In a move that underscores the agency’s cross-cultural evolution as it enters its fourth decade in business, segment-advertising leader Acento announced the growth of its leadership team.
Acento’s board of directors named intercultural veteran Donnie Broxson its Chief Executive Officer while Hispanic advertising pioneer Roberto Orci steps into the new role of Chairman, effective immediately. Orci’s role will be to further grow the agency’s business, diversify its revenue base and build the company’s brand in the industry. Broxson will be responsible for Acento’s overall strategic direction, operations and client relationships with all agency departments reporting to him.
Acento is also expanding its leadership team by promoting the following long-term employees to Vice President:
* Angélica Garcia named VP, Strategy & Insights
* Sofia Escamilla named VP, Media
* Lourdes Washington named VP, Client Leadership
“With our new team in place, Acento brings an invigorated and holistic approach to cross cultural marketing that challenges consumer indifference across cultural and linguistic siloes,” said Broxson. “The result of our leadership team’s evolution is a more efficient and impactful company that creates cultural connection and drives business growth for our clients.”
The lineup is complemented by Acento leadership veterans Marco Cassese, Chief Creative Officer; and Bob Berry, Chief Financial Officer.
Orci said, “This structure will set us up for success as we forge new paths in a dynamic cultural landscape. I look forward to supporting the agency’s work as a visible ambassador for our brand. It’s an exciting new chapter for me personally, and for all of us at the agency.”
Reflecting on the new leadership team, Broxson added, “These advertising veterans bring insights, acumen and instinct that creates bottom-line impact for clients. Their unique cultural perspectives will not only transform the leadership voice of Acento, but propel us forward as warriors against indifference.”
MORE DETAIL
BIO: Donnie Broxson
Donnie joined Acento in 2011 and became President in 2018. His career has encompassed agency and client-side posts, consistently focused on the integration of communications across the breadth of consumer segments and stakeholder audiences. He has led marketing impact for top companies in the financial services, energy, healthcare, retail, insurance, telecom, education and grocery categories. A Texas farmboy by birth, his career has taken him across the United States, deep into South America and to Southeast Asia. He holds a degree from Georgetown University’s prestigious School of Foreign Service and lives a tri-cultural life including Hispanic, Vietnamese and U.S. roots.
BIO: Lourdes Washington
Lourdes has been leading financial category accounts for more than 20 years, including such brands as Wells Fargo, H&R Block and Allstate Insurance. Celebrating 15 years at Acento, she most recently served as Group Account Director, leading Wells Fargo’s national Hispanic and diverse segment initiatives. Born in Spain and raised by Cuban parents in Newark, N.J., she eventually moved to sunny Los Angeles and has two beautiful kids. She spends her early mornings at the gym lifting “heavy things,” and during the weekends you’ll find her either on the basketball court watching her son play or on the hunt for a new pair of sneakers.
BIO: Angélica Garcia
Angelica has more than 30 years of multicultural marketing and advertising expertise both in Mexico and the U.S. With a multidisciplinary background and experience across packaged goods, retail, automotive, financial services and telecom industries she is focused on the voice of the consumer activating analytics to create cultural and business impact. A 15-year veteran of Acento, she has served as Director of Strategy and Insights for the last five years. Her career began client side in her native Mexico City before settling in Los Angeles.
BIO: Sofia Escamilla
Sofia brings more than 20 years of cross-channel media experience across industries such as retail, direct response, telecom, automotive, political and healthcare among others. Her expertise is grounded in creatively developing integrated media programs that are dialed into data analytics. She brings a deep knowledge of all media disciplines across the U.S. and Latin America for both multicultural and general segments. Sofia holds a degree in International Relations from the University of Southern California.
ABOUT ACENTO
Established in 1983 to address the growing Spanish-language market in the U.S., Acento has evolved into a truly cross-cultural advertising agency, developing effective multi-lingual campaigns that reflect the dynamic cultural interplay of our diverse population. Acento evolves the multicultural and total market models of the past into an inclusive and responsive approach that recognizes the complexity of the marketplace. Acento’s current and past client-base includes Wells Fargo, Banner Health, CenturyLink, Time Warner Cable, Edison International, Mitsubishi, Disney, Toshiba and the California Tobacco Control Program among others.
