Carlow University Alumna Michele Fabriz1, President and CEO of Marc USA, will receive an honorary doctorate during Carlow’s Commencement on Saturday, May 12.
| Marketing and Communications | For Immediate Release |
| Drew Wilson, Director, Media Relations | April 27, 2018 |
| 412.578.2095 (phone) | |
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| 412.578.2080 (fax) | |
| agwilson@carlow.edu |
Carlow Alumna Michele Fabrizi Heads One of Nation’s Largest Ad Agencies
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Carlow University alumna Michele Fabrizi, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh-based advertising agency Marc USA, will receive an honorary doctorate during Carlow’s Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 12, 2018, at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Oakland.
“Michele is an exceptional leader and has generously shared her business acumen and talent with organizaitons in the region that contribute greatly to our quality of life,” said Suzanne K. Mellon, PhD, president of Carlow University. “We are proud that she is an alumna of Carlow and continues her long association with the university.”
Fabrizi, who graduated from Carlow’s class of 1975, was named president and CEO of Marc in 2003. She is both a Carlow Women of Spirit®, receiving the award in 2000, and a Carlow Laureate, the highest alumni honor presented by the university, which she received in 2012. She has served on the board of the Alleghency Conference on Community Development, the Pittsburgh Opera, and the Andy Warhol Museum, to name just a few. [A complete biography for her follows at the end of this release.]
Two additional honorary doctorates will be awarded during Carlow’s commencement. Father Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, and Colonel Jeannette South-Paul, MD, the Andrew W. Mathieson Professor and Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, will also receive honorary doctorates.
More than 350 students will walk during the ceremony at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, and they will be eligible to receive their bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees.
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About Carlow University
Carlow is a private, co-educational, Catholic university located in the heart of Pittsburgh’s “Eds, Meds, and Tech” district. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy, Carlow’s graduates, curricula, and partnerships reflect its strong commitment to social justice; ethical, forward-thinking and responsible leadership; and service to the community that has a meaningful impact. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in three colleges: Health and Wellness, Leadership and Social Change, and Learning and Innovation. Carlow graduates are in demand for their professional expertise, in fields ranging from nursing, the sciences, and perfusion technology to counseling, education, and forensic accounting; their entrepreneurial spirit and creative mindset; and their ability to manage change. Carlow’s 13 athletic teams are known as the Celtics, a reflection of the university’s Irish heritage and roots.
Biography for Michele Fabrizi
President and CEO of Marc US
Passionate, successful, game-changer. Michele Fabrizi, president and CEO of MARC USA, one of the nation’s largest independent advertising agencies, is all this and more. She is a leader and brand champion who generates real business results for her clients.
Under Michele’s helm, MARC USA has become known for its ability to forge powerful, motivating emotional connections between brands and customers across all channels. She has led the agency to become one of the very few that successfully combines strategic brand-building with the latest digital technology and social media solutions.
Michele knows what it takes to successfully grow a business. She joined MARC USA in 1982 and moved rapidly up the ranks. In 2003, Michele was named president and CEO of the nationwide advertising division, the post she holds today. Prior to this, as president and chief executive officer of MARC USA’s Pittsburgh headquarters, she oversaw unprecedented growth culminating in a 200 percent increase in billings in her first two years. Today the agency includes offices in Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Miami with more than 200 employees and more than $300 million in billings.
She is respected as a leading professional in her field, and Adweek magazine named her one of the outstanding women in advertising. With her talent as a leader and manager, she also fostered the growth of MARC USA’s employee-centered culture, which was recognized as one of the top 10 in the nation by the Principal Financial Group. Inc. Magazine’s Build Network recently cited her ability to optimize agency results through a focus on team dynamics and high performance teams.
Committed to giving back to the community, Michele serves on the board of directors and executive committee of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, where she led the development of the regional brand “Pittsburgh! Imagine what you can do here” and the marketing efforts for Pittsburgh’s 250th anniversary. She also serves on the executive committee and board of the United Way of Allegheny County and was the first woman to chair the annual fundraising campaign. Michele chairs the board of directors of the Pittsburgh Opera and also serves on the Board of the nationally recognized Andy Warhol Museum.
Michele’s contributions to her profession and the community have been recognized with numerous awards. Her honors include Pennsylvania Department of Commerce Fifty Best Women in Business, Carlow University Woman of Spirit ®, Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce Athena Award, Ernst & Young Western PA Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist, YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh Tribute to Women–Communications, and Girl Scouts of Southwestern Pennsylvania Women of Distinction-Professional.