Rich Greco ’03 By Shawna Gallagher Vega In the East River-facing expanse of airy modernity that Droga5 calls home, Rich Greco ’03 guides designers with a steady hand. He is a creature of consistency, right down to the American Apparel cardigans and T-shirts he wears to work each day. But make no mistake—this son of Midwood, Brooklyn is one of advertising’s top creative forces. As design director at Droga5, the independent advertising network that counts the White House, Google, Toyota, Under Armour, and Prudential among its clients, Greco distinguished himself quickly. In 2012, Business Insider named him to the No. 10 spot on its list of the 30 Most Creative People in Advertising Under 30. Two years later, Forbes selected him to its 30 Under 30 list for marketing and advertising professionals. The self-effacing Greco first attributed his accolades to Droga5’s “very powerful PR department,” but when prodded, he reflected on the keys to his accomplishments. “I will say that I did my work, did it well, and enjoyed what I was doing,” Greco said. “I work on challenging projects with people who are more talented than I am. I don’t sleep very much, either.” He also attributed his achievements to Xavier, especially to Denise Iacovone, whom he meets for lunch at least once each year.
“At Xavier, and specifically in art class, I learned how to manage my time and adhere to deadlines. I didn’t always excel in those areas, but being made aware of the consequences was equally beneficial,” said Greco, who played baseball and belonged to the Cartooning and Illustration Club on 16th Street. “And I developed a respect for rules, in that I found it was good to be aware of them in order to break them in a meaningful way when necessary.”
“Find the thing you are passionate about, and do it to the best of your ability.” The Pratt Institute grad often returns to Xavier to judge the annual Festival of the Arts, and he hopes today’s students develop the same qualities he did—creativity and determination. “Find the thing you are passionate about, and do it to the best of your ability,” Greco urged. “Really surround yourself with it. Then if that gets boring, start all over.” Shawna Gallagher Vega is Xavier’s Director of Communications. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Boston College.
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