Jerry Reitman


Jerry Reitman is an American author, businessman and advertising executive. Reitman is the founder of the Reitman Group. He formerly served as the CEO of Scali, McCabe, Sloves, the International Head and Executive Vice President of Ogilvy and the Executive Vice President of Leo Burnett Worldwide.

Early life

Reitman was born to Benjamin and Ruth Reitman. He grew up in a Jewish family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father was the owner of multiple shoe retail stores. He graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School and went on to attend Penn State where he graduated with a degree in finance.

Career

Reitman started his career at Ziff Davis as an ad salesman. While at Ziff Davis, he went on to become the director of their British Magazine of the Month Club. He then spent time working at Publishers Clearing House and Academic Media Company.
In 1974, Reitman became the International Head and Executive Vice President of Ogilvy and was successful in growing Oglivy from two offices to 26 offices over four-year period. In 1982, Reitman was named the President and CEO of Scali, McCabe, Sloves where he was tasked with expanding the company. In 1985, Reitman became the Executive Vice President of Leo Burnett Worldwide. He retired from Leo Burnett after working there for 15 years.
Reitman published Beyond 2000: The Future of Direct Marketing in 2000. The book talks about the future of the direct marketing industry.

Awards

Reitman has received recognition and many awards for his successful work as an advertising executive. For example, the city of New Orleans, Louisiana gifted him with the key to the city. Other awards he has received include the Direct Marketers Silver Apple, the Charles S. Downs Award and the Direct Marketer of Year Award.

Charitable Work

Reitman served as the Chairman of the Board of Governors at the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals for more than 20 years. As a result of his work with the Children's Miracle Network, he was invited to the White House in 2009 and met with President Barack Obama.

Personal life

Reitman is a resident of Chicago, Illinois. He also owns homes in Venice, California and Stockholm, Sweden. He is an avid tennis player and sports fan and an aspiring woodworker.