About Kenneth Roman

Ken Roman is a former Chairman/CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, the highly regarded advertising and communications firm founded by David Ogilvy.

He is the co-author of two business classics – How to Advertise and Writing That Works, both in third editions. His most recent book, The King of Madison Avenue: David Ogilvy and the Making of Modern Advertising, was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2009.

Ken joined the agency in 1963 as an assistant account executive and served as its Chairman from 1985 to 1989. In his 26 years with the company, he helped build the business of major clients including American Express, Unilever, Kimberly-Clark and General Foods, and grew Ogilvy & Mather’s global network and creative reputation. Before O&M he worked in several corporate communications positions.

After leaving O&M in 1989, he joined American Express in a senior communications position for a brief stint before becoming a consultant and board director. He was a senior advisor to Price Waterhouse and on the boards of Compaq Computer, Brunswick Corp., and Gartner, among others.  He has been active in public service, on the boards of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Metropolitan Opera Guild, and the New York Red Cross, and continues to be involved on the boards of The New York Botanical Garden and The National Organization on Disability.

A graduate of Dartmouth College (Editor of the daily newspaper), Ken was born in Boston, lives in New York, is married to a native New Yorker, and escapes with her to Nantucket.  He plays racquet sports and golf, and regards gardening as a competitive sport.