Wunderman, Lester

Lester Wunderman is an advertising executive primarily in the direct marketing industry, founder of an agency in his name now a subsidiary of Young & Rubicam, and a noted collector of Dogon (Mali) art works.

In addition, Wunderman has been involved in a range of professional and personal activities:

Education: Adjunct Professor of Marketing, Columbia University School for Continuing Education; Visiting Clinical Professor of Direct Marketing, School for Continuing Education, New York University; Chairman, Executive Committee, Center for Direct Marketing, New York University; Editorial Review Board, Journal of Direct Marketing, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University; Lectured on direct marketing, primitive art, communications and advertising. Attended New York University, City University of New York, Brooklyn College, Columbia University.

Professional organizations: Director, The Advertising Council; Board of Directors, Direct Marketing Association; Secretary/Treasurer, American Association of Advertising Agencies; Founding Chairman, DMA International Strategic Forum on Direct Marketing; Director, The Marketing Consortium; Founder, Lester Wunderman Instituut, Amsterdam. Co-Founder (with Cornell Capa and Jacqueline Kennedy), International Center of Photography

Specialist in Dogon (Mali) art: Assembled the largest privately held collection of Dogon art, which toured several museums before a large portion of the collection was donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Louvre; the collection formed the illustrations on several books on African art.

Humanitarian work: Administrative Council, UNESCO International Fund for the Promotion of Culture; Co-Chairman, Friends of Leopold Senghor Foundation; President, Wunderman Foundation, which funds research in developing regions. Member, UNICEF, Paris.