PROFESSIONAL & PERSONAL BACKGROUND OF ALEX LÓPEZ NEGRETE
Since founding López Negrete Communications in 1985, Alex López Negrete’s passion and vision for Hispanic marketing has steered the firm to become one of the country’s most influential Hispanic marketing agencies. López Negrete Communications is now the second largest independently owned Hispanic firm in the country.
He started his Houston-based advertising and communications agency with his wife and partner, Cathy, by his side, along with the conviction that the Hispanic market is a viable and powerful consumer segment and that thoughtful, relevant, fully integrated, in-language and in-culture communications are the best way to reach this important market.
His approach to Hispanic marketing has proven to be effective, innovative, involving, and most importantly, results-producing. As the agency continues to grow, with more than $150 million in billings for 2005 and more than 150 employees, Alex credits the success of the agency to the fact that it is comprised of a team of multi-cultural, multi-national, bilingual and bicultural communications professionals who possess different and complementing talents and expertise.
As President and Chief Executive Officer, Alex López Negrete is intricately involved in providing strategic counsel and creative direction to all of the agency’s clients. Alex has represented clients in the retail, financial, packaged foods, arts, sports, government, health care, packaged goods, real estate, energy and insurance industries. The Lopez Negrete team has won literally hundreds of local, regional, national and international creative awards, placing it firmly as one of the hottest creative Hispanic agencies in the nation.
Some of the companies Alex and his team have helped make successful profitable overtures to the Hispanic consumer segment include Wal-Mart Stores, Microsoft Corporation, Bank of America, Visa USA, Azteca Milling/MASECA, Dominos, Shell Oil Products U.S., Tyson Foods, Domino’s Pizza, and Reliant Energy Resources, among others.
Prior to founding Lopez Negrete, Alex’s career highlights include opening the first national radio representative firm office in Houston for McGavren Guild Radio. Not long after attending the University of Houston, he became a partner with an international print firm representing the influential Grupo Novedades of Mexico and Monterrey’s El Norte newspaper among other publications.
In addition to developing a successful professional career Alex López Negrete has also remained active and fully committed to his community. Alex currently serves as Chairman of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) where he serves as the organization’s leader and advocate in raising awareness of the value of the Hispanic market and enhancing the professionalism of the industry. In January 2005, he was awarded the Silver Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon any individual by the American Advertising Federation recognizing a lifetime of service spent furthering advertising industry standards, creative excellence and the advancement of community ideals. Alex was appointed by President George W. Bush to the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in March 2002. He was also awarded the 2002 Hispanic Achievement Award in the Communications category from HISPANIC magazine.
Alex continues to extend himself to the local community through positions on several non-profit boards including the Board of Trustees of the American Institute for Public Service, the Board of Directors of The Greater Houston Partnership and the Houston International Festival. In recognition of years of service to Houston’s Hispanic business community, Alex was awarded with an Entrepreneur Award at the National Society of Hispanic MBAs 2001 Brillante Awards as well as the prestigious 2001 Honorary Chairman’s Award from the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. In 2003, the Association of Women in Radio and Television (AWRT), Houston Chapter, presented Alex with its first Lifetime Achievement Award for his support of advancement of women in the field of communications.
Alex resides in Houston with his wife and business partner, Cathy, and son Patrick. Daughter, Michelle, is an Account Executive with the agency.
