DMA International Council to Honor Mark Bridges and Florence Leighton on June 19 in NYC

June 15, 2006 — The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) International Council has announced its 2006 honors. This year, the council will present Mark Bridges, vice president, director international division for Mokrynski & Associates Inc. with its International Direct Marketer of the Year Award, and Florence Leighton, executive vice president & director, strategic planning and development for Direct Media International, with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

Both awards will be presented at the DMA International Day luncheon, which will be held June 19 at the Harvard Club in New York City.

International Direct Marketer of the Year: Mark Bridges

The International Direct Marketer of the Year Award recognizes an individual for contributions that stand out or have materially contributed to the growth and success of an area of international direct marketing.

Mark Bridges began his career in international list brokering at EMAP Maclaren Publishing and Lists Media International. Later, as director of list management at the Reed-Elsevier-owned international list company Mardev, he was responsible for a portfolio of multi-national lists, including McGraw-Hill, The International Herald Tribune, Time Magazine, Fortune Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, and The Financial Times.

In Bridges’ last post at Mardev’s UK, he served as director of Mardev’s US sales operation, based in New York. In 1997, he joined MOKRYNSKIdirect as vice president, sales and marketing for the international division and was appointed director of the international division in 1998.

Bridges holds an M.A. in English Literature from Cambridge University.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Florence Leighton

The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a direct marketer for sustained and substantial lifetime contributions to the growth and development of international direct marketing.

Florence Leighton started her international career in 1958 as a partner and vice president of Dillon, Agnew & Marton, Inc. (DA&M), a full-service international list brokerage and direct mail marketing agency. In 1967, she assumed responsibility for DA&M’s worldwide marketing programs, from a US base.

For the next 25 years, Leighton worked in full-service direct marketing programs for the large multinationals, including The New York State Department of Economic Development, CitiCorp and BankAmerica Travelers Checks, AT&T Calling Cards, and United Airlines Frequent Flyer Programs. Under her leadership, Dillon, Agnew & Marton became the leading direct mail marketing agency for US Publishers wanting to develop worldwide circulation for their English language flagship publications.

In 1993, Leighton joined Direct Media, Inc. to head up and expand its International Division. She continues to work there today as a mentor and consultant.

Leighton was a founding member of the DMA International Council and the Women’s Direct Response group. She also was an original member of the European Direct Marketing Association (EDMA), which was the precursor to today’s Federation of European Direct and Interactive Marketing (FEDMA). She also is a 25+-year member of DMA and the Direct Marketing Club of New York.

About DMA International Council

The DMA International Council’s goal is to educate, empower, and provide networking opportunities for business, consumer, and nonprofit direct marketers, using direct marketing channels in global and international markets. Its vision is to become the leading forum for international direct marketers everywhere.

For information about the council, visit http://www.the-dma.org/councils/internationalcouncil or contact Kelli Hornachek at khornachek@the-dma.org or 212.790.1514.

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