The Marketing Club of New York (MCNY) celebrates each of our Silver Apple honorees with a profile that dives into their career and goals. We spoke with honoree Jim Kabakow, Former Chief Executive Officer, Media Horizons prior to the Awards Gala in November 2022. This is his story.

The Customer (TC):  What drew you to marketing when you first started in this industry?

Jim Kabakow (JK): I had an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a start-up agency, which led me to leave finance for a career in marketing.

TC: Tell us about one of the biggest changes you’ve seen in marketing over the course of your career and why it stood out to you.

JK: Analytics. Expectations of clients have exponentially increased in terms of depth and speed. When I started, clients managed analytics in-house on mainframe computers and sent them to agencies. Now agencies manage the process and report results back to clients.

TC: Who is one person that most profoundly affected you in your career? How so?

JK: Howard Magill. He was the circulation director at Dow Jones and one of my largest clients in my first ten years in the industry until he retired. I learned so much working with him about media, marketing and people.

TC: Do you have a favorite client story or project story to share?

JK: Yes, stay tuned – because I’m sure to tell it during the Silver Apples Gala panel discussion.

TC: What’s the best business/career advice you have ever received?

JK: It’s just marketing, not brain surgery. Don’t worry about making mistakes by trying new things that are well thought out.

TC: What’s one key piece of advice you’d give to a person choosing to enter the marketing world?

JK: Learn as much as you can and build your skills in an area that you like and excel at. Grow and maintain your network, particularly with people that you feel will be influencers in their careers.

TC: What do you think will be the biggest topics we’ll be discussing in marketing next year?

JK:  Two come first to mind – attribution and artificial intelligence (AI).

TC: What are a couple of your favorite outside interests?

JK: I love 19^th Century American History. Just recently, I was visiting [former U.S. President] James K. Polk’s home in Tennessee.  You can also find me stand-up paddle boarding with my wife on Long Island Sound.

TC: Do you have a hidden skill?

JK: I can juggle. It’s the most useful skill I learned in high school.

TC: Maybe you can show off your skills, in the air, during the 2022 Silver Apple Gala!