In 2007, ad:tech inaugurated a new category to the ad:tech Awards program, the Industry Achievement Award.

The category is devoted to individuals rather than to creative campaigns or projects. Three outstanding individuals are honored each year for their altruistic contributions and the selfless acts that pushed forward the digital marketing industry.

This “Industry Achievement” award, the only one of its kind in the industry, honors those who have given long-term dedication and consistent outstanding service to online marketing through efforts such as working on industry association boards, helping cement standards, offering break-through thinking that changes the way the industry operates, and to funding research to make more fact-based decisions.

The advertising marketplace thrives due to the commitment of those who have grown and tirelessly shape the industry. The first three recipients of the Industry Achievement Award in 2007 were Scot McLernon, SVP Sales, CBS Digital Media; Sarah Fay, President, Isobar USA and David Smith, CEO, MediaSmith.

In 2008, Kate Thorp, CEO of Real Girls Media Network, Inc., Pete Blackshaw, EVP of Nielsen Online Strategic Services and Rich LeFurgy, Principal at Archer Martin are honored for their outstanding and ongoing contributions to our industry.

Kate Thorp began as a CNET evangelist in the early years of the web. She was one of the found members of the Internet Advertising Bureau. She went on the found and run Lot21, an early digital agency acquired by Carat. From there she ran global media for another high-profile agency, AKQA before most recently forming Right Girls Media and launching her first site, Divine Caroline. Kate has always been at the forefront of digital media, working to establish best practices and lead the charge for amazing work and especially for representing the power and elegance of women in digital marketing.

Pete Blackshaw started out as one of the first interactive brand managers at Procter & Gamble. He created FAST – the Future of Advertising Stakeholders – a group of market leaders devoted to online advertising that helped cement P&G’s early work in digital media. Pete coined the term “consumer generated media “ aka “CGM” when founding Planet Feedback, one of the first firms to understand the importance of measuring online word of mouth. Pete co-founded WOMMA, has a book coming out called “Satisfied Customers” and is now leading the charge to keep the marketing industry honest, ethical, credible and trusted. There is simply no one better to hold us up to a high standard than Pete.

Rich LeFurgy is considered by many to be the father of interactive marketing. As the original Chair of the IAB, he valiantly led online publishers through the first industry standards to create what is now a multi-billion dollar industry. Through his devotion and commitment, his public persona and his big vision, the industry is successful today. Rich has participated on many associations, he’s been an investor, an advisor, an evangelist, and been on the boards of some of the most recognized companies in the industry, artfully guiding them to success including Ad Relevance, Blue Lithium, Glam, Google, x+1, Fathom Online and more.
Track the careers of these amazing industry icons and model yourself after any one of them if you want to selflessly be involved in continuing to create our industry. They are all exemplary models of contribution and success.

Congratulations Kate, Pete and Rich. Thank you for all you’ve done and will continue to do.