Kenneth Roman (born September 6, 1930 in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

) is an American author and advertising executive. Roman graduated from

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...

in 1952, where he was editor-in-chief of the undergraduate daily newspaper. Roman joined

Ogilvy & Mather Ogilvy is a New York City-based British advertising, marketing, and public relations agency. It was founded in 1850 by Edmund Mather as a London-based agency. In 1964, the firm became known as Ogilvy & Mather after merging with a New York City a ...

in 1963 and served as chairman from 1985 to 1989. In 1989,

WPP plc WPP plc is a British multinational communications, advertising, public relations, technology, and commerce holding company headquartered in London, England. It is the world's largest advertising company, as of 2023. WPP plc owns many companie ...

, a British advertising

holding company A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the Security (finance), securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own Share ...

, acquired the Ogilvy Group for $864 million, which, at the time, was the most ever paid for an advertising agency. David Ogilvy initially resisted the sale, but eventually accepted the title of WPP honorary chairman, a position he relinquished in 1992. After 26 years with Ogilvy, Roman joined

American Express American Express Company or Amex is an American bank holding company and multinational financial services corporation that specializes in payment card industry, payment cards. It is headquartered at 200 Vesey Street, also known as American Expr ...

in a senior communications role before becoming a consultant, board director, and author. After his departure Graham Phillips became the chairman and CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide. Roman is the co-author of two influential business books – ''How to Advertise'' and ''Writing That Works'' and the author of a 2009 biography of David Ogilvy entitled ''The King of Madison Avenue: David Ogilvy and the Making of Modern Advertising''. He lives in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

with his wife.

Bibliography

*2009 – ''The King of Madison Avenue: David Ogilvy and the Making of Modern Advertising'' *2003 – ''How to Advertise, Third Edition'' *2002 – ''Writing That Works, Third Edition'' *1997 – ''How to Advertise, Second Edition'' *1992 – ''Writing That Works, Second Edition'' *1992 – ''The New How to Advertise'', with

Jane Maas Jane Maas (March 14, 1932 – November 16, 2018) was an American advertising executive and author. Career Maas started her career as a junior copy editor at Ogilvy & Mathers in 1964 and rose to creative director and eventually became the second ...

*1981 – ''Writing That Works'', with Joel Raphaelson *1977 – ''How to Advertise'', with Jane Maas

References

External links

www.kennethroman.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roman, Ken 1930 births Businesspeople from Boston American marketing people Living people Dartmouth College alumni 20th-century American businesspeople American chief executives American advertising executives American business writers 20th-century American biographers 21st-century American biographers