Robin Koval

Robin Koval leads Legacy, the nation’s largest public health foundation devoted to the issue of tobacco use prevention and cessation. She joined Legacy as its second president and CEO in November 2013.

As a leader in the world of advertising and marketing for more than 25 years, her impressive background pairs up perfectly with the foundation’s public education mandate, particularly in relation to its innovative youth tobacco prevention counter-marketing campaign - truth® - and the evolution of the program for a new generation of youth amid the complexities of today’s communication landscape. Prior to coming to Legacy, Ms. Koval served as the CEO of Publicis Kaplan Thaler (PKT), New York’s fifth largest advertising agency. Before her years at PKT, Robin was the co-founder of its predecessor agency, the Kaplan Thaler Group. She grew that company from a fledgling start-up in 1997 to a billion-dollar agency devoted to brands in all major categories. Her successes include the daring “Yes, Yes, Yes” Herbal Essences campaign and the Aflac duck quack heard around the world.

Committed to public service, she has developed campaigns and provided counsel to a number of nonprofit, cause-related and healthcare clients and organizations. With the Girl Scouts, she helped lead an award-winning campaign to encourage girls to stay involved in math, science and technology. On the issue of underage drinking, she led a campaign that encouraged parents to speak early to their children and young teens about the risks. Other efforts include projects with the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the Red Cross and work with childhood asthma.

Robin is the recipient of numerous accolades and awards. Most recently, she was named one of Advertising Age’s “Most Influential Women in Advertising" for her innovative approach. In 2011, Robin received the New York Women in Communications Matrix Award and a Women’s Venture Fund Highest Leaf Award. Earlier that year, Robin was also named one of Self-Made Magazine's top 50 “Women Entrepreneurs Who Inspire,” as well as one of the top 20 female entrepreneurs in the U.S. by Blogtrepreneur.com. In November 2008, Robin was presented with the Women's Leadership Exchange (WLE) Compass Award, which is given to individuals who have shifted the paradigm of how women are perceived as business leaders. In January 2007, Robin was honored with the prestigious Advertising Women of New York’s Working Mother of the Year Trailblazer Award. Robin’s dedication to her family and career also won her a nomination into the YWCA’s Academy of Women Achievers in 2002. Established in 1995, the Academy of Women Achievers celebrates women who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and achievement in their professional and civic lives.

Ms. Koval is also a best-selling author. Her three collaborations with coauthor Linda Kaplan Thaler have all received national recognition. The titles of her books are The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness, which debuted on The New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists; The Power of Small: Why Little Things Make All the Difference and Bang! Getting Your Message Heard in a Noisy World. She is a sought-after speaker, making appearances on network television programming like ABC’s Good Morning America and Nightline, NBC’s Today and The Martha Stewart Show.

Ms. Koval earned her BFA from Syracuse University and an MBA from Baruch College. She is a current member of the board of directors of Partnership With Children, a nonprofit organization that works with troubled and underserved children in the New York City school system by providing social and emotional learning services. She has also served as an adjunct professor at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development.