About me
Debra brings a unique experience set and perspective to AAR that includes 20+ years in Account and Agency Management, a tour of duty on the client side, and 5 years as a Senior Partner at Select Resources International and External View Consulting Group conducting agency reviews, in addition to being the founder of her own product company.
Debra began her career at JWT and held account management positions at DDB and Grey, as well as with at highly respected creative boutiques, ultimately taking on the role of Managing Director of Campbell-Ewald’s Los Angeles office. During those years, she worked on a wide variety of business categories from QSR, health clubs and telcos to theme parks, CPG and HBC products. Throughout her agency career, her strength in branding and positioning, as well as her ability to establish and maintain successful client relationships, gained her the trust and respect of clients and agency staff at all levels.
Debra’s HBC experience and branding acumen landed her at Dermalogica, a world-renown skin care company, where she managed the Education department’s U.S. staff of over 100, their 18 domestic skin care schools and led a global re-branding effort for the education side of the business.
Debra specializes in agency search and selection and has conducted reviews for many well-known brands, including The Home Depot, Radio Shack, Aflac, Vanguard, Sargento, United Healthcare, the California Lottery and AMC Theatres. Additionally, Debra leads agency workshops on a wide variety of new business and agency growth-related topics.
Debra lives with her husband in Santa Monica, where they thoroughly enjoy their status as empty nesters at the beach. She is an avid and accomplished cook and has tackled bike trips in New Zealand, Czech Republic and throughout Canada. She also enjoys accompanying her photographer husband to such far away places as Iceland, Newfoundland, The Falkland Islands and Patagonia, happily playing the role of muse and photo assistant.