The Chicago Association of Direct Marketing presented the Pat Wheelless Award for Outstanding Mentorship posthumously to Kevin Leo, former CADM president and president of consultancy Leo Direct Unlimited at his death at 58 in July 2004.
The award, accepted by his wife Diane, was made at a luncheon during the CADM’s fifth annual Bob Stone Education Day in Chicago on Wednesday.
In announcing the award, designed to recognize those in the association who have been most generous in instructing colleagues, employees and students in direct marketing, CADM president Michelle Blechman said, “whether teaching university student, entry-level direct marketers at CADM’s Basic Course, or more advanced professionals through the Direct Marketing Association Certificate Seminar, Kevin entertained as well as informed.”
His early career included posts at numerous account management firms, including Kobs Gregory Passavant, AyerDirect, and Ogilvy & Mather Direct. At these firms, Leo helped produce award-winning campaigns for such clients as Allstate, Citicorp, John Deere, Dremel Tool, Neiman-Marcus, and Sears Roebuck & Co.
In 2001, Leo led a CADM member committee in updating the association’s outdated code of ethics and produced a streamlined code of conduct that cut across direct marketing channels.
A native of Chicago’s South Side, Leo earned a B.A. in international affairs from Georgetown University and an M.B.A. from DePaul University. He is survived by his wife and three daughters.
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