Heide Gardner

Heide started as a successful marketer and creative for major brands. Later, as a lobbyist, she represented the ad industry in Washington, helping to win a Presidential Executive Order supporting multicultural agencies and media. Heide launched AAF’s diversity agenda and led member CMOs, agency CEOS and media heads in their work to create the first Mosaic Principles. Her insights and IPG’s award-winning strategy appear often in media such as The New York Times, Forbes, The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Financial Times, Harvard Business Review and think tank research. Adweek and AdColor named her a Change Agent, and she is on AdAge’s roster of Most Influential Women over 100 years. Heide’s many honors also include a Mount Holyoke College Alumni Achievement Award, Black Enterprise Top Corporate Diversity Executives listing and DiversityBestPractices/Working Diversity Officer Leadership Award.