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Kathy Kayse

Chief Media Strategy and Partnerships Officer

Kathleen Kayse is Chief Media Strategy & Partnerships Officer at the Ad Council, the national nonprofit organization that mobilizes the energy and talents of the communications industry to make a measurable impact on the most critical social issues of today.

In her role, Kathleen leads the strategy, outreach and partnerships for more than 30 national social good campaigns, securing over $1 billion in donated media annually across linear and digital platforms. Over the course of its more than 75-year history, the Ad Council has created many of the most iconic public service campaigns in U.S. history — from Smokey Bear and “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk” to the viral phenomenon “Love Has No Labels.” Kathleen oversees the Ad Council’s relationships with media agencies and partners, as well as the organization’s Media Advisory Council, comprised of experts in the industry.

An accomplished media and advertising executive, Kathleen has strategically transformed businesses and brands at every step of her career. She joined the Ad Council from Yahoo, where she served as Vice President of Sales Strategy and Solutions. She also spearheaded the historic launch of the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and Oprah.com as Executive Vice President of Advertising Sales at OWN. Previously, Kathleen served as EVP of Sales at AOL and Publisher of both People and Money.

A committed advocate for female advancement in business, Kathleen is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Women Sports Foundation and she previously served on the Board for the New York Advertising Club and as a mentor through She Runs It (Advertising Women of New York). Kathleen has been named a “Woman to Watch” by Ad Age.

A graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she currently resides in New York City with her partner and two children.