Ingrid Otero-Smart

Ingrid Otero-Smart has become a powerhouse in Hispanic and Multicultural marketing and advertising; one that has nurtured many current and future leaders in our industry. She started her advertising journey at McCann Erickson in her native Puerto Rico, and in 1987, she joined Mendoza Dillon & Asociados. She worked at MD&A for 18 years, leaving as President /COO in 2005 before heading to Anita Santiago Advertising, where she was President until 2008. For the last 15 years, she has served as the President/CEO of Casanova//McCann, where she brought a renewed sense of vitality and creativity to the agency; one that has established a multi-year winning growth trend. In 2020, Ingrid acquired the majority stake in Casanova from IPG, becoming a McCann affiliate and making Casanova a certified female-owned and minority-owned enterprise.

Ingrid’s many talents and unyielding dedication has positively impacted an extensive and impressive list of Fortune 500 brands, including Nestlé, Hilton Hotels, California Lottery, MillerCoors, GlaxoSmithKline, IKEA, Denny’s, U.S. Army, Chevrolet, Disneyland, and many others. It’s clear that she has a passion for helping businesses grow and succeed while simultaneously championing the Hispanic consumer audience.

Ingrid’s industry involvement and achievements are equally impressive. She is a board member and former president of the Hispanic Marketing Council (HMC). She’s been named one of Hispanic Business Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential Hispanics not just once, but twice. She was named 2009 Hispanic Ad Executive of the Year, 2012 Marketing Person of the Year by OC Business Journal, was recipient of the 2013 Hispanic Achievement Award and the 2015 ADCOLOR Rock Star Award. In 2016, she was honored with the Advertising Working Mothers of the Year Award by Advertising Women of New York (AWNY), and that same year she received the Corporate Leadership Award by the National Puerto Rican Day Parade. Most recently, in 2020 she was named Latina Style Los Angeles Entrepreneur of the Year. Wow!

It’s clear that Ingrid is not only an expert in her field, but she’s also a strategic, compassionate and caring leader. Her dedication to her work and her community is truly inspiring.

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