Edward Meyer Obituary, Death – Edward Henry is a legendary American advertising agency executive. He has served for more than 35 years as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Grey Global Group. Together with his wife Sandra, Edward and Sandra Henry have authored a transformative gift of $75 million to create the Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. Edward Henry (Ed) Meyer, who was 96 years old at the time of his death, passed away quietly at home on April 11, 2023, surrounded by his family. Ed Meyer, whose parents were Irving H. and Mildred (Driesen) Meyer, was born in New York City on January 8, 1927.
He was their son. He received his elementary and middle school education at Hunter College, as well as his high school education at Stuyvesant High School, before graduating from the Horace Mann School. He was born and reared in New York City. After completing his honorable service in the United States Coast Guard Reserve from 1945 to 1947, he enrolled at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. During this time, he took a break from his studies. After completing his military service, he enrolled at Cornell University and went on to get a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, graduating with honors in 1949.
After receiving his degree from Cornell, Mr. Meyer began his professional life with the Bloomingdale’s department of Federated Department Stores, which is now known as Macy’s, Inc. It was in 1951 that he started what would become a 55-year career in the advertising industry. He started out working for The Biow Company, and it was there that he established a long-lasting and fruitful professional relationship with the global leader in packaged products, Proctor & Gamble. Mr. Meyer joined Grey Advertising, the company that would later become Grey Global Group, in the year 1956.
Over the course of his half-century career at Grey, he served in a variety of capacities, rising through the ranks to become President in 1968 and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 1970. Over the course of the subsequent 35 years, Mr. Meyer transformed Grey into a global advertising and marketing communications powerhouse with offices in 96 different nations. He was the mastermind behind the 2005 sale of Grey to another multinational media behemoth, the WPP Group, and he stepped down as Chairman of the Board the following year.
In 2005, Mr. Meyer and his son Anthony (Tony) Meyer established Ocean Road Advisors, Inc. as the family office management firm for the Meyer family. Together, they were joined in this endeavor by Mr. Meyer. Up until the time of his passing, he served as Chairman of Ocean Road Advisors. Margaret (Meg) Meyer is an Official Fellow (Professor) in Economics at Nuffield College, Oxford University. Anthony (Tony) Meyer is a serial entrepreneur and private investor who currently runs the Meyer family office, Ocean Road Advisors, Inc. Edward Meyer married the former Sandra Lee Raabin on April 26, 1957, and they had two children: Margaret (Meg) Meyer and Anthony (Tony) Meyer.