2026 Pinnacle Awards
Marketing Legends
This prestigious award is like a “lifetime achievement” award; it is not time-bound. Who has made a lasting impact and brought acclaim to the city or the profession of marketing?
Read about our 2026 winners below.
STUART AITKEN
President & CEO, Circana
Stuart Aitken is the President and CEO of Circana, one of the world’s most influential information services companies, a position he assumed in January 2025. He brings more than 25 years of distinguished experience in data, insights, analytics, technology, and media, with a remarkable career built around helping the world’s leading companies understand real shopper behavior and stay ahead of where demand is heading.
Before Circana, Aitken served as Kroger’s Chief Merchant and Marketing Officer, where he played a pivotal role in positioning one of America’s largest retailers at the forefront of data-driven decision making. Prior to that, he was a founder and served as CEO of 84.51°, Kroger’s acclaimed data analytics arm, and CEO of dunnhumby USA. Earlier in his career, he held influential marketing leadership roles at Michaels Stores and Safeway, where his work in card and loyalty marketing helped set the standard for customer engagement in retail.
Fortune magazine recognized Aitken as one of the 25 Most Powerful Rising Executives in the Fortune 500, a testament to his vision and impact across the industry.
Beyond his professional achievements, Aitken is deeply committed to giving back to the communities he serves. He currently serves as a Board Trustee at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and as a Board Member at InvenTrust Properties Corp., and has previously served on the boards of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland’s Business Advisory Council, and the Andy & Jordan Dalton Foundation.
He holds a BA with Distinction in Information Management from Queen Margaret University and an MS in Information Management from the University of Strathclyde. He lives in Cincinnati with his wife and two children.
PAT FREW
Executive Director, Covington Business Council
Since 2010, Pat Frew has served as Executive Director of the Covington Business Council, a membership-based business advocacy group whose mission is to promote a healthy business climate in Covington. In that time, the City of Covington has seen an approximate infusion of half a billion dollars in private investment, highlighted by projects including the 20-acre Covington Central Riverfront Development on the former Internal Revenue Service site. The Council has also noticed substantial growth in this period, with more than 580 member companies compared to the 130 Frew inherited when he took over the CBC.
Earlier in his career, Pat served as Communication Director for the Northern Kentucky Convention & Visitors Bureau. He has also held leading positions in the professional services field, serving as Marketing Director for the leading law firm Frost Brown Todd and Marketing Coordinator for the Cincinnati office of Northwestern Mutual.
Pat started his AMA Cincinnati Chapter membership in 1998, serving on the committee planning luncheons and other events during the early 2000s, culminating in his ascension to becoming Chapter President in 2007-2008. Under his leadership, the local chapter reached its largest membership in history, with more than 600 members. The Cincinnati Chapter was named second runner-up for Chapter of the Year for that period. Pat was selected for a three-year term on the Professional Chapters Council, mentoring a number of local chapters around the US. Pat remains involved in the Chapter today, running the Job Transition Community.
Become a Sponsoring Partner
Help Us Deliver.
Our sponsoring partners – both paid and in-kind – enable us to deliver more programming, better experiences, and greater community impact.
Download our prospectus to get some ideas for what’s possible.
Get Involved
Contact partnerships@amacincinnati.org or fill out the form linked below to discuss partnerships today!
We are an all-volunteer organization that works like it’s paying the bills. We depend on the participation of our fellow marketers and leading organizations across the region and beyond. Would you like to reach more marketers and related professionals for talent, visibility, and growth? We consider all sponsors to be partners, and we’ll find the right set of benefits to make the value exchange just right.
We thank you for attending tonight’s event and would like to congratulate our winners on their dedication to excellence. We look forward to seeing you next year!
If you have any questions or feedback regarding the event, please reach out to Pinnacle@AMACincinnati.org.
