• by Larissa Faw , December 5, 2017

Advertising industry veteran Nancy Hill is diving back into the ad world with her new consultancy Media Sherpas.

Hill, who was previously president and CEO of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As), wants to guide companies to reach their potential by "sharing some of the best practices I’ve established throughout my career," she says. "I consider myself a personal trainer for businesses, in the sense that I strive to bring out the best in everyone I work with."

Media Sherpas will offer a range of services, including consulting on operations and financials, defining and promoting company culture and values, identifying revenue growth opportunities, and talent development initiatives including diversity and inclusion.

Hill, now based in Cleveland, has particular expertise with the latter issues, as she personally led the 4A’s work on diversity, including recruitment, talent development and media-buying guidelines.

Among Hill’s first clients is Marcus Thomas, a Cleveland, Ohio-based independent ad agency with 170 employees that works with brands including the Ohio Lottery, Dexcom and Troy-Bilt. Hill will assist the Marcus Thomas leadership team with strategic planning and a range of other initiatives.

Hill says she selected the Sherpa name because sherpas help others get to the summit during mountain-climbing expeditions but don't get the glory for it.

An Adland veteran, Hill began her career in advertising in 1983 at Doner/Baltimore, followed by work at TBWA/Chiat/Day, Hill Holliday, BBDO and Lowe New York. Her client experience has included Verizon Wireless, TeleTV, Replay, TiVO, LucasArts, HBO, SiriusXM, Motorola, Cisco Systems, Dell Computers and AOL.