Marla Kaplowitz

Marla Kaplowitz is one of the most prominent figures in the U.S. advertising industry, serving as President and CEO of the 4A's — the country's leading trade association representing advertising agencies. Since taking the helm in 2017, she has steered the organization through a period of profound transformation, positioning the 4A's as a central voice on issues including data privacy legislation, brand safety, programmatic transparency, diversity and inclusion, and the evolving agency business model in a technology-driven marketplace. Her leadership has been defined by a willingness to engage directly with platforms, regulators, and marketers on behalf of agencies navigating an increasingly complex ecosystem. Before joining the 4A's, Kaplowitz built a distinguished career in media agency leadership. She served as President of MEC North America (now Wavemaker), a major WPP-owned global media agency, where she led operations, client strategy, and growth initiatives across the region. Her earlier career included senior roles at Mediaedge:cia and other prominent media and advertising organizations, giving her deep operational expertise across media planning, buying, and agency management. This hands-on agency background lends credibility to her advocacy work and informs her understanding of the pressures agencies face from both clients and holding companies. Kaplowitz is widely recognized as a champion for women in leadership and has made talent development and workplace culture central pillars of the 4A's agenda. She regularly speaks at major industry conferences including Cannes Lions, Advertising Week, and CES, and is frequently cited in trade press on topics ranging from the future of the agency model to responsible AI adoption in marketing. Her influence extends beyond trade association work — she is regarded as a genuine thought leader whose positions on industry ethics, transparency, and accountability carry significant weight across the advertising ecosystem.

• 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