Advertising Women of New York Salutes Donna Speciale, Its 2010 Ad Woman of the Year, at 3/16 Luncheon

NEW YORK, NY, March 14, 2011 (Press-News.org) On March 16, more than 600 advertising executives will join Laura Desmond, CEO, Starcom MediaVest Group, Ted Harbert, chairman, NBC Broadcasting, David Levy, president, Turner Entertainment Ad Sales & Marketing and Turner Sports and other senior executive "toasters" at the New York Hilton to celebrate Advertising Women of New York's (AWNY, www.awny.org) 45th Advertising Woman of the Year -- Donna Speciale, MediaVest President, Investment & Activation & Agency Operations.

Designed to recognize women who have made significant, ongoing, contributions to the advertising industry, honorees are selected by members of the AWNY Board, host committee and event co-chairs, former AWNY presidents and Advertising Women of the Year. Speciale joins a stellar group of women who have received the honor including Desmond, Mary Baglivo, CEO-Saatchi & Saatchi, and Lisa Caputo, EVP, Global Marketing and Corporate Affairs-Citigroup.

"We're pleased to honor Donna Speciale as AWNY's Ad Woman of the Year," said Karen List, AWNY president, adding: "This award celebrates women who have not only shattered the glass ceiling but have also advanced the industry in extraordinary ways. As one of the top leaders in advertising, she is a true innovator. Not only is Donna a leader in the industry with an outstanding track record of working with global brands across all platforms, she is an active mentor and generously gives back to her community. She exemplifies the best of AWNY, all the time."

Speciale leads MediaVest's integrated broadcast, print and out-of-home practice and oversees investments on behalf of numerous clients including Coca-Cola, Kraft, Mars, P&G, and Wal-Mart. She is also a member of MediaVest's Executive Management Team. Under her watch, MediaVest has earned a reputation for being an innovative and strategic investment partner to clients and vendors. Prior to joining the company in 2004, she led the broadcast investment team at Mediacom. In the course of her career she has managed investments for several leading marketers including Warner Brothers, GlaxoSmithKline, Hasbro, Kmart, Diageo, Staples and Subway.

Speciale has received significant industry recognition, including being named Television Week's TV Buyer of the Year (2006), MediaWeek's "All Star" in the broadcast category (2003), AdAge's "Woman to Watch" (2001). In 2008, she was one of the recipients of AWNY's Impact Award, honoring her mentorship work within the industry, and in 2006 she received an AWNY Advertising Working Mother of the Year Award, recognizing female executives who earned success in their personal and professional lives.

The event is sponsored by OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network, with AdWeekMedia as its trade media sponsor.

About AWNY: Founded in 1912 as the first women's association in the communications industry, AWNY now boasts a membership of more than 1300 dynamic, influential women and men in the advertising, marketing, digital, media, promotion and public relations fields. AWNY is an active affiliate of the American Advertising Federation. For further information about AWNY please visit www.awny.org.

Media Contact:
Liz Schroeder, AWNY
Phone: 212-221-7969
Email: liz@awny.org