Hawthorne Direct, a full-service agency that has operated for 28 years, announced today the promotion of Jessica Hawthorne-Castro to CEO.
In her new role Hawthorne-Castro will continue to oversee agency operations and lead the company toward innovation in the accountable advertising space.
Hawthorne-Castro—daughter of Tim Hawthorne, founder and chairman of Hawthorne Direct—served as the agency’s VP of operations and client services from 2007 to March 2013, when she was promoted to chief operating officer. Before joining the agency, Hawthorne-Castro worked as a TV literary agent at William Morris Endeavor. “Since first joining Hawthorne Direct in 2007, Jessica has helped transform our agency to its position as a market leader in brand response advertising,” Hawthorne said in a statement.
Though Hawthorne-Castro will replace her father as CEO, the elder Hawthorne will continue to serve as chairman.
“I have always been extremely optimistic about the direct response industry, as I believe accountable advertising is where the future of marketing for brands has long been headed, and we are very fortunate to be in this market leader position,” Hawthorne-Castro said in a release.
