Cara Lewis

Coming Soon

As the Chief Investment and Activation Officer for dentsu’s media service line, Cara brings together the teams behind all media channels including video, radio, OOH, print, digital and programmatic, paid social, search, and retail media. She also oversees disciplines across brand assurance, economic empowerment, productivity, sports, research and insights, and business transformation and strategy.
Cara has been with dentsu since 2010 and most recently served as Chief Investment Officer where she managed $22B in annual investments for all dentsu’s media clients in the US market, overseeing all US investment activities including publisher direct media, biddable media, research, economic empowerment, productivity and strategic partnerships. She was tasked with maximizing efficiencies for her clients by leveraging the collective buying power of dentsu and delivering innovative solutions that address the changes in the media landscape.
Her media career spans 25+ years, with five years of DTC experience between two of the biggest Pharmaceutical Companies (Pfizer and Glaxo SmithKline). Cara also has a strong background in packaged goods and retail, working on the SC Johnson and Sears business for over nine years, as well as a handful of travel accounts. Her past agency experience includes MediaEdge, TN, Initiative, and MPG.
Cara was named as Cynopsis’ Top Women in Media in 2020 as an Industry Leader. She was also honored as a She Runs It Working Mother of the Year in 2020. Cara’s expertise is constantly tapped by industry reporters and has been featured in Adweek, Digiday, and MediaPost, to name a few. Cara will also serve as a charter member on the newly formed OAAA Agency Council.
Cara serves on the Executive Board for The Valerie Fund and currently runs sales and promotion for Careoke for the Kids, an industry event in its 19th year. She was honored at The Valerie Fund Thanksgiving Gala in 2019 for her tremendous contributions to the cause. In November 2019, Cara was also an honoree at Coaches vs Cancer in 2011, a She Runs it Mother of the Year, Partnership with Children Gala honoree in June 2022, Campaign US Inspiring Women and Women in Media and Marketing honoree in 2023, and Young Audiences of New York honoree in March 2024. Cara was recognized at her previous agency with a 5th dot award. She is an 18-year breast cancer survivor and has started a non-profit, Media Ladies Conquering Cancer. She enjoys the beach, crafting, playing games, reading, sewing, traveling and most importantly being with her family.

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About our Hosts

Elizabeth Donovan

Elizabeth Donovan is a dynamic and visionary media executive with deep expertise in sales leadership, omnichannel strategy, marketing innovation, and data-driven advertising solutions. As SVP, Global Head of Retail & Commerce Media Networks at Acxiom/IPG, she spearheads global strategy, revenue acceleration, technology innovation, and activation for a growing portfolio of media networks. Strategic consulting expert for monetization for brands across retail, hospitality, finance, and beyond.

Elizabeth is widely recognized for launching and scaling transformative media network businesses. Most notably, she architected and led the successful launch of the Marriott Media Network—the industry’s first hospitality media network, where she built a multi-functional organization from the ground up, overseeing ad revenue, operations, go-to-market execution, and technology infrastructure. Her impact reshaped how hospitality brands engage travelers through meaningful, data-enriched advertising experiences.

Prior to Marriott, Elizabeth spent nearly a decade at AccuWeather, where she drove top-line growth through strategic enterprise partnerships, advanced first-party data solutions, and multi-platform monetization across digital, mobile, OOH and emerging channels. Her ability to integrate business strategy with technology and talent development has consistently delivered results at scale.

A sought-after speaker, panelist, and thought leader, Elizabeth is passionate about unlocking potential—whether in emerging technologies or in people. She actively mentors rising talent, serves on advisory boards, and co-hosts the podcast Unlocked with Austin & Elizabeth, which explores leadership, innovation, and the evolving future of media networks.

Austin Leonard

Austin is a marketing leader with over two decades of experience in retail media and programmatic advertising, bringing unparalleled expertise and a track record of success. His journey in the industry has taken him from leading teams at Dollar General, Sam’s Club, Walmart, and eBay to building retail media network businesses that achieved exponential growth.

As co-host of Unlocked with Austin & Elizabeth, he loves to dig into the history of retail media with Elizabeth Donovan to help share the untold stories behind “the 3rd wave of digital advertising” and explore the trends that are shaping the growth, acceleration, and future of commerce media.