Jackson, MS – Liza Cirlot Looser, founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Cirlot Agency, Inc., and Rick Looser, president and COO, were honored May 11, 2009, as laureates of the 20th Annual Mississippi Business Hall of Fame.
Rick and Liza are among 85 business leaders currently named as laureates of the Mississippi Business Hall of Fame. It was established in 1989 by Junior Achievement of Mississippi to honor outstanding Mississippi business leaders, past and present, for their significant contributions to the growth and development of business in the state.
Liza Cirlot Looser started the full-service, marketing, public relations and corporate communications firm 25 years ago. Today, the firm has grown to be a multi-million dollar corporation that represents accounts on a national and international basis ranging from Fortune 100 companies to some of the world’s largest privately held corporations.
She is an alumnus of Mississippi University for Women and Harvard Business School. As an expert brand strategist, Liza led a team of defense industry giants to what became one of the largest defense contracts ever awarded. Liza laid the roadmap for branding the DD(X) Gold Team, made up of Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Boeing that successfully won the $60 Billion contract. In 1998, Liza set a precedent by serving as the first woman chairman of the board of the MetroJackson Chamber of Commerce – a first in its 116-year history.
Her husband, Rick, is a sought-after speaker and is recognized as one of the top P.R. professionals in the country. Rick has worked for a virtual who’s who of business and industry, including Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and ATK, among others. As an alumnus of The University of Alabama, he currently serves on the board of advisors for The University of Alabama’s Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. Rick has also served on the national Advertising Advisory Board of Directors for Congressional Quarterly magazine based in Washington, D.C. He is also the CEO of Longleaf Camo.
The Cirlot Agency is perhaps best known for its Public Service Campaign,Mississippi, Believe It!, which was created as an economic and educational tool with posters depicting positive aspects of Mississippi and its citizens. Schools across the state continue to use the campaign in the classroom and businesses utilize it in proposals with out-of-state companies.
Other 2009 Mississippi Business Hall of Fame laureates included: James A. Coggin of Saks, Inc., Clara T. Reed of Mid-Delta Home Health, and Harry M. Walker of Trustmark National Bank.
Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experimental, hands-on programs.
