The Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) has announced Lee Tonitto will become the Institute’s new CEO, joining the organisation immediately.

Tonitto is an accomplished marketer with more than 30 years of experience in corporate, professional association and consulting settings.

Tonitto leads the AMI as the organisation moves forward on a number of important strategies and sets out the envisioned future state of marketing for members.

“The AMI is focused on expansion, developing new offerings for members and ensuring a strong financial position,” said Graham Wright, Chair of the Australian Marketing Institute Board of Directors. “Following member-centric changes in the last year we are well positioned for Lee to take the AMI to the next level. After an exhaustive search the Board is confident Lee’s tremendous experience makes her the ideal leader for the next stage of our evolution.”

“Marketing has firmly established its position at the Board table,” said Wright. “No longer a peripheral function, it is a capability that distinguishes an organisation in this time of escalating change.”

The AMI’s Board of Directors engaged executive search firm Russell Reynolds to conduct an extensive search for the CEO position.

“Russell Reynolds did an exceptional job in identifying candidates,” said Chris Mooney, AMI Board Director and Chairman of the CEO Selection Committee.  “We were very fortunate to have an incredible pool of top marketers in consideration for this role who share our passion and commitment to fuelling progress in the marketing profession.”

Tonitto has held senior marketing and distribution roles with Unilever, Revlon, AMP and Commonwealth Bank’s Count Financial.

Tonitto will draw on her own passion for lifelong learning to determine how the AMI can further enrich and progress the professional lives of members. “Disruption is the new normal in marketing,” said Tonitto. “The AMI has long been a trusted source of thought leadership for the marketing world. I consider it a real privilege to guide the AMI. My intent is to enable members to be nimble and adaptive to the changing marketing landscape.”

As immediate past AMI Chair, Tonitto said, “I’ve been privileged to serve the AMI for the last ten years starting as a NSW Councillor in 2003 then becoming NSW President, joining the Board in 2007 and then the honour of becoming Chair in 2010. I’m delighted to build on that as CEO.”