NEW YORK, July 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Tara Walpert Levy, VP of YouTube across the Americas, has been named Chair of the Ad Council's Board of Directors. She succeeds Diego Scotti, EVP & General Manager of Consumer Group and Global Marketing & Communications at PayPal. Rita Ferro, President Global Advertising of The Walt Disney Company and Kirk McDonald, CEO of Sundial Media Group currently serve as Vice Chairs of the Ad Council's Board of Directors.

For over 80 years, the Ad Council has led the communications industry's efforts to drive meaningful positive change. Its Board of Directors consists of distinguished marketing, media and business executives who offer their expertise, insights, and financial contributions to ensure the effectiveness of the Ad Council's social impact initiatives. The Ad Council's Board of Directors partners closely with the organization's leadership to lead fully integrated national initiatives on gun violence, mental health, the drug overdose crisis, hate and bias and more.

As Chair, Levy will collaborate with the Executive Committee, the governing body of the Ad Council's Board, and Ad Council leadership to advance the organization's mission of leveraging communications to tackle the nation's pressing social issues. Additionally, Levy will preside over the Ad Council's 2024 Annual Public Service Award Dinner, the organization's largest annual fundraising event, which will be held on December 5, 2024.

"Tara's unwavering dedication to social progress has been exemplary, enhancing and amplifying our work since she first joined our Board," said Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council. "With Tara at the helm, our ability to drive measurable impact at scale through innovative campaigns will undoubtedly grow, enabling us to create lasting change on the nation's most pressing issues."

Levy has been a respected leader in the marketing and media industries for almost 30 years. She re-joined YouTube in 2021 (having led YouTube Ads Marketing globally in 2013-14) to oversee YouTube's business and operations across the Americas. Previously, she led Google's Agency and Brand Solutions teams. Levy is committed to giving back to the industry, writing and speaking frequently on the shifting marketing, media, and technology landscape, the evolving responsibility and impact of private and public boards, and the value of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. She is a seasoned public, private, and non-profit company board member focused in similar areas. Tara's leadership and contributions have been consistently recognized with honors including being inducted into the AAF Advertising Hall of Achievement, named as a dMexco Global Trailblazer, identified as one of Fast Company's "Most Creative People in Business", and most recently the UJA Content Leadership Award for her work at YouTube. Levy first joined the Ad Council's Board of Directors in 2017.

With the election of Levy, the Ad Council will continue its ongoing tradition of rotating Board Chairs between the organizations' four sectors: media companies, technology platforms, agencies and advertisers.

For a complete list of the Ad Council Board of Directors, see here.

THE AD COUNCIL
The Ad Council convenes creative storytellers to educate, unite and uplift audiences by opening hearts, inspiring action and accelerating change around the most pressing issues in America. Since the non-profit's founding, the organization and its partners in advertising, media, marketing and tech have been behind some of the country's most iconic social impact campaigns – Smokey Bear, A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste, Love Has No Labels, Tear the Paper Ceiling and many more. With a current focus on mental health, gun safety, the overdose crisis, hate and bias and other critical issues, the Ad Council's national campaigns encompass advertising and media content, ground game and community efforts, trusted messenger and influencer engagement, and employer programs, among other innovative strategies to move the needle on the most important issues of the day.

To learn more or get involved, visit AdCouncil.org, join the Ad Council's communities on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X, and view campaign creative on YouTube.

SOURCE The Ad Council