Gayle Fuguitt, ARF CEO to Depart by the End of the Year

NEW YORK, July 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The ARF announces today that Gayle Fuguitt, CEO and President of The ARF, has notified the Board of Directors that she will not renew her contract upon expiration and, in order to ensure a smooth transition, will continue to lead the organization until 10/31/16.

Gayle's tenure at The ARF has been marked by bold vision and initiatives aimed at establishing The ARF as the industry go-to network and resource to deliver the most original and important research on "how advertising works," and by forging innovative partnerships that have driven expansion of The ARF footprint regionally and globally. The enthusiastic participation of the member network as speakers, sponsors and educators has been a hallmark of Gayle's passion for the leaders of our research industry today. Gayle is well known for bringing skills and experiences to those unsung leaders and most importantly the next generation, through innovative leadership programs: Leadership Labs and Certification, Young Pro Regional Expansion, Women in Analytics, and Make Your Mark Co-Mentoring with Senior Executives.

The Board of Directors extends their appreciation for her work and wishes her well as she enters the next chapter of her career.

"I would like to thank Gayle for her inspired leadership at the ARF, and for her extraordinary work as a champion of the research community. The ARF has once again become, under Gayle's direction, the center of intelligent discourse at the nexus between the advertising and media industries," said David Poltrack, Chief Research Officer, CBS Corporation, President, CBS Vision and two-term ARF Board Chair.

Gayle Fuguitt, CEO and President of the Advertising Research Foundation said, "I would like to thank all of those on our Board of Directors, our ARF team and our extraordinary network of members who provided invaluable support as we lifted the organization's profile and raised the bar; working together to provide that leadership trifecta of innovative original research, bold collaboration, and clear, concise communication to drive sales growth, and build better brands at this critically important time in our industry."

Gayle Fuguitt joined the ARF in 2013 after a 32-year career at General Mills, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, where she built and led an industry leading market research organization. She was inducted into the Market Research Hall of Fame by the Market Research Council in 2014.

The Advertising Research Foundation (The ARF) is the only organization that creates and curates objective, original research through education, events, and networking for advertising practitioners. By providing leading-edge solutions and anticipating the industry's challenges, we are trusted by over 400 member companies from leading brands, agencies, research firms, media, and tech. Our unique network enables us to generate relevant insights, provide a platform for members to share findings, empower members to make impactful marketing decisions, and challenge convention. We help our members be smarter faster and support them in being fearless leaders in their organization and in the future.

The ARF Board is putting together a search committee for Gayle's successor and in the meantime request that all inquiries go to Erik Erikson at the ARF.

Contact: Touseef Mirza, +1 646-465-5741, touseef.mirza@thearf.org