BEN GROSSMAN

Strategy leader. Advertising modernizer. Business driver. 

EXPERIENCE

Chief Strategy Officer (CSO)

7/2021 - Present

SVP,
Group Strategy Director

FCB NY (IPG)

• Delivered 45% YOY office growth and recognized as Adweek’s 2020 Global Agency of the Year.

• Leading strategy across a portfolio of top accounts, including AB InBev (Michelob ULTRA, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, BON V!V), Lincoln Financial, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Flonase, Spotify and Tommy Hilfiger.

• Won significant new business pitches, including AB InBev's Beyond Beer Portfolio, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Spotify, Tommy Hilfiger and Clinique. Generated organic growth against retained and project-based accounts. 

• Elevating strategic offering and mentoring teams across integrated disciplines, including brand planning, comms planning, and brand positioning. Particular focus on enhancing digital, brand purpose and activation capabilities. 

​

7/2019 - 7/2021

SVP,
Group Strategy Director

NYC & BOS Leadership Team | Jack Morton Worldwide (IPG)

• Head of Strategy Department across three offices – New York, Boston and Princeton – and responsible for guiding vision, mentoring talent and growing the business of each office as part of their Leadership Teams. 

• Steering advertising, integrated marketing, digital and content AOR relationships with agency’s top clients.

• Digital and Content Marketing Practice Area Lead across 15 offices globally, charged with driving the agency’s offerings forward through external thought leadership, codifying internal best practices and pitching.

• Leading major new business pitches, yielding advertising, content marketing and market research account wins including Google, L.L.Bean, InEight, Love Has No Labels, Calvin Klein, WMCHealth and ONE Condoms.

• Fostering senior client relationships and stimulating organic account growth across brands including Subway, Liberty Mutual, UPS, Bank of America, I Love NY, Reebok, Eaton and more.

• North American Strategy Representative to the agency’s Global Creative Council.

1/2017 - 7/2019

VP,
Strategy Director

BOS Leadership Team | Jack Morton Worldwide (IPG)

• Spurred the office’s three-year 142% growth as a member of the Leadership Team.

• Captured significant new business including Liberty Mutual, Subway, TD Ameritrade, Sylvania, PUMA and Bose.

• Grew and led the Boston Strategy Department, overseeing and developing a team of six strategists.

• Oversaw end-to-end account strategy (research, channel planning, creative briefs and measurement) for clients including Subway, Liberty Mutual, Intel, Fidelity, P&G, MGH, 2(X)IST and Eaton.

• Crafted vision for agency’s service offerings, including raising the bar for strategy, creative and measurement.

• Developed thought leadership for international speaking engagements, press interviews and white papers.

3/2014 - 1/2017

Senior
Strategist

Global Creative Council | Jack Morton Worldwide (IPG)

• Led end-to-end development of strategic deliverables, including primary and secondary research, communications plans, creative briefs and measurement plans and reports, with junior strategy support.

• Responsible for organic growth of clients: Subway, P&G, GM (Chevrolet/GMC), Intel, Oracle and Eaton.

• Secured major new business wins such as Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, Olay and Tribe Hummus.

11/2011 - 3/2014

Communications Strategist

Management Team | Oxford Communications

• Founded and developed thriving social, mobile, digital and search practice from the ground up, with ongoing responsibility for departmental P&L, growth and hiring.

• Head of strategy and planning across full roster of integrated marketing clients, including Brother International, Prime Retail Outlets, Robert Wood Johnson Hospitals, Quick Chek, Hollywood Tans and Drexel University.

• Initiated and managed new business efforts that yielded significant revenue for the agency from both national and international accounts including Bombardier Inc., Audiovox, RCA and Villa Enterprise Management.

• Acted as agency’s public voice and thought leader through press interviews and industry speaking events.

5/2009 - 11/2011

Digital Strategist

Freelance: Street Attack, Espresso, Refine+Focus, BiGMarK, First Act

• Collaborated with advertising agencies and brands as a digital and social media consultant.

• Serviced accounts, pitched new business and trained agency staff on emerging media best practices.

• Managed influencer programs, social media initiatives, word-of-mouth campaigns, sales enablement development and UX for clients including Mashable, GlobalPost, InternetIsFun and Jive Software.

9/2008 - 5/2009

Marketing Strategist
& Graphic Designer

The Plenary Group

• Crafted brand identities, advertising, collateral and digital marketing for small and medium sized businesses.

6/2005 - 9/2008

EDUCATION

​Emerson College | GPA: 4.0 | Summa Cum Laude

B.S. Marketing: Advertising and Public Relations

Professional Studies

Option® Portfolio School: Creative Concepting

MassArt: Web Design & Animation
Parsons School of Design: Industrial Design
School of the Art Institute of Chicago: Graphic Design

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP