Marla Kaplowitz
Independent Board Director & Advisor
Championing the advertising industry's evolution as a transformative trade association leader and media executive
Last updated May 31, 2026 by the ATDb Editorial Team · Connections updated May 31, 2026
Marla Kaplowitz served as President & CEO of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's) from 2017 to 2025, leading the industry's foremost trade organization through a period of significant transformation in advertising and media. Prior to the 4A's, she was President of MEC North America (now Wavemaker) and held senior leadership roles at Mediaedge:cia. Since departing the 4A's, she has transitioned to a portfolio career as an independent board director for Penn Entertainment, Butler/Till, and #paid, and serves as a strategic advisor to LoopMe.
President & CEO
American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's) (2017–2025)
President
MEC North America (now Wavemaker) (2013–2017)
Senior Leadership
Mediaedge:cia (2000s–2013)
- Bachelor's Degree, University at Albany, State University of New York
- Led the 4A's through major industry inflection points including GDPR/CCPA compliance advocacy, brand safety crises, and the rise of programmatic accountability
- Expanded the 4A's focus on DEI, launching initiatives to improve diversity in agency leadership and hiring pipelines
- Positioned the 4A's as a key industry voice in discussions with major platforms including Google, Meta, and Amazon on agency transparency and data practices
- Oversaw the 4A's response to the ANA media transparency report and subsequent industry reform efforts
- Grew MEC North America's business and operational scale during her tenure as President
- Frequent contributor and quoted expert in Ad Age, Adweek, Campaign US, and The Wall Street Journal on advertising industry topics