Mary Baglivo Named Vice President for Global Marketing and Chief Marketing Officer

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Mary Baglivo, formerly Chairman and CEO, Americas, for Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide, has been named Northwestern University’s vice president for global marketing and chief marketing officer, Northwestern President Morton Schapiro announced today (Sept. 19, 2013).

Baglivo has had a distinguished career in marketing and advertising, including serving as CEO of several leading communications agencies and as the global business leader for those agencies’ relationships with multinational companies, including Procter & Gamble, General Mills and MillerCoors. She took over as CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi’s New York office in 2004 and led a financial, operational and reputational turnaround of that flagship office. She became Chairman and CEO, Americas, for Saatchi in 2009, responsible for the firm’s North American, Latin American and Multicultural offices.

“Mary will bring tremendous insights and extensive experience to Northwestern’s global marketing and branding efforts,” President Schapiro said. “I’m very pleased to have her join the leadership of the University, and I look forward to having the benefit of her expertise.”

Prior to joining Saatchi & Saatchi, Baglivo was president of Arnold Worldwide, an integrated creative communications agency, and Panoramic Communications, an independent marketing services holding company. Baglivo also for two years was the chief operating officer, North America, for the J Walter Thompson advertising agency.

She began her career as an assistant account executive at Euro RSCG Tatham in its Chicago office and advanced through supervisory and management positions to become the president and CEO of that agency’s Chicago office.

Baglivo serves on the board of directors of three companies: Phillips Van Heusen (NYSE: PVH), a global branded apparel company that includes Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger; Host Hotels and Resorts (NYSE: HST), the largest lodging real estate investment trust; and Baby Jogger (a Riverside company), the original designer of high-performance joggers and three-wheel strollers.

“I’m very excited to join the Northwestern leadership team and to reapply my experience to help accelerate the success of this great mission-driven University,” Baglivo said.

Baglivo holds a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. She earned her undergraduate degree in English from Rutgers University, which has honored her as one of its distinguished alumni.

In 2011 Baglivo received the American Advertising Federation Diversity Achievement Award for Industry Career Achiever, and she previously was named New York Advertising Woman of the Year by the Advertising Women of New York. She has served as a trustee of Northwestern University and on the dean’s advisory board for Medill.

“We are excited to have someone of Mary’s strength and capabilities lead our branding initiatives,” said Daniel Linzer, Northwestern’s provost. “A key recommendation from the University’s strategic planning effort was to bring in a high-level, experienced person to coordinate and provide direction for marketing efforts throughout the University. Mary will provide that leadership and work closely with academic and administrative offices across the institution.”

Linzer added, “I would also like to recognize the significant efforts of the strategic planning branding task force, under the exemplary leadership of Jane Pigott, one of our trustees, and Gregory Carpenter, the James Farley/Booz Allen Hamilton Professor of Marketing Strategy. Their dedicated work, along with that of the search committee led by Marilyn McCoy, vice president for administration and planning, has enabled us to identify and attract a new vice president for global marketing and chief marketing officer who will help enhance Northwestern’s already strong reputation.”

Baglivo is married to James Meguerian and has two children. Her son, John Meguerian, graduated from Northwestern in 2012, and her daughter, Martha, is a junior at Tufts University.