Debbie Durben: President, Interep Marketing Group

Debbie has been in the radio industry for close to 25 years. She began her radio career in 1980 at the Radio Advertising Bureau, where she directed the member service department. In 1985, she joined Interep as an Account Executive, was a part of starting a new company, Durpetti & Associates. In 1993, she became one of the first employees at a new Interep division called Radio 20:20, designed to help advertisers reach their markets through the strategic and creative use of radio and the Internet. She later opened the Boston office of Radio 20:20, where she personally developed more than $30 million in new business. She returned to New York in 2001 as President of Radio 20:20, now known as the Interep Marketing Group. Debbie is a six-time winner of Interep's prestigious Chairman’s Circle Award, presented each year to employees whose performance is deemed exemplary by a panel of judges. She is passionate about Radio and about the value that it brings those advertisers who use the medium properly. Since being named President of Interep, her division has generated more than $200 million in new business for radio from clients including Arm & Hammer, AXA Financial, MIchael's Crafts, and scores of others.

Debbie’s achievements also have been recognized outside the halls of Interep. In 2001, she was accepted into the prestigious Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), Fairchester ( Fairfield and Westchester) Chapter. YPO only accepts people who are presidents of companies or divisions with 50 or more employees or more than $1 million in total compensation for all employees; at least $8 million in gross annual sales; and an enterprise value of at least $10 million. Debbie, it should be noted, is the YPO chapter’s only female member. In 2003 and again in 2004 she was named one of radio’s Most Influential Women by Radio Ink. In 2004 she was also named as one of “AWRT’s Top 20 Sales & Marketing Women in Radio, Television and Cable. Finally, in 2005 she was elected to the board of AWRT.

Debbie takes pride in serving as a role model for other women at Interep and in the industry. Since she was selected as MIW she has been very involved in the mentorring committee. "It is so rewarding to see so many talented young adults come into our industry and embrace it the way I did 25 years ago and still do today. With all of the changes, including fragmentation and dispersion of advertising dollars, I still can’t think of an industry I would rather be in."