Lisa Colantuono

AAR Partners

Lisa has been immersed in advertising and marketing for almost two decades.Since June 2001, she has worked directly with dozens of marketers on agency reviews and has counseled many clients including Aruba Tourism Authority, Ben & Jerry’s, Century 21 Department Store, Exxon Mobil, HGTV, Jergens, Jim Beam, Lee Jeans, Panera Bread, Subaru (to name only a few) on finding the best communications partners for their needs. She not only believes in ‘enduring partnerships that matter,’ but also is enthusiastic about creating them.

In addition to her role as a search consultant, she has created a new business service center for agencies by co-founding Access Confidential in 2005. The comprehensive new business research tool has not only become the ‘go-to’ resource for hundreds of users’ new business intelligence needs, but also has become the “web-based new business assistant” in the industry! In response to agency consultation requests, she has also developed a new program specifically for the benefit of agencies’ new business efforts, called The smAARt Card. She is dedicated to helping new business executives add ‘science to the art of new business.’

Prior to her partnership at AAR North America, Lisa worked as a Communications Specialist, developing client-vendor relationships and promotional marketing programs for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York. She started her career working with global clients including Philip Morris, International Home Foods, and Colgate-Palmolive as both a Print Specialist and Senior Media Planner while at Young & Rubicam, New York.

Lisa markets her own NAPPA award winning, e-commerce product, Classical Cradle, a collection of classical piano lullabies dedicated to new moms and their babies.She is delighted to volunteer as a speaker for the AEF’s ‘Inside Advertising Speakers Program,’ where she visits colleges and universities to speak to advertising students. “Sharing in the Power of a Wish” has remained a part of her life by continuing as a volunteer for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.Lisa is also enthusiastic about serving as a committee member for the International ANDY Awards since 2004 and passionate about volunteering as an NSAC judge for the AAF since 2009.

She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Advertising and Master of Arts degree in Communication Arts from New York Institute of Technology. Since 1998, she has been an Adjunct Professor of Advertising, teaching undergraduate media studies at NYIT. In July 2007, she was invited into the Who’s Who Among American Teacher’s & Educators. Lisa also serves on NYIT’s Alumni Relations Board since 2008 and as First Vice President since June 2010.

In her spare time, you can usually find her ‘tickling the ivories’ or teaching piano lessons to young, budding pianists as she has done since 1987.