Roberto Orcí joins Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies Board of Directors.

At a meeting of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) Board of Directors on November 7th, Roberto Orcí, president of Acento, was unanimously selected by fellow agency leaders to fill a board member vacancy in the western region. Orcí will serve a short term through April 2009 and will be eligible for re-election by AHAA members in April. Members of the AHAA Board of Directors are responsible for guiding the organization to fulfill its mission to grow, strengthen and protect the Hispanic-specialized marketing and advertising industry and raise awareness of the value of the Hispanic market to advertisers.

“Roberto is an industry veteran and we are thrilled to add his expertise and perspective to the AHAA Board of Directors,” says José Lopez-Varela, AHAA chairman. “He has an outstanding reputation and a depth of industry knowledge that will prove valuable in working to achieve AHAA’s goals for the coming year. Education is paramount to enhancing the professionalism within our industry and recruiting new talent as part of AHAA’s mission. Roberto taught Hispanic marketing at UCLA for 15 years and we look forward to drawing from his ideas and experiences to build on AHAA’s efforts in this area.”

Orcí brings more than 32 years of advertising experience to his new position on the AHAA Board of Directors. He was partner and President of La Agencia de Orcí Associates in 1988 when the U.S. Hispanic population was just 20 million. Today, Latinos number nearly 46 million and the population is expected to increase to more than 60 million by the year 2020. Orcí has played a major role in helping advertisers tap into the growing U.S. Hispanic market potential and welcomes the opportunity to contribute his extensive marketing and brand-building experience to advance AHAA.

“I am joining an amazing group of marketing leaders and I look forward to promoting our shared goals,” Orcí said following his acceptance last Friday. “I am honored to join the board of one of the most relevant and substantive organizations in U.S. Marketing. AHAA has come to represent a wide array of Hispanic marketing professionals in its relatively short history. I am committed to help make a difference serving alongside a talented group of agency leaders.”

Prior to joining Acento as president just one year ago, Orcí owned and operated a management consulting firm, which he founded in 2002. He also has led strategic marketing efforts as VP Management Supervisor for Ogilvy Mather in Mexico, Canada and the U.S., and has held brand management positions for Procter in Mexico. Orcí’s multiple category experience includes overseeing blue chip accounts such as American Express, Nestle Foods, Allstate Insurance, and American Honda.

“AHAA has much to accomplish in the coming months with the launch of a new Web site, the release of two research studies, a salary survey, an aggressive education initiative, two stellar conferences and a creative awards show and much more,” Lopez-Varela says. “We are always seeking fresh perspectives and approaches to add a new dimension to AHAA. Roberto is a welcome addition to the AHAA board of directors.”