LOS ANGELES, CA, September 14, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Catherine Adams Bension has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Hailing from more than four decades of leadership and success at the intersection of marketing, advertising and entertainment, Ms. Bension is the Chief Executive Officer of SelectResources International (SRI), a position she has held since 1997. Under her leadership, the company has become a leading force in marketing and communications consulting, specializing in fostering sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships between clients and their communications partners.
Renowned for her expertise in consulting, sustainability, agency portfolio management, participant marketing and the effective integration of agency resources, Ms. Bension guides organizations through complex decisions regarding agency selection, internal management versus outsourcing, evaluating agency models and ensuring that the right people are assigned to critical tasks. Her approach often involves what she refers to as "marriage counseling" for client-agency relationships, addressing key factors such as compensation and relationship management.
Throughout her tenure at SRI, Ms. Bension has worked with approximately 70 of the largest companies in North America that invest heavily in advertising and paid media. Her client roster includes retailers like Walmart, Sam's Club, Home Depot, Lowe's, and Kohl's; as well as major financial services firms such as Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Vanguard, Capital One and Santander among others; automotive clients including Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan, Volkswagen, and BMW among others; Telecommunications firms including AT&T and Verizon; QSR and restaurant brands including McDonald's, Taco Bell, KFC, Applebee's, among many others; travel and tourism companies from airlines like Southwest, cruise lines like Carnival and Princess Cruises, hotel companies like Hilton and Hyatt and destinations like Las Vegas (LVCVA) and the Cayman Islands (CIDOT); beauty brands like Estee Lauder and finally, but not least, many prominent technology companies including Nvidia, Broadcom, Oracle, Intel, HP, Dell, Adobe, Cisco Systems and Intuit among others. Her firm is currently engaged with Cboe, Subway, Jared, Kohler and Bush Bros.
A significant portion of SRI's business stems from longstanding relationships with chief marketing officers who value her ability to deliver on promises and drive impactful business outcomes. Though Ms. Bension's tenure counts many milestones, she takes pride in the confidence she has built among corporate leaders; this reputation for reliability has resulted in repeat engagements even as executives move between organizations.
A particularly meaningful moment in Ms. Bension's career occurred on her 70th birthday while she was recovering from cancer; a former mentee of hers organized a virtual celebration that was attended by 150 chief executive officers from agencies around the world — an event that underscored her industry-wide respect and influence. The gathering highlighted not only her professional achievements but also her lasting impact as a mentor and leader within the advertising community.
Before joining SRI, Ms. Bension spent eight years in agency leadership including four years as group head of Foote, Cone & Belding (FCB), where she managed challenging client relationships and was pivotal in launching a new agency for one of the nation's largest banks alongside two principals from FCB. As one of two lead executives at this boutique firm, she gained invaluable experience overseeing a diverse range of projects before departing to focus on her family. This hiatus lasted all of six months, after which she joined DDB as SVP. She was instrumental in helping the agency pitch and win the Vons grocery account and at the request of Vons leadership was asked to join the agency to lead the business.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Bension excelled as the director of marketing for MCA Recreation Services at Universal Studios (now Universal Parks). Within two years — before the age of 30 — she was promoted to oversee all marketing for the division, which included theme parks, live concerts and concession operations at national landmarks such as Yosemite National Park. This period proved formative as she worked under an intimidating chief executive officer who taught her to navigate complex corporate environments by building alliances with key stakeholders such as the chief financial officer.
Prior to joining Universal Studios, Ms. Bension began her advertising career at N.W. Ayer following advice from a trusted colleague who encouraged her to gain agency experience and develop gravitas in marketing plan development and presentation skills. She later joined Ogilvy's Los Angeles office after an opportunity surfaced to support Universal Studios' business.
Growing up in a time when roles for women in corporate America were scarce, Ms. Bension's entry into the entertainment industry came shortly after graduating with a Master of Business Administration in marketing from the John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1975. Upon graduation she was selected to be featured in an article in the Los Angeles Times— an early indicator of her visibility and potential impact within marketing. As a result, a high-profile actor, Tom Laughlin (Billy Jack) turned producer/distributor hired her to be his intermediary between his advertising and distribution execs. Shortly thereafter she was able to elevate herself into the position as chief of staff to the global head of advertising and publicity at Columbia Pictures.
During her time at Columbia, Ms. Bension contributed to high-profile marketing campaigns for projects such as the acclaimed 1977 film "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," collaborating with luminaries including Steven Spielberg and Richard Dreyfuss.
Committed to advancing industry knowledge beyond her professional responsibilities, Ms. Bension sits on the board of the Morrison Center for Marketing and Data Analytics at the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA. Additionally, she leads a university initiative designed to train companies in enhancing the effectiveness of younger or less experienced individuals who are managing client-agency relationships.
Happily married and a proud mother of two sons, Ms. Bension enjoys creative hobbies like sculpting, and fashion design; she once created all her own clothes, including prom dresses and costumes. She continues to pursue artistic interests such as painting and maintains close connections with nine sorority sisters from college with whom she regularly gathers. Inspired by her mother, a pioneering educator who became a principal and later served on a public-school board well into her senior years, she remains dedicated to the ideals of lifelong learning and resilience.
Looking toward the future, Ms. Bension hopes that SelectResources International will maintain its prominence within an industry being shaped by artificial intelligence and evolving technology landscapes. She recognizes the importance of preparing for future leadership transitions or a potential sale of the company while continuing to champion innovation and excellence, both within marketing and consulting circles and beyond.
# # #