Sonia Sroka Named One of the Top Five LATINA Executives of the Year by LATINA Style Magazine

NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Global public relations leader Porter Novelli announced today that Sonia Sroka, senior vice president, director of Hispanic marketing, has been named one of the top five 2012 LATINA Corporate Executives of the Year by LATINA Style magazine. LATINA Style is the premier magazine addressing the needs of professional Latinas in the U.S.

The LATINA Corporate Executive of the Year program was launched in 2009 with the mission of highlighting individual Latina achievement at the corporate level. The awards recognize each Latina professional's commitment to leadership, community involvement and business leadership. Sroka will receive her award at the LATINA Style Diversity Leaders Conference on February 9, 2012 in Washington, D.C.

"We are delighted to name Sonia Sroka as one of the top Latina executives of the year," said Robert Bard, president and CEO, LATINA Style, Inc. "She was selected based on her evident excellence in corporate leadership, mentorship, and her remarkable dedication to working with our community both locally and nationally."

"I am extremely honored to be named a top Latina executive, as this award recognizes the relationship between corporate leadership and a commitment to giving back to our communities," said Sroka. "In order to develop the next generation of leaders who will be well prepared to serve their businesses in the global marketplace, we must be dedicated to educating and providing opportunities to people who offer a diversity of thought and experience. That happens best through hands-on mentorship."

During Sroka's five year tenure at Porter Novelli, she led all aspects of strategic planning for the development of the agency's Hispanic market practice. Responsible for directing daily operations of the practice, Sroka has created and managed Hispanic campaigns for national and global clients including Merck, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and SOYJOY, among many others.

In addition to Sroka's primary responsibility at Porter Novelli she serves as the chair of the agency's National Diversity Council, which has chapters in seven U.S. offices and is populated by approximately 50 mid- and junior-level executives who are responsible for executing diversity initiatives in their local markets. She is a member of the Omnicom Diversity Development Advisory Committee and has served two terms as the national chair of the Public Relations Society of America's (PRSA) Diversity Committee.

"Sonia is relentless in her commitment to building and driving Porter Novelli's Hispanic practice and our diversity and inclusion programming," said Anthony Viceroy, global president, CFO and executive sponsor of the agency's diversity initiatives. "She truly understands the business imperative of building the next generation of diverse leaders.

"Furthermore, this award truly underscores our commitment to creating a working environment that attracts the top talent in the industry, those who are dedicated not only to delivering exceptional service to our clients but also to giving back and creating opportunities in the communities in which we work. Sonia embodies our ideal of doing well and doing good."

In December, Porter Novelli won the "Best PR Firm Community Initiative" award in the first annual "Diversity Distinction in PR Awards" sponsored by the Council of PR Firms in association with PRWeek. Porter Novelli won for its work with the TORCH Program, which Sroka spearheads. TORCH, which stands for Together Our Resources Can Help, provides underserved New York City public high school students with intensive exposure to career training and opportunities in communications and the arts, all while facilitating a meaningful way of increasing the diversity of the workforce in those industries.

Earlier this month Sroka was named a finalist in the PR News "CSR Professional of the Year" awards for her leadership on Porter Novelli's diversity and inclusion programs.

About Porter Novelli
A global public relations leader, Porter Novelli was founded in 1972 and is a part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC). In 90 offices in nearly 60 countries, Porter Novelli combines the power of immersion with the rigor of research to create deep human insights that enable the agency to transform the opinions, beliefs and behaviors of those who matter most to its clients. For additional information, please visit www.porternovelli.com.

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SOURCE Porter Novelli