Autism Speaks elects Jennifer Seidel to its national board

PRINCETON, NJ - Autism Speaks, the nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting solutions across the spectrum and throughout the life span for people with autism and their families, announces the election of Jennifer Seidel to its national board of directors, effective August 2021.

“Jennifer’s professional and personal background makes her an invaluable addition to our board,” said Autism Speaks Board Chairman Brian Harper. “We are thrilled to have Jennifer’s expertise in advertising alongside her experience as full-time caregiver and advocate. This hybrid of knowledge is crucial in creating a world where all people with autism can reach their full potential.”  

Jennifer Seidel has spent more than 20 years in advertising industry leadership roles spanning from Executive Vice President of the American Association of Advertising agencies to tenures as Senior Vice President and Vice President at global advertising networks including WPP, BBDO and AKQA.

As Chief Value Architect for WPP’s Enfatico, Ms. Seidel directed global strategy and integrated marketing campaign creation for Dell’s consumer division across Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America. At BBDO, Ms. Seidel led brand initiatives and business development efforts for AOL, Motorola, Bank of America and Monster.

Ms. Seidel left the workforce for five years following her daughter’s autism diagnosis to focus on therapy and educational programming. During that time Ms. Seidel was deeply involved in local philanthropies including serving on the board of the American Red Cross Metro New York North chapter and the Parent’s Association board of The Greenwich Country Day School. 

Recently, Jennifer joined the Digital Partnerships team at Mastercard where she leads account management and business development initiatives for digitally native brands like Lyft, Wayfair, goPuff and HelloFresh.

“I’m excited to join the Autism Speaks board at this pivotal time,” says Ms.Seidel. “It’s a personal passion of mine to focus on the efforts that promote inclusion in schools, the workforce and everyday culture.”

Ms. Seidel and her husband Martin live in Connecticut with their three children.