Cathy Butler

I am a 25-year lover of the advertising industry, with a passion for life-long learning and people development. My experience of being an award-winning 2x CEO, certified leadership coach, parent, small business owner, and daughter of immigrants has given me a unique perspective on how to thrive in our complex world. While I prefer to be beach-side, most of my time is spent in New Jersey.

Cathy is a 2x CEO, certified Leadership Coach, and award-winning marketing and technology expert with more than 25 years of experience, leading teams and clients. In her most recent role as CEO of Organic, the world’s first digital agency, she worked with world-class brands such as Johnson & Johnson, IKEA, Nestle, Whole Foods, American Express, Pitney Bowes, and Aetna in their ambition to be digital-first businesses. As CEO, she created and maintained a diverse workforce, with nearly 40% people of color, 67% of women in leadership roles, and 98% retention rate. She founded Omnicom’s first employee resource group for API, and was also on the DE&I Governance Board. Cathy is very proud to have implemented a coaching program to BIPOC talent across the Omnicom agency network.

Fueled by a deep belief that coaching skills make leaders more powerful for teams and clients, Cathy invested time in gaining a Leadership Coaching Certification from American University in 2023.

She was recognized in 2022 with the She Runs It Change Agent Award, 2022 AdAge Best Places to Work, and Adweek Women Trailblazer Award, 2021 Campaign’s Female Frontier Award Winner. She is also a founder of Omnicom’s Asian employee resource group. Cathy is a published writer for Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Huffington Post, AdAge and Campaign, and a co-creator of the API Rising Podcast.