As the leading U.S.-based advertising trade association, serving more than 600+ members nationwide, the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s), announced the appointment of Cathy Chan Butler as Executive Vice President of Talent, Equity & Learning Solutions to address the changing needs and future of talent for agency members. In this role, Cathy will lead the 4A’s Foundation, Learning Institute and HR/Talent Solutions practice while also joining the Executive Leadership Team.
“We are thrilled to welcome Cathy as our new head of Talent, Equity & Learning Solutions at this critical juncture when attracting, retaining, and developing talent remains a priority for our members,” said Marla Kaplowitz, President and CEO of the 4A’s. “Cathy is an incredible talent and is going to channel her extensive experience leading agencies and her passion for advancing talent to serve our 4A’s member community.”
Cathy is an award-winning marketing and technology leader with over 25 years of experience. Most recently, Cathy served as the CEO of Organic (part of Omnicom) and prior to that, as CEO of Barbarian (part of Cheil). Cathy’s rich career spans working with world-class brands such as Johnson & Johnson, IKEA, Nestle, and American Express among others; media companies such as The New York Times and Condé Nast, and other agencies (Deutsch, DigitasLBi) and nonprofit experience.
As Organic CEO, Cathy built a diverse workforce making significant inroads in hiring people of color and women in leadership roles and driving retention rates well above the industry average. Her accolades include the She Runs It Change Agent Award, Adweek Women Trailblazer Award and recognition by Ad Age in 2022 when Organic was named a Best Place to Work. To further support women and BIPOC talent through career development, she recently pursued her certification in leadership coaching. In 2023, Cathy co-founded API Rising to advance Asian and Pacific Islanders in leadership roles across corporate America through career development, coaching and community involvement, realizing that her commitment for talent development could create a greater scale of impact by partnering with brands and businesses.
“As someone who is super-passionate about learning and people development, I am excited to join the 4A’s. There is no other organization with the level of partnership and influence over the advertising industry – an industry that I I deeply love. The 4A’s unique relationship with agencies and agency leaders offers an elevated scale of opportunity to drive change and help advance the perspective on talent,” said Cathy Chan Butler.
Cathy is a published writer for Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Huffington Post, Ad Age and Campaign Cathy also serves as President for the West Orange High School (NJ) Music Boosters, a non-profit dedicated to providing financial support for the co-and extra-curricular Visual and Fine Arts programs.
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