Mark Avnet is Senior Director of Learning and Development at IAB, bringing over 25 years of senior leadership, learning and development, talent management, thought leadership, and innovation experience to IAB, its members and partners.
Mark was Head of Learning and Development at 360i, founding and leading L&D and Thought Leadership at this large Dentsu-owned digital-first advertising and marketing agency. At 360i, Mark created and facilitated training and workshops for employees, as well as developing and delivering training programs for clients including Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Kraft, Mondelez, Mattel, and Oscar Mayer.
Other industry roles have included SVP and Director of Technology and Production at Ammirati Puris Lintas’ APL Digital, CTO and Head of Innovation at Lot21 Interactive, Head of New Media at @radicalmedia, and Executive Producer and Head of Production at Hearst New Media.
Mark’s academic credentials include Professor and founding Head of the Creative Technology program at VCU Virginia Commonwealth University’s Brandcenter, widely recognized as the nation’s top graduate school in advertising and marketing. Mark was Chair of Communications at Russell Sage College/Sage Colleges of Albany, Visiting Professor at Marist College, and Adjunct professor in both NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications.
Mark has been a professional musician, recording engineer/producer, and recording studio owner. He is a certified clinical hypnotherapist and, in an early career left-turn, briefly raised giant sea slugs for a living.
