MSU Alumni Sean Finnegan Receives Recognition

Sean Finnegan a 1993 Murray State graduate and U.S. Director for OMD Digital Advertising in New York , received numerous awards and honors in 2006 for his outstanding contributions to advertising.

Finnegan’s honors include a 2006 inductee to the American Advertising Hall of Achievement, Advertising Age Media Maven for 2006, MediaPost All Star for 2006, and Min Magazine named him one of the 21 Most Influential People of 2006. Finnegan, who lives in Wilton , Conn. , will be visiting Murray State ’s campus on Nov. 16.

Finnegan, who made a name for himself in the advertising world with his UPS Internet campaign in the late ‘90’s, dominated his industry in a relatively short amount of time. After graduating from MSU, the Chicago native interned at the advertising agency BBDO as a media planner, focusing on print ads for clients but soon turned his talents to Internet advertising. Finnegan’s insight into the booming Internet search engine market allowed him to quickly move up the corporate ladder.

Finnegan was named OMD Digital Midwest Director in 2002 before eventually becoming U.S. director in 2005. Under his direction, OMD Digital has worked with campaigns for clients such as Dell, McDonalds’s and United Airlines. Dave Morgan, CEO and founder of the behavioral targeting firm Tacoda says, “Clearly he’s at the top of his profession. It’s extraordinary that he’s done this at such a young age.”

Finnegan has spoken at ADWEEK’s Digital Marketing Conference, The AAF National Conference 2006, and the American Business Media spring meeting. He also finds time to visit colleges and universities throughout the country informing students on the impact of online advertising, recently speaking at the 2006 Harvard Business School Marketing Conference.