VP/General Manager Odato Marketing Group, Pittsburgh

From packaging to packaged goods, from retail channels to B2B channels, and from traditional branding to E-business, Bruce Downing has the insight and expertise to merge brand building and business building with an in-depth knowledge of channel and integrated marketing.

Bruce’s familiarity with marketing began long before he graduated from the College of Wooster in Ohio with a major in Public Relations. His grandfather, Harold Downing, formed Downing Advertising – the first advertising agency in Pittsburgh – in 1920. Sixty years later, Bruce launched his own career there.

He has worked with some of the East Coast’s finest talent and held various leadership roles, including Vice President at Della Femina (HBM Creamer), Sr. VP/Partner at the St. George Group, and Vice President at MARC USA and the Pipitone Group. Bruce has lit up new channels for GE Reveal light bulbs; upped the bean count for Taster’s Choice; amused patrons of Kennywood, Idlewild and Sandcastle amusement parks; and coached Procter & Gamble’s Bounce and Cheer to retail channel success. Bruce has provided the ROI for AIG’s independent advisors, along with many other corporations such as PPG, Highmark and Bryant Heating & Cooling.

Bruce and his colleagues have been recognized with the Wall Street Journal’s New Product Success award (Stouffer’s Lunch Express), numerous ADDY awards, American Marketing Association Marketer of the Year Awards in Manufacturing (PPG, Sauereisen) and Economic Development (Centre County Chamber). Recently, Bruce was honored to be named American Marketing Association Board Member of the Year.

Along the way, Bruce acquired some very transferable skills in team building and in the implementation of best practices for both clients and ad agencies. He has founded public relations groups in each of his last two positions and is currently becoming PMP (project management) certified.

In his off-time, Bruce stays as close to his kids as they’ll let him. He spends a bunch of time helping coach youth sports and that’s not bad for a former band geek who dabbled in swimming and baseball. Bruce is on the Board of the American Marketing Association, and his wife Kathy is a long-time media planner. Together, they head up their church’s communications team and are working on an important long-term marketing project: raising their children to be proper Steelers’ fans.