Rick Chiorando

Rick Chiorando

Chief Executive Officer at Austin & Williams
United States

About me

Ask yourself: Why would I want to associate with a loser? Why would I trust my brand to a guy who failed to reach the personal goals he set out to achieve not just once but twice?

Well, for starters I’d like to think they were fairly lofty goals . . . namely, piloting a $40 million fighter jet and later, playing centerfield for the Yankees (you know, careers that aren’t usually posted on Indeed). And I did make great strides toward fulfilling those lifelong dreams. In fact, if it weren’t for “less than perfect eyesight” – discovered during my physical after I’d been accepted into the Air Force Academy – I may have made one a reality. But, it was a crash and burn!

As far as my “career” with the Yankees, they didn't notice but I did get signed by Cincinnati to play “A” ball. However, having someone throw 92 mph fastballs at me didn’t make me a .300 hitter, so it was time to hang up my spikes . . . and fall back on my third love: Creating art.

And that's just what I did. With two strikes on me, I dug in, choked up and created a winning career in advertising.

That career has landed me as the owner of one of the 100 fastest-growing advertising agencies in the nation. We've made it our mission to assemble the best talent in the industry and give them a forum to execute all things creative at the highest levels. An outcomes-driven agency, we specialize in such verticals as financial services, higher education, healthcare, professional services and nonprofit. That means you won’t just get a pretty ad. You'll get our best thinking to solve a problem, build a brand, move a product or make a shopper spend. We hire only people who want to make a positive difference to your business and have fun doing it. In some cases, our agency-client relationships span decades (so we must be doing something right).

I guess the third time is the charm!

Positions

Chief Executive Officer
Hauppauge, United States
October 2011 - Present (13 years 1 month)
Rick, who directs all facets of the creative process – and still believes a good idea should start on a napkin – demands that his team hammer out a concept first, to avoid the trap of letting execution drive strategy. 

Education

B.S. in Advertising, Design & Marketing

1973 - 1977 (4 years)
Activities and Societies: Varsity Baseball

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