Robert J. Aurin

Independent marketing and advertising consultant. Entrepreneur. A highly skilled advertising, narrative and public relations writer. A proven track record for establishing and building brand recognition. Expert at planning, creating and executing marketing and advertising programs. Extensive experience at new business development and presentation.

Bob Aurin began his marketing and advertising career as a copywriter at Leo Burnett Company in Chicago writing for United Airlines, Philip Morris products and Schlitz Beer.

He moved to Foote, Cone & Belding as a senior writer, and became one of the four creative directors of FCB Chicago. He was extensively involved in the agency’s new business and new product development program. His most successful new product venture was the development of the initial creative for Sunkist Orange Soda. He also was actively involved in FCB’s international business primarily for the Wrigley Company in Germany and Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company in the Far East and the Middle East.

After FCB, he became the executive creative director / executive vice president of Grey/North Advertising Chicago, responsible for all of the agency’s creative output.

In the mid-90’s he took an assignment as a creative consultant at Lee Hill, Inc., which led to a permanent appointment as a creative director. When Lee Hill, Inc., was purchased by Interpublic’s DraftWorldwide, Inc., he moved to Draft as one of the executive creative directors in Chicago for a year and a half and then returned to Robert Aurin Associates, Inc. full-time.

He spent five years as an officer in the U.S. Navy. His biography has appeared in “Who’s Who In America” for many years. He is a past member of the Screen Writer’s Guild and has written episodes for the original television program “Hawaii Five-0.”

Deb Rapacz

Exceptional strategic planning, communications and brand loyalty leadership skills. Blends her marketer, agency, educator and consulting experience to deliver powerful solutions that deliver results across all marketing, branding and advertising functions.   Deb Rapacz is a graduate of the University of Illinois and Northwestern University’s Integrated Marketing Communications program. After holding corporate positions at Maytag Company

and Proctor & Gamble, she joined Ernst & Young as a manager. Throughout the 1990s she helped create and lead the pioneering relationship and loyalty agency Lee Hill Dialogue Marketing. This group created the successful Similac Welcome Addition Club that turned around Abbott Lab’s Similac Infant Nutritional business. For National Car Rental, they revamped the frequent renter program (Emerald Aisle Club), and were the catalyst that revolutionized how National rents cars to this day.

In addition to helping national brands and their agencies, she teaches a variety of marketing strategy and communications courses at St. Xavier University’s Graham School of Management.

She excels at accelerating customer commitment to brands by deeply understanding the heaviest most loyal buyers, then leveraging those insights to better align all marketing. She brings a brand back to its core in order to own more than its fair share of the most loyal heavy buyers in the brand’s category.

Dave Riske

Award-winning senior art director/designer with extensive experience across a broad range of media. Dave has created, managed and produced advertising campaigns in numerous categories including business-to-business, business-to- consumer and consumer package goods. He is one of those rare talents these days who is not only expert and creative in multiple design/ production/film software applications, but who

can also draw, and, in fact, often illustrates photo-real comic book covers professionally.

Dave began his career after receiving a degree in commercial art from Ferris State University. He worked for several Chicago advertising agencies before joining Kobs & Draft, later DraftWorldwide and finally DraftFCB, rising from art director to vice president, senior art director in charge of one of DraftFCB’s most productive and sought-after creative groups.

As a hobby, and in collaboration with his wife, he films, edits and produces two-minute parodies of different film genres.