Eugene (Gene) H. Kummel is a former chairman, president and chief executive officer of McCann-Erickson Worldwide where he was involved with global clients including General Motors, Coca-Cola, Exxon, Nestle, Unilever, L’Oreal, Johnson & Johnson, Gillette, Sony and American Home Products. He is presently a consultant to McCann-Erickson with the title of chairman emeritus.
Kummel began his advertising career as a summer intern at Young & Rubicam. After serving four years with the United States Navy in World War II aboard the Destroyer Escort, "Harmon" and the Aircraft Carrier, "Benjamin Franklin," he joined the Warner-Lambert Company in brand management in 1946. Two years later, he moved to the agency, which was to become Norman Craig & Kummel, of which he was a principal and executive vice president. His clients included the Colgate Palmolive Company, The Hertz Corporation, Schenley Industries, Revlon, Chanel, Willys "Jeep" and Chesebrough Pond’s.
Kummel earned his bachelor of science degree in economics at Yale in 1943, and attended the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program in 1964. He is a past chairman of the American Association of Advertising Agencies and has served as chairman and CEO of the Advertising Educational Foundation. Kummel is a Trustee of Lenox Hill Hospital, a lifetime director of the Advertising Council as well as an honorary board member of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Corporation. In June of 1999 he was the recipient of the United Hospital Fund’s Distinguished Trustee Award.
From May of 1987 until June of 1991, Gene served as president of the Congregation Emanu-El of New York where he continues as an honorary president, trustee and chairman of its nominating committee. In September of 1987 he began a five-year lecture series at Yale University’s School of Management in the role of executive in residence. He was simultaneously named a fellow of Yale’s Timothy Dwight College, and in 1990 was appointed a member of the Dean’s Advisory Committee at the Yale School of Management. He has continued his involvement at Yale and is currently serving his fourth three-year term as chairman of the advisory committee of the Gordon Grand Fellowship.