As Chief Investment Officer, Shaffner manages all media investment and leads a team that has expanded to nearly half of the 200+ person, independent agency. Named Adweek’s 2020 Media All Star, Cathy helped lead Empower to the best year in the company’s 36-year history touting record breaking revenue and growth in 2019. In 2020, she led strategic client investments navigating both Empower and clients successfully through the challenges of a difficult year.
Cathy’s focus is on creating innovative deals on behalf of Empower’s clients and breaking down the walls between traditional and digital media to deliver data informed, platform agnostic video and audio investments. As a 26-year media veteran, Shaffner oversees all media partnerships and represents Empower’s expertise to clients.
Prior to the CIO role, Shaffner led marketing and media for many iconic brands including Ashley HomeStore, Rust-Oleum, Sharpie, PaperMate and Expo.