Rochelle Lazarus

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Rochelle “Shelly” Lazarus, born Rochelle Esta Braff on September 1, 1947, in Brooklyn, New York, is an American business executive and the chair emeritus of Ogilvy & Mather. She is the daughter of Lewis and Sylvia Braff. Lazarus attended Midwood High School, then Smith College (BA) and earned an MBA from Columbia Business School.

She joined Ogilvy & Mather in 1971 and rose through the ranks: President of the U.S. direct marketing unit in 1989, then President of Ogilvy & Mather New York, followed by President of Ogilvy & Mather North America. In 1995 she became President and Chief Operating Officer, then CEO in 1996 and Chairman in 1997. She served as CEO until 2008 and remained chairman until 2012, when she became chairman emeritus.

Lazarus serves on the boards of General Electric, Merck & Co., New York Presbyterian Hospital, the American Museum of Natural History, The Blackstone Group, Rockefeller Capital Management, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and the World Wildlife Fund. She is also a member of the Board of Overseers for Columbia Business School.

She married Dr. George M. Lazarus on March 22, 1970. They had three children: Theodore Pipiens, Samantha Rana May (married to Duncan Levin), and Benjamin Harrison Cates. Her husband died in 2025.