Mark Androw has been traveling to New York and California on AICP business at least four times a year for the last 15 years serving on the national board in various influential capacities.
As newly-elected chairman of an association representing $4 billion in gross member billings, he anticipates ramping up his frequent flyer miles.
Androw is owner/executive producer of The Story Companies, based in Chicago with offices in Los Angeles and New York and a staff of 19.
“I feel very honored to hold this position,” Androw says, as the AICP’s tenth chairman and only the second non-New York or California leader in its nearly 30-year history.
The chairman title is fairly new, by the way. President was changed to chairman in 1995, and New York-based Matt Miller’s paid executive director title was changed to president.
Androw’s role is part-time and voluntary. He’ll serve the 479 members (269 general and 210 associate members), presiding over an eight-person board. His term is one year and he has the option for a second term.
What are same of the issues Androw faces during his leadership year?
- “Overall, our goal is to grow the organization and keep it financially healthy, strong and vibrant in a very tough, competitive production market where we see companies go out of business or reduce their size,” he says.
A big part of AICP’s income is derived from the annual AICP Show in June in New York. “We’re looking and discussing whether we should keep it strictly a U.S. show, or make it more international.
“The show is also called America’s Reel, and overseas it’s considered the best of America in commercial production. So we’re looking at it as marketing tool for the commercial film industry,” he said.
- Androw’s experience on the labor committee will come into play in 2004, since both the DGA and West Coast IA contract will expire. He negotiated the DGA Midwest three-year term and the just-signed IA Midwest agreement as he has for the past nine years.
- AICP will find an insurance carrier to take on its new tax-deductible health insurance plan for member companies now that they have the necessary IRS classification.
The trade group Androw heads is not large terms of numbers: 479 in all, 269 general and 210 associate members, but the collective power they wield in advertising is enormous. Their $4 billion in gross sales represents about one-fourth of total U.S. advertising expenditures.
Androw, a trained non-practicing lawyer, has been an AICP member practically from the time it was formed to standardize contracts between ad agencies and production companies ? a very big deal and important advance at the time.
And back when many companies were using pencils, Androw spent intense months creating a Mac- based computerized and standardized bid form, another first. “Everything else at the time had been written for IBM computers,” he recalls.
Commercial production is definitely a changing business, Androw states. “Companies that survive and succeed do so because they’ve figured out how to navigate the waters in the current state of business.”
The Story Companies has certainly been one of them, in business during 15 years of sea change and positioning Androw as the ideal helmsman for the times.
Mark Androw’s phone is 312/642-3173.
Serving on the AICP Board of Directors Executive Committee: Chairman Mark Androw, The Story Companies; Vice Chairman Frank Stiefel, @radical.media; President & CEO Matt Miller, AICP; Treasurer Sally Antonacchio, The Artists Company; Secretary & Legal Counsel Robert L. Sacks, Kane Kessler, P.C.; Immediate Past Chairman Al Califano, A- List, LLC; AICP/West President Andy Traines, Anonymous Content; AICP/East President Pam Rohs, The Joneses; AICP/Southwest President Jeremy Besser, Directorz.
