Kenneth Roman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kenneth Roman (September 6, 1930 – April 22, 2026) was an American author and advertising executive.
Roman was born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 6, 1930.[1] He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1952, where he was editor-in-chief of the undergraduate daily newspaper.
He joined Ogilvy & Mather in 1963 and served as chairman from 1985 to 1989. In 1989, WPP plc, a British advertising holding company, acquired the Ogilvy Group for $864 million, which, at the time, was the most ever paid for an advertising agency. David Ogilvy initially resisted the sale, but eventually accepted the title of WPP honorary chairman, a position he relinquished in 1992.[2][3]
After 26 years with Ogilvy, Roman joined American Express in a senior communications role before becoming a consultant, board director, and author. After his departure Graham Phillips became the chairman and CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide.[4]
Roman was the co-author of two influential business books – How to Advertise ISBN 0312318596 and Writing That Works ISBN 0060956437 and the author of a 2009 biography of David Ogilvy entitled The King of Madison Avenue: David Ogilvy and the Making of Modern Advertising.[5]
He lived in New York City with his wife. Roman died in Manhattan on April 22, 2026, at the age of 95.[6]
