Celebrated for their accomplishments in their respective fields and their service and support of the university, Cal State Fullerton recognized four alumni and one honorary alumna as the 2022 Vision & Visionaries award recipients. Established in 1994 and in its 25th year, the awards are the highest honors presented by CSUF to alumni and community supporters.
Ingrid Otero-Smart is a force in the world of advertising. As president and CEO of Costa Mesa-based Casanova//McCann, a Hispanic advertising agency, she and her team are committed to helping their clients find the right solutions when it comes to marketing to Latino consumers.
With more than 30 years of experience in the business, the majority of those years in Southern California, Otero-Smart has made a unique impact, not only on the advertising industry but on the next generation of ad executives. Her commitment to serving Cal State Fullerton students in the College of Communications through mentoring, internship opportunities and networking connections has earned her the CSUF 2022 Vision and Visionaries Honorary Alumna Award.
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Otero-Smart studied communications in her home country and began her career there at McCann Erickson. After about seven years, she decided to make the move to the U.S.
“I thought coming to the states and seeing how the companies and agencies worked here would make me a better and more well-rounded executive,” Otero-Smart said.
Otero-Smart landed in Orange County and joined Mendoza Dillon & Asociados, where she worked her way up from account director to CEO. She then moved to Anita Santiago Advertising in Santa Monica and served as president there for three years before joining Casanova Pendrill in Costa Mesa.
In 2020, Otero-Smart acquired the agency from McCann Worldgroup and remains independent but affiliated with the McCann network. In the past 18 months, Casanova//McCann has nearly doubled its staff to 80 people and has a national footprint, with clients including Nestle, Chevrolet and the U.S. Postal Service.
“It’s such an interesting business,” said Otero-Smart of advertising. “Every day is different. It’s not only about selling products, but it’s also about giving back. You meet a lot of very interesting, curious and good people in this business.”
About 10 years ago, Otero-Smart approached Cal State Fullerton with the goal of establishing a paid internship program with the university. Each summer, Casanova//McCann hires four to six CSUF communication students, with many of them earning full-time positions upon graduation. She saw from day one the difference in the Titans.
“The fact that we are an Hispanic marketing agency, we need to make sure that our agency mirrors the nation,” Otero-Smart said. “We have the best source of talent from Cal State Fullerton. … So many of them are first-generation students, and they come out with this amazing work ethic that I haven’t seen in students from other institutions.”
As part of her early relationship with the university, Otero-Smart crossed paths with then CSUF President and fellow Puerto Rican, Mildred Garcia, when both were named to the Orange County Business Journals’ Top 50 Most Influential People. After meeting in person, Garcia invited Otero-Smart to join the university’s board of governors, a role she still holds.
Otero-Smart’s commitment to CSUF is multifaceted, as she also serves on the College of Communication Dean’s Advisory Council and is on the advisory board for PRactical ADvantage, the school’s student-run ad agency. Additionally, she is a founding member and chair of the advisory board for Latino Communications Institute, a “workforce-preparedness program” that supports Titan Latino communication students in the areas of mentorship and educational opportunities.
This was a way of getting them together … to benefit from each other’s experiences as Latinos in communications,” Otero-Smart said of Latin Communications Institute.
Otero-Smart is also a Titan parent, with a son who graduated from CSUF with a degree in communications. But despite her long-standing connection to the university, she admitted she felt like a bit of an outsider not being an alumna herself. That changed after she received the school’s 2022 Vision and Visionaries Honorary Alumna Award.
“It was very touching,” said Otero-Smart of the award. “Now with this honor, I feel that I am truly an alumnus of Cal State Fullerton.”
Otero-Smart is continually in awe of the commitment and passion on display at Cal State Fullerton. She is grateful for the recognition, but even more thankful for the opportunity to continue to serve alongside such a vibrant and dedicated community.
“I’m always impressed with everyone I meet,” Otero-Smart said. “I can honestly tell you that the best, hardest-working, most committed and most passionate students have come from Cal State Fullerton.”
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