The 4As Adds New Leadership as Part of Next Chapter Strategy

Brad Mehl Named Executive Vice President, Product and Missy Mans Named Executive Vice President, Integration, Program Management & Innovation (IPMI) in Newly Created Enterprise Roles

NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The 4As (American Association of Advertising Agencies), the leading U.S.-based advertising trade association serving more than 600 member agencies nationwide, today announced the creation of two new roles as part of organization's next chapter transformation. Notably, the 4As has appointed Brad Mehl as Executive Vice President, Product and Missy Mans as Executive Vice President, Integration, Program Management & Innovation (IPMI). Together, these new enterprise functions will reshape how ideas move from concept to execution, how innovation is introduced across the organization and how every member experience is developed, measured and continuously improved.

"We are adding two exceptional leaders that will bring value to our members on Day #1," said Justin Thomas-Copeland, CEO of the 4As. "During this time of intense disruption across our industry, agencies are reinventing themselves faster than ever before and they expect the organizations that support them to move with the same pace, ambition and imagination. That's exactly what we're doing with these new capabilities and bringing our 4As-as-a-service strategy to life"

Reimagining How Member Value Is Created

Historically, associations, including the 4As, have been organized around functions or subject matter expertise. While that model has produced exceptional programming and industry leadership, today's environment demands a more integrated approach.

The new operating model shifts the organization toward thinking like the world's leading product organizations: understanding member needs more deeply, connecting experiences across the portfolio, measuring outcomes more rigorously and continuously evolving products based on changing market demands.

The result is an organization designed to move faster, collaborate more deeply and create greater value at every member touchpoint.

Building the New Organization

The creation of the Product business unit ensures every experience the organization creates - from flagship events and industry research to benchmarking, communities, training and thought leadership - will be managed as part of a unified product portfolio.

Brad Mehl, the newly named Executive Vice President, Product, will lead the organization's enterprise-wide product strategy and portfolio collaborating across the executive leadership team. Mehl brings more than two decades of leadership experience building and scaling research, events, content, data and commercial product portfolios.

"The opportunity isn't simply to build products and programs, it's to rethink how our organization creates value," said Mehl. "The 4As already has extraordinary expertise, relationships and influence. I'm thrilled to help connect those strengths and build an integrated portfolio that continually evolves with the needs of our members and partners."

Complementing Product is the launch of the Integration, Program Management & Innovation business unit. As Executive Vice President, IPMI, Missy Mans will lead the operations engine that will connect planning, execution, technology, innovation and measurement across the organization.

Mans joins the 4As after leading large-scale transformation initiatives at Colle McVoy, where she served as Senior Vice President of Operations. There, she led enterprise initiatives spanning AI strategy, M&A integration, ERP implementation, operational modernization and business transformation.

"Innovation succeeds when organizations intentionally build the systems that allow great ideas to thrive," said Mans. "I'm excited to help create an operating model that connects people into community, technology and execution in ways that make the 4As more agile, more collaborative and even more valuable to the agencies we serve."

Together, Mehl and Mans signal a strategic investment in the future of the 4As designed to ensure the organization continues evolving alongside the agencies it represents. For Thomas-Copeland, that's the broader vision.

"Relevance isn't something you declare," he said. "It's something you earn every day by listening, adapting, innovating and delivering real value. This transformation gives us the structure, the talent and the ambition to do exactly that. And to ensure the 4As remains the indispensable partner agencies through now and next next."

About the 4As
The 4As was established in 1917 to promote, advance, and defend the interests of our member agencies, employees and the advertising and marketing industries overall. We empower and equip our members to confidently navigate the ever-changing ecosystem of the agency world. We ensure they remain relevant, are positioned to compete, and have the resources to thrive and grow. With a focus on advocacy, talent and creating impact, the organization serves 600+ member agencies across 1,200 offices, which help direct more than 85% of total U.S. advertising spend. The 4As includes the 4As Benefits division, which insures more than 160,000 employees; the government relations team, who advocate for policies to support the industry; the 4As Foundation, which advocates for and connects rising talent to the marketing industry by fostering a culture of curiosity, creativity and craft to fuel a more equitable future for the industry; and 4As Health, a subsidiary dedicated to advancing accurate, credible and accessible health information. 

Press Contact:
Jennifer Risi, The Sway Effect
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SOURCE American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As)