Lavinel Savu
Education
MS '99, Publishing, New York University
<p>Lavinel Savu is head of US hospitality & financial services advertisers at Amazon’s Brand Innovation Lab, where he leads a team creating custom campaigns for Amazon’s top ad clients. Previously, he was head of content & editorial at Amazon Fashion, overseeing omnichannel strategy for the leading US apparel retailer. Before Amazon, Savu held executive roles at Dotdash Meredith, Time Inc., and Hearst, where he launched and scaled iconic brands including InStyle and O, The Oprah Magazine. A native New Yorker, Savu holds an undergraduate degree from Columbia University and earned both his MS in Publishing and MBA in Marketing from NYU, where he has taught graduate courses at NYU SPS’ Center for Publishing since 2002. His recent accolades include a 2024 Cannes Lions Shortlist for Social Responsibility for his impactful work at Amazon with TIAA and Wyclef Jean—and the 2022 NYU SPS Outstanding Service Award for his contributions to the goals and mission of the School and University.</p>
My time at NYU SPS, first as a student in the MS in Publishing program and then as a faculty member in the Center for Publishing for the past 22 years, has been transformative, giving me the confidence and skills to accelerate my career growth and continuously nurturing my passion for lifelong learning and my profession. It's where I learned to embrace change, value innovation, and test theory through practice in the real world to create meaningful value for customers while driving business and brand growth. I am a more effective marketer, agile leader, and critical thinker thanks to the lessons I learned as a scholar and professor at SPS."
