It is with great sorrow that we announce the unexpected passing of our leader and driving force, Margaret (Meg) Henderson Blair.
For the past year, she has served as Chair of the Marketing Accountability Foundation following ten years as Founding President and CEO of MASB.
Although many were involved in forming the Marketing Accountability Standards Board, Meg has been the linchpin. It now falls to the rest of us to advance the mission and realize her vision of a more accountable marketing realm to the benefit of all who operate in it.
She will be dearly missed, but she will continue to inspire.
Leave your remembrances and tributes in the Comment area below, and we will share them with her family and loved ones.
I admire Meg for many reasons, including her focus and perseverance. When Meg set her mind on achieving something, you could be sure it would be achieved. I’ll miss her very much.
Meg inspired people. She was a trailblazer that created one of the true marketing standards in the industry with ARS. Meg was kind and tough, generous and ambitious, a thought leader and passionate about everything she did. She took on a tough job with MASB and helped make it the great institution it is today, then had the foresight to know she had to turn it over to new, different leaders. Meg was my friend and I will miss her.
Meg was, without a doubt, the person I learned the most from in my career. Her understanding of data collection methodology, inferential statistics, psychometrics, presentation and use of results exceeded all others with whom I’ve worked. Perhaps more important, Meg’s commitment to doing what was right exceeded the highest of ethical and moral standards. She was a shining light in a marketing world often characterized by “smoke and mirrors.” Never did she put herself “ahead” of the data, or promote her own ego in lieu of what the data conveyed. She was always courageous in communicating the truth with little regard for what others would think of her, her only reward being the complete honesty and integrity with which she conducted her professional and personal life.
She will be a model for me and for all researchers who will judge our actions by asking “What would Meg do?”
Meg was an inspirational pioneer, passionate about MASB, delivering Marketing truths and elevating the profession of Marketing. Her willingness to tackle even the toughest of issues was enhanced by her intellectual curiosity and her eagerness to collaborate and mentor.
She was a remarkable pioneer that forged strong personal and professional relationships. I will miss Meg’s leadership and wise counsel, as will my fellow MASB members.
I only met Meg a couple of years ago. She struck me as a remarkably well-rounded, one-of-a-kind person in her professional and personal life. She was passionately “all in” when it came to whatever she was doing, whether it was her remarkably generous commitment to the MASB cause, her fantastic mentoring skills, or her devotion to fishing and Harleys, to name just a few examples. She was a force of nature who was a wonderful example for us all of how to live life to the fullest. I am so sorry that we have lost her, but so appreciative that I had the privilege to get to know her.
I’m very saddened to hear this news. Meg was a great researcher, leader, motivator, professional, & mentor… but above all, she was a great person.
Meg was not only a good friend she was an inspiration. I will miss her.
Meg was the rare person who refused to countenance a loss of momentum, either for herself or those working with her. She was a continual source of challenges, encouragement, and questions — a straight shooter with a big heart.
I am very saddened to hear about the loss of Meg. My sincere condolences go to her family, friends, and the marketing metric community. I have interacted with Meg for more than two years as a MASB Trustee. She was a true believer of marketing metrics and marketing accountability. She used her amazing leadership to steer MASB forward. MASB would not be the great institution it is today without Meg’s contributions. MASB has lost a great leader. I will miss her.
I first met Meg in the mid-70’s when she was blazing a new trail at P & G, ad testing with her new ARS approach doing battle with Burke and day after recall.
There was an amazing strength about her. Meg will be a great loss to our profession and to all who knew her(and they are legion). It was an honor to work with Meg(and Dave & Kate) to launch MASB.
Meg was a true mentor for me. Sometimes she was a professor, sharing her deep knowledge. Other times she was a counselor providing a sounding board. And other times she was a drill sergeant, pushing me to higher levels of achievement. Her guidance will be sorely missed.
Meg possessed a very unique energy and perspective that inspires me professionally to make a difference and to always ask myself — what will be my legacy? On a personal level, I will never forget my fishing experience with her off of Nantucket on an August Saturday following a MASB summit. And afterwards, we enjoyed a couple of Miller High Life’s together.