William Bergman

William Bergman
William (Bill) Bergman is the president and CEO of the Bergman Group, a diversified communications firm in Richmond, Virginia . He has been an adjunct professor of marketing at the University of Richmond and at Virginia Commonwealth University. From 1982 until 1988, he was the circulation director and director of creative services for Newsweek. He is known primarily as an expert in advertising and publishing.
Background
Bergman was born on April 28, 1952, in New Orleans, Louisiana. His father, Leo A. Bergman, was the rabbi of , one of the oldest synagogues in the United States . His mother was a concert cellist with the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra (now known as the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra) .
He was educated at the Isidore Newman School from kindergarten through 12th grade. At the University of Oklahoma, he studied journalism, graduating in 1974. He then earned an M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma.
Advertising & Publishing Career
After graduating from SMU, Bergman joined BBDO advertising agency in New York City. From 1975 to 1978, he worked in research and then as an account executive, notably with the Campbell’s red-and-white condensed soup account. In 1978, The Richards Group hired Bergman as an account director for Time Inc, eventually promoting him to vice president. He oversaw the development of Time Inc’s two-minute, direct-response commercials. On the strength of this experience, he was made circulation director and director of creative services at Newsweek, a position he held from 1982 until 1988 .
He then formed his first advertising agency, the Bergman Group, based in New York, with Newsweek as its first account. Specializing in publishing, the agency numbered among its accounts more than 30 magazines.
In 1990, Ross Roy Advertising, seeking to expand its marketing communications offerings beyond traditional advertising, purchased the Bergman Group . Bergman stayed on, working with the new owners until 1993, when he was named chairman of the Virginia office of the advertising agency Earle Palmer Brown. In 1995, Bergman established his second agency, the Bergman Group, in Richmond, Virginia.
The Bergman Group, specializing in branding, new media, publishing, direct marketing, sports marketing and healthcare, has capitalized billings of about $20 million .
Personal Life
Bill and his wife Susan have two children. Elissa is a recent graduate of the University of Virginia, and Mark, a graduate of The College of William & Mary, is communications director for Congressman Paul Hodes (D-NH) .

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