John Nitti, winner of the Ad Club’s 2022 “New Yorker” award, says that one of his secrets to success has been his willingness to face his fears and push himself. We recently spoke with him to learn more about what has inspired him to keep reaching new and loftier heights throughout his career.
The Advertising Club of New York — known colloquially as the Ad Club— honors five individuals each year with its prestigious “Advertising People of the Year” awards, each recognizing notable achievements in marketing across a range of categories. This year’s “New Yorker” award was given to John Nitti, senior vice president of strategy, new business and partner development at Verizon.
Nitti joined Verizon in 2015 as the company’s chief media officer, focusing on driving growth for Verizon’s digital marketing. A passionate innovator, collaborator, and leader, Nitti now sits on several committees within the IT industry, including the 5G Future Forum and the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) Strategy Group.
Nitti says that he first honed his business acumen and learned his negotiation skills from watching his mother — and also from his time working as a fruit salesman in Manhattan. Before joining Verizon, he worked as the chief investment officer for ZenithOptimedia, a subsidiary of PublicisGroupe. He’s also had stints at American Express, Dentsu, Time, Inc. and Young & Rubicam.
We recently sat down with Nitti to learn more about what’s inspired him to strive for greatness throughout his marketing career, and what he envisions for the future of the industry.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What, in your view, have been your most significant professional achievements to date, and how have those impacted the trajectory of your career?
If I go back 13 years in my career, when I first made the jump from a client-side position at American Express… for an agency holding company to build out a digital discipline……