Monday, April 28, 2014

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IPG was thrilled to host (for a second time) the New York Women in Communications 2014 Matrix Awards, which honors the extraordinary achievements of outstanding women in the communications industry.  Emcees Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, co-hosts of the fourth hour of NBC’s TODAY, kept the crowd laughing throughout the event. ​

As one of the world’s largest advertising and communications companies, IPG has more than 21,000 women who work at our digital, PR, events, advertising and media companies across the globe. We understand the value of women in communications.

One of the many perks of hosting the Matrix Awards is that we are able to help with some of the design elements of the event.  We’re especially excited that our agency Hill Holliday, led by Chairman & CEO Karen Kaplan, designed this year’s program.  The journal features illustrations of the honorees stylized in the art deco period.  We chose this era because its women refused to be complacent or demure, like today’s honorees who are all are world-changers.  The illustrations show the Matrix Award honorees against a backdrop of a time when women were breaking out of the stifling gender norms of another era.

At IPG, we work hard to be a leader at recruiting, retaining and promoting women at all levels of our company.  This commitment has taken many forms, from starting a global Women’s Leadership Network within IPG, to electing women to the IPG Board of Directors, making us one of seven Fortune 500 companies with a 40% or higher representation of women on its board.

The Matrix Awards are important for so many reasons – not least among them is that the event serves as a key fundraiser for New York Women in Communications Foundation’s annual scholarship program.  These grants help cultivate future leaders in our business, as you’ll see in the video FCB prepared featuring this year’s scholarship winners.

Women Who Change the World:

  • Wendy Clark, Senior Vice President, Global Sparkling Brand Center, The Coca Cola Company, @wnd
    Presented by Shelly Lazarus, Chairman Emeritus, Ogilvy & Mather
  • Queen Latifah, Musician, Award-Winning Actress, Record-Label President, Author, Entrepreneur, and Cover Girl, @IAMQUEENLATIFAH
    Presented by Mary J. Blige, Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer, Actress, @maryjblige
  • Jane Mayer, Staff Writer, The New Yorker
    Presented by David Remnick, Editor, The New Yorker
  • Cynthia McFadden, Senior Legal and Investigative Correspondent, NBC News, @CynthiaMcFadden
    Presented by Christiane Amanpour, Chief International Correspondent, CNN, @camanpour
  • Dyllan McGee, Founder and Executive Producer, MAKERS, @dyllanmcgee
    Presented by Gloria Steinem, Writer, Organizer, Co-Founder Ms., @GloriaSteinem
  • Eileen Naughton, Vice President, Global Accounts & Global Agencies, Google
    Presented by David Gregory, Moderator, “Meet the Press,” @davidgregory
  • Jonelle Procope, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Apollo Theater, @jonelleprocope
    Presented by Richard Parsons, Senior Advisor, Providence Equity LLC

Check out the 2014 Matrix highlights reel.

Press Highlights: