Staff news at Draftfcb New York
Draftfcb have announced that Vita Harris, formerly chief strategy officer of Draftfcb New York, has been promoted to global chief strategy officer at the worldwide marketing communications agency network. Harris is charged with aligning and building research and strategy offerings in the network’s top markets worldwide and igniting a global strategy community to make a meaningful difference in the work.
“Vita has had a profound impact on our entire network thanks to her leadership role in the seamless integration of research and strategic planning into our core processes,” said Laurence Boschetto, CEO and president of Draftfcb. “She has also had a strong effect on the industry overall as evidenced by the many accolades she has received over the years.”
Prior to the merger of Draft and FCB in June 2006, Harris served as executive vice president and director of Insight Services at Draft New York. There she led the group responsible for bringing together the strategic planning and research disciplines with database marketing. She also pioneered a groundbreaking approach called Behavior Path MarketingSM to mine consumer insights to create fresh, relevant, and strategic marketing communications programs.
Harris was named a 2010 AAF ADCOLOR “Legend” in recognition of her many contributions to the ad industry over the course of 25+ years in the business, while selflessly devoting much of her time to mentoring industry up-and-comers. She has also been named one of The Network Journal’s “25 Most Influential Black Women in Business.”
Before joining Draft in 1996, Harris was senior vice president, group research director at N.W. Ayer & Partners. Before that she served as vice president, associate research director at Ted Bates. Her career began at Saatchi and Saatchi Compton. Among the many clients Vita has worked with are 2010 U.S. Census, UnitedHealth Group/AARP, American Express, Bank of America, AT&T, Gillette/Right Guard, Citibank, Miller Brewing Company, the U.S. Navy, British Airways, and Avis.
In her community activities, Harris focuses largely on mentoring youth and young adults, particularly young women who are pursuing careers in advertising and marketing. She is also a visiting teacher at Howard University and is also serving on the board of the Advertising Educational Foundation.
Draftfcb has also announced that Paula Fedoris has joined as the agency’s first-ever EVP, chief analytics officer. Based in New York, Fedoris will oversee strategy and analytics in that office in addition to her global duties. The Goldman, Sachs & Co., Digitas/Digitas Health and Deutsch alum is charged with leveraging the power of data to boost Draftfcb clients’ businesses as well as the network’s. She reports to Draftfcb New York CEO Dana Maiman on local business and to EVP, Global Chief Marketing Officer Debra Coughlin on global business.
The University of Pennsylvania Wharton School grad has more than 20 years of experience in consumer, B-to-B strategy and marketing intelligence, expertise in multi-channel and digital marketing, business and customer strategy and intelligence, CRM solutions, and marketing and brand strategy. She has transformed organizations by building strategy and analysis teams that utilize quantitative and qualitative techniques and technology to support business decision-making and growth initiatives.
“As Draftfcb is rooted in the science of creativity, joining the agency is an exciting next chapter in my career,” said Fedoris, who will leverage the customer intelligence assets at Draftfcb and create new and innovative proprietary tools. “It’s critical that our clients understand that we are interested in their business performance and position in the marketplace; we want to outsmart our clients’ competition.”
Fedoris will also be a key member of the network’s Global Capabilities leadership team. She will create a “best-in-class” capability while growing the analytics function around the world via Draftfcb’s top nine hub markets.
“She took the Series 7 for fun, need I say more?” said Maiman. “She is smart and engaging, has consumer and healthcare expertise, and is sure to bring our game to a new level.”
Separately, Sara Bamber has joined the agency as EVP, chief strategy officer of Draftfcb New York. Also reporting to Maiman, Bamber was previously global head of strategy for Coca-Cola at SapientNitro. She succeeds Vita Harris, who was promoted to the new role of global chief strategy officer. In her new position, Bamber will be heading up an experienced and integrated team of advertising and digital strategists.
Previously Bamber was head of planning at Anomaly NYC and began her advertising career at Ogilvy in London. With 20 years of experience in strategic planning, Bamber says her passion for her discipline’s impact comes from working at some of the strongest account planning agencies in the U.S.: TBWA/Chiat/Day, Merkley & Partners, Weiss Stagliano Partners and Anomaly. Her integrated experience brings a focus on branded utility, and content creation and exchange through social engagement, so brands play valued roles in their communities.
“It’s about joining a team of people who are ambitious about change and evolution,” said Bamber of her switch to Draftfcb. “I’m excited to be part of an agency known for its focus on impacting consumers’ decision-making process—this makes for an action-oriented environment. I was also attracted to a culture wanting close collaboration between creative and strategy.”
“Paula and Sara’s business insight and experience are amazing and sure to infuse the agency with vigor, top-tier tools and winning strategy,” Maiman said.
“Vita has had a profound impact on our entire network thanks to her leadership role in the seamless integration of research and strategic planning into our core processes,” said Laurence Boschetto, CEO and president of Draftfcb. “She has also had a strong effect on the industry overall as evidenced by the many accolades she has received over the years.”
Prior to the merger of Draft and FCB in June 2006, Harris served as executive vice president and director of Insight Services at Draft New York. There she led the group responsible for bringing together the strategic planning and research disciplines with database marketing. She also pioneered a groundbreaking approach called Behavior Path MarketingSM to mine consumer insights to create fresh, relevant, and strategic marketing communications programs.
Harris was named a 2010 AAF ADCOLOR “Legend” in recognition of her many contributions to the ad industry over the course of 25+ years in the business, while selflessly devoting much of her time to mentoring industry up-and-comers. She has also been named one of The Network Journal’s “25 Most Influential Black Women in Business.”
Before joining Draft in 1996, Harris was senior vice president, group research director at N.W. Ayer & Partners. Before that she served as vice president, associate research director at Ted Bates. Her career began at Saatchi and Saatchi Compton. Among the many clients Vita has worked with are 2010 U.S. Census, UnitedHealth Group/AARP, American Express, Bank of America, AT&T, Gillette/Right Guard, Citibank, Miller Brewing Company, the U.S. Navy, British Airways, and Avis.
In her community activities, Harris focuses largely on mentoring youth and young adults, particularly young women who are pursuing careers in advertising and marketing. She is also a visiting teacher at Howard University and is also serving on the board of the Advertising Educational Foundation.
Draftfcb has also announced that Paula Fedoris has joined as the agency’s first-ever EVP, chief analytics officer. Based in New York, Fedoris will oversee strategy and analytics in that office in addition to her global duties. The Goldman, Sachs & Co., Digitas/Digitas Health and Deutsch alum is charged with leveraging the power of data to boost Draftfcb clients’ businesses as well as the network’s. She reports to Draftfcb New York CEO Dana Maiman on local business and to EVP, Global Chief Marketing Officer Debra Coughlin on global business.
The University of Pennsylvania Wharton School grad has more than 20 years of experience in consumer, B-to-B strategy and marketing intelligence, expertise in multi-channel and digital marketing, business and customer strategy and intelligence, CRM solutions, and marketing and brand strategy. She has transformed organizations by building strategy and analysis teams that utilize quantitative and qualitative techniques and technology to support business decision-making and growth initiatives.
“As Draftfcb is rooted in the science of creativity, joining the agency is an exciting next chapter in my career,” said Fedoris, who will leverage the customer intelligence assets at Draftfcb and create new and innovative proprietary tools. “It’s critical that our clients understand that we are interested in their business performance and position in the marketplace; we want to outsmart our clients’ competition.”
Fedoris will also be a key member of the network’s Global Capabilities leadership team. She will create a “best-in-class” capability while growing the analytics function around the world via Draftfcb’s top nine hub markets.
“She took the Series 7 for fun, need I say more?” said Maiman. “She is smart and engaging, has consumer and healthcare expertise, and is sure to bring our game to a new level.”
Separately, Sara Bamber has joined the agency as EVP, chief strategy officer of Draftfcb New York. Also reporting to Maiman, Bamber was previously global head of strategy for Coca-Cola at SapientNitro. She succeeds Vita Harris, who was promoted to the new role of global chief strategy officer. In her new position, Bamber will be heading up an experienced and integrated team of advertising and digital strategists.
Previously Bamber was head of planning at Anomaly NYC and began her advertising career at Ogilvy in London. With 20 years of experience in strategic planning, Bamber says her passion for her discipline’s impact comes from working at some of the strongest account planning agencies in the U.S.: TBWA/Chiat/Day, Merkley & Partners, Weiss Stagliano Partners and Anomaly. Her integrated experience brings a focus on branded utility, and content creation and exchange through social engagement, so brands play valued roles in their communities.
“It’s about joining a team of people who are ambitious about change and evolution,” said Bamber of her switch to Draftfcb. “I’m excited to be part of an agency known for its focus on impacting consumers’ decision-making process—this makes for an action-oriented environment. I was also attracted to a culture wanting close collaboration between creative and strategy.”
“Paula and Sara’s business insight and experience are amazing and sure to infuse the agency with vigor, top-tier tools and winning strategy,” Maiman said.
