Molly Watson
Former Chief Operating Officer — Tierney
Upon graduating from Indiana University in 1986 with a bachelors in Media, Molly Watson began a career rooted in marketing and public relations but has lived a life that extends well beyond her profession.
With more than 30 years in the business of integrated marketing, Molly’s experience transcends, client-serving delivery, business development, and executive operations/management. Most recently Molly served as the Chief Operating Officer at Tierney – an Interpublic Group agency (NYSE: IPG), offering integrated advertising, PR, media, social media, and digital solutions. Tierney, headquartered in Philadelphia with offices in Manhattan and Harrisburg, is a leading full-service communications agency and serves a broad range of clients, including Choice Hotels, McDonald’s, Memorial Sloan Kettering/Hackensack Meridian Health, QVC, and Verizon Wireless. Molly is a high-‐energy leader and has been a driving force behind Tierney’s recent growth and success, culminating in year-‐over-‐year financial goal achievement and the recognition as one of Ad Age’s Best Places to Work in 2014 and 2015.
Molly moved to Philadelphia and joined Tierney in 1995. She held several leadership positions at Tierney and was a member of the executive team for over 20 years. Molly spent the first ten years of her career at Young & Rubicam NY and through a series of rapid promotions rose to the position of Vice President, Group Media Supervisor. While there Molly honed her expertise on blue-chip brands like AT&T, Advil, and Kraft Foods.
Molly has been recognized professionally with the Young & Rubicam Media Excellence award, as one of Philadelphia Business Journal’s Women of Distinction, an Adweek/She Runs It 2017 Working Mother of the Year and as the 2017 Mission in Action award recipient from the Women’s Resource Center. She currently serves on the Fred’s Footsteps Board of Directors an organization that supports families during the traumatic period when they have a sick or injured child. In addition, she is a member of the Delaware Valley Friends School Board of Trustees and the Dean’s Advisory Board of the IU Media School.
Molly is most proud of her role of mom to three children of her own and two stepsons. In 2005, she was the recipient of the Tiffany & Co. Women of the Moment award for her work in advocating for children with severe neurological disorders. As a mother of children with disabilities, Molly knows how essential community support is for helping these children lead happy, fulfilling lives.
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Class of 1970
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Class of 2004
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Class of 1981
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