. Ann is a seasoned marketer with a track record of driving innovation on a global scale. Her extensive client experience coupled with time on the agency side, makes Ann the right leader for this role,” said Kaplowitz.
“I am so excited to join an organization full of people who are as passionate as I am about continually evolving our industry, focusing on key issues such as DEIB and talent, and ensuring our member agencies have what they need to succeed,” added Rubin.
Aside from her work endeavors, Ann has been actively involved in several organizations as Vice Chair of the AEF (ANA Educational Foundation), a mentor for the Effies Marketing Effectiveness Bootcamp, and a former board member of the Ad Council. She has been recognized by the industry throughout her career, earning a spot on Adweek’s Creative Top 100, Ad Age’s Top Digital Marketer, and News360’s Content All-Star.
About the 4A’s: The 4A’s was established in 1917 to promote, advance, and defend the interests of our member agencies, employees and the advertising and marketing industries overall. We empower our members to drive commerce, spark connections, and shape culture through infinite creativity. With a focus on advocacy, talent and the value of creativity and technology to drive business growth and cultural change, the organization serves 600+ member agencies across 1,200 offices, which help direct more than 85% of total U.S. advertising spend. The 4A’s includes the 4A’s Benefits division, which insures more than 160,000 employees; the government relations team, who advocate for policies to support the industry; and the 4A’s Foundation, which advocates for and connects multicultural talent to the marketing industry by fostering a culture of curiosity, creativity and craft to fuel a more equitable future for the industry.
