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Top Marketing Executive Ann Fudge to Speak Aug. 3 at Simmons School Of Management Commencement

Fudge received undergraduate degree from Simmons College, went on to become one of the nation's top female business leaders

BOSTON (July 30, 2007) — Ann Fudge, the former chairman and chief executive officer of Young & Rubicam Brands, one of the world's leading global marketing communications groups, will speak at the Aug. 3 commencement of the Simmons School of Management, the nation's only business school designed for women. The ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. at John Hancock Hall, 180 Berkeley St., Boston.

Fudge, a graduate of Simmons College and the Harvard Business School, became chairwoman and chief executive officer of Young & Rubicam in May 2003. She was responsible for more than a dozen companies that span the spectrum of marketing disciplines, and helped the network redefine itself in a vastly changed environment.  Fortune magazine ranked her among the 50 most powerful women in business, Time magazine named her one of the top Global Business Influentials, and she recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Ebony for her accomplishments in the field of marketing and advertising.

Earlier in her career Fudge served as president of the Beverages, Desserts, and Post Division of Kraft, a $5 billion unit with products such as Maxwell House coffee, Kool-Aid drink mix, Crystal Light beverages, Post cereals, JELL-O desserts and Altoids mints. Before joining General Foods, which merged with Kraft, she spent nine years at General Mills.

Fudge serves on the board of directors of General Electric. In Fall 2006, she was appointed to the boards of the Rockefeller Foundation and the Council on Foreign Relations. She also serves on the Harvard University Board of Overseers.

The Simmons School of Management has nearly 3,000 MBA alumnae who lead a wide spectrum of business enterprises, from Fortune 500 companies to entrepreneurial ventures.  The School of Management also has trained nearly 3,000 businesswomen around the country in its executive education programs.