Ingrid Otero-Smart

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Ingrid Otero-Smart has over 30 years of advertising experience in the U.S Hispanic Market and Puerto Rico. She joined Casanova Pendrill in August of ’08 as President/CEO. The Agency re-branded as Casanova//McCann in 2016.
At Casanova, she leads the agency operations, managing offices in Costa Mesa, New York, Detroit, and field teams in Dallas.
Accounts include Nestlé USA, US Army, Carl’s Jr, US Postal Service, Cigna, eBay, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, California Lottery, US Bank and Janssen, among others.
Under her leadership, the Agency has doubled in size (from 45 to 100+ people), opened the Detroit office, expanded the Nestlé relationship from one brand assignment to 19, and doubled its revenue.
Ingrid started her career at McCann in PR, and joined Mendoza Dillon & Asociados in California in 1987. She worked there as an Account Director, and left 18 years later as President/COO.
In 2005, she joined Anita Santiago Advertising as President.
She is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (currently known as CMC). She is a founding member of this organization and has served as the Treasurer, head of its Marketing Communications Committee, chair of the Media Committee, and is a Past-President.

She is a former member of the Board of Directors of CPI Corp.; a former member of the Board of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce; former member of the Board of the U.S. Hispanic Family of the Year.
Ingrid currently serves in the Dean’s Advisory Board of the School of Communications, at California State University Fullerton, Agency Advisory Board for the School’s Practical Advantage Agency, and on the Board of Governors of this institution. She is also a founding member of the Latino Communications Institute and currently serves as its Vice-Chair.
In 2009, she was named Hispanic Ad Executive of the Year.
OC Business Journal named Ingrid Business Person of the Year (Marketing) in 2011, and one of 50 Most Influentials in Orange County in 2013 and 2014. Earlier in her career, Hispanic Business Magazine recognized her as one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics, two years in a row.
In 2014, Hispanic Lifestyle named her an Executive of Excellence for promoting Hispanic business.
In 2013 she received the Hispanic Marketing Achievement Award for her contributions to the US Hispanic marketing industry and the Girl Scouts of Orange County recognized her in their 2013 Celebrate Leadership Event.
In 2015 she received the Ad Color Rock Star Award, and AWNY named her one of Advertising Women of NY Mother of the Year in 2016.
She was recognized by the NY Puerto Rican Day Parade in 2016 as their Corporate Executive of the Year.
California State University Fullerton’s Practical Advantage (the school’s student-run advertising agency) recognized her with its first Excellence Award in 2017.