Shelly Lazarus, chairman of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, will be inducted into the Direct Marketing Association’s Hall of Fame.
“Shelly Lazarus, with a long and impressive roster of domestic and international clients, continues to make her mark on the world,” said John Greco, the DMA’s president and CEO, in a statement. “She is a legendary direct marketing ad-agency powerhouse who consistently delivers winning campaigns and customer experiences that propel brands and loyalty. At the forefront of creating integrated, multimedia advertising campaigns for some of the most iconic brands in the world, Lazarus has single-handedly raised the stature of marketing and whole-heartedly deserves to be a DMA Hall of Famer, one our most prestigious honors.”
Lazarus has held many positions at Ogilvy during the three decades she’s been at the firm, including president of O&M Direct North America, Ogilvy & Mather New York, Ogilvy North America, chief operating officer, and chief executive officer of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide.
During her career, Lazarus has won numerous accolades, including being the first woman to receive Columbia Business School’s Distinguished Leader in Business Award. Advertising Women of New York honored her as its Woman of the Year in 2004. The DMA had previously honored her as its Woman of the Year in 2002. She was named Business Woman of the Year by the New York City Partnership in 1996. In 1995, she received the Women in Communications Matrix Award.
Lazarus has appeared in Fortune magazine’s annual ranking of America’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business for ten years since the list’s inception in 1998. She serves on the board of several corporate, philanthropic, and academic institutions such as: General Electric; Merck; New York Presbyterian Hospital; American Museum of Natural History; Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy; World Wildlife Fund; and the Board of Overseers of Columbia Business School, where she received her MBA. She also served five years as chairman of the Board of Trustees of Smith College, her alma mater, and was previously chairman of the American Association of Advertising Agencies.
Lazarus is currently a member of the Advertising Women of New York; The Committee of 200; Council on Foreign Relations; The Business Council; Women’s Forum, Inc.; and Deloitte & Touche Council for the Advancement of Women.
The DMA Hall of Fame honors those who have made outstanding contributions to the practice, growth, and stature of direct marketing Lazarus will be inducted into DMA’s Hall of Fame during a luncheon on Oct. 20 at the DMA's Annual Conference and Exhibition.
