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Cynthia Round
Current position: senior partner and executive group director,
Ogilvy & Mather advertising agency, New York City
Hometown: Ponca City, Oklahoma
OSU degree: bachelor's '75 speech communication
In the movie business, an executive producer brings the elements of a
film together while ideally staying on time and on budget. Cynthia
Round, whose success story could be made into a movie, has a similar
executive position in the advertising business. She is a senior partner
and executive group director at the New York City headquarters of Ogilvy
& Mather, the fifth largest advertising agency worldwide.
"I'm not in the creative or media departments at the agency,"
Round says. "I'm an account manager who translates what the client
wants and forms a marketing strategy into a communications strategy."
Round currently manages accounts for Chesebrough Ponds, Lever
Brothers, and US Satellite Broadcasting. When Round worked for
Proctor & Gamble, 1975 to 1982, she launched pampers into the
Italian market.
Round attributes her success to her strong OSU liberal arts background.
"My liberal arts education, which allowed me to study topics from
chemistry to philosophy, prepared me for this global marketplace."
Round also credits her 16 course hours of Spanish. "While I was working
in Italy, it was easier to learn the language because it was similar to
Spanish."
Inspired by fond memories of the OSU speech department, including
guidance from speech professors Jim Hughey, Arlee Johnson, and Paul
Harper, Round has found time to return to the college atmosphere. She is
a mentor in several advanced education organizations. "I like having
the opportunity to help develop careers and stay in touch with
students," she says.
Round also commits time to nonprofit organizations, including the OSU
Foundation. "I'm glad I have the chance to apply what I know about
marketing and communications to benefit others."
When Round reflects on her degree choice, she says, "After
graduating I realized my degree either qualified me for nothing or for
everything." Based on her recent acceptance of the OSU College
of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Alumni award and her many career
successes, her qualification status is an obvious "everything."
Round and her husband, Chas Carner, live in Manhattan. Carner is a
freelance writer and documentary film maker. Their daughter, Carner
Round, is 14 months old.
by Jennifer Wingett with contributions from editorial assistants Brigette
Loehr and Kelli Palan
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