Susan Haar—Top Women in OOH Spotlight 2025

by Amber Larkins, OOH Today

We recently published our annual list of the Top Women Driving Growth in Out-of-Home (OOH) for 2025. Today, we are highlighting Susan Haar, Managing Director of Out-of-Home Investment, GroupM.

Susan Haar is the Managing Director of Out-of-Home Investment at GroupM, where she has built a best-in-class team recognized for their innovation and measurable impact.

With a wealth of experience across many facets of the advertising industry, Susan has held key roles in account services, media, client-side strategy, and new business development. Her diverse background, spanning large and boutique agencies, gives her a unique and holistic perspective on driving client success.

Susan’s global outlook is a cornerstone of her approach to channel growth and strategic client initiatives, consistently delivering exceptional results for partners.

She resides in Los Angeles with her husband and enjoys swimming, running, and perfecting her golf game.

Driving Growth in Out-of-Home through Consistency

 Susan believes driving growth in OOH starts with consistently keeping it part of the conversation and ensuring a constant presence with planning and client teams.

“I firmly believe that we’re all in the business of sales. Whether you are an OOH planner or buyer, your role extends beyond execution and actively promotes the value of the OOH channel,” Susan said. “Success in this industry requires a proactive approach—sharing fresh intelligence, introducing new inventory, and highlighting innovations within our channel.”

But she says it’s equally important to make a commitment to personal development and to have a genuine curiosity for knowledge. Her success is firmly rooted in these principles.

“Building confidence through learning naturally enhances your ability to share insights and offer strategic perspectives that contribute to channel growth,” Haar said.

“Building confidence through learning naturally enhances your ability to share insights and offer strategic perspectives that contribute to channel growth,” Haar said.

She’s proud to have led the negotiation of the first-ever agency agreement with the Las Vegas Sphere, recognizing potential early, championing it, and delivering exceptional results that elevated both our client and the OOH channel as a whole.

Overcoming Challenges

When it comes to OOH, 2020 was undoubtedly one of the most challenging years. Her team found itself in the midst of executing countless OOH campaigns. Our response would ultimately shape the future of our agency and the broader industry.

Instead of viewing it as a setback, the team at Group M embraced it as an opportunity.

“We focused on creating more agile solutions for clients, enabling greater flexibility in OOH campaign execution—particularly in scenarios requiring immediate pivots, given the uncertainty in the world,” Susan said. “This mindset led us to explore programmatic digital out-of-home (pDOOH) opportunities.”

They immersed themselves in learning everything they could about pDOOH and proactively educated clients and planning teams about its benefits, contributing to the significant growth and adoption of this approach within the industry today.

“This experience reinforced the importance of adaptability, innovation, and a proactive mindset—principles that continue to guide my approach to every challenge,” Susan said.

Favorite Campaigns are like Favorite Children

It’s difficult for Susan to choose just one favorite campaign—it’s like picking a favorite child—especially considering the incredible range of OOH campaigns executed at GroupM.

“Each campaign is visually distinct and delivers unique value for our clients, making every project a standout in its own way,” Susan said.

But she’s always been particularly impressed by the entertainment industry’s approach to OOH. Their creativity is unmatched, and there’s a remarkable synergy between their creative teams and OOH media partners. This collaboration often results in campaigns that not only capture attention but also create lasting impact.

“To me, the true “golden ticket” to a successful OOH campaign lies in the strength of the relationship between creative and media. When those elements align seamlessly, the results are nothing short of extraordinary,” Susan said.

“To me, the true “golden ticket” to a successful OOH campaign lies in the strength of the relationship between creative and media. When those elements align seamlessly, the results are nothing short of extraordinary,” Susan said.

Women in OOH

A recent study revealed that nearly 70% of the advertising industry is made up of women.

“It’s not just about increasing the volume of women in the industry—it’s about amplifying their voices and ensuring their perspectives and opinions are genuinely valued and integrated into decision-making,” Susan said. “Diversity of thought, driven by balanced gender representation, can only enhance the creativity and effectiveness of our industry.”

“It’s not just about increasing the volume of women in the industry—it’s about amplifying their voices and ensuring their perspectives and opinions are genuinely valued and integrated into decision-making,” Susan said. “Diversity of thought, driven by balanced gender representation, can only enhance the creativity and effectiveness of our industry.”

She believes that to get more women into leadership positions in OOH we need to focus on mentorship programs, leadership development initiatives, and closing the pay gap. Additionally, she says it’s important to reframe job descriptions for executive roles to be more inclusive, recognizing and embracing gender differences.

“By creating pathways that support women’s advancement, we can build a more balanced and dynamic leadership landscape,” Susan said.

It’s crucial to pay forward the support and guidance you’ve received throughout your career, Susan shared.

“I believe strongly in mentoring those who seek advice because I’ve personally benefited from the generosity of others. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the opportunities and insights they provided,” Susan said.

“I believe strongly in mentoring those who seek advice because I’ve personally benefited from the generosity of others. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the opportunities and insights they provided,” Susan said.

She believes by actively offering mentorship, sharing experiences, and creating pathways for growth, we can help build a more inclusive and equitable leadership pipeline.

Changing the OOH Industry

 Susan thinks the primary barrier preventing our industry from capturing a larger share of total ad spend is a lack of education around the true potential and versatility of our channel. Many clients still perceive OOH solely as a “stunty” channel, which is a misconception that needs to be addressed.

She says another critical factor is demonstrating proof of success. This relies on two key elements: enhancing the effectiveness of measurement solutions and providing better education to client and agency MMM (Marketing Mix Modeling) and research teams on how to accurately measure OOH performance within cross-channel studies.

“At GroupM, we are dedicated to delivering integrated solutions with the full power of our network to our clients,” Susan said.

She says if she took over the entire OOH Industry and could change it for the better that she would do very similarly to what is already being prioritized at GroupM:

1. Accelerate AI and Technology Integration: Implementing advanced AI and technology solutions across all facets of OOH—from strategy, planning, and buying to creative ideation, execution, and performance measurement—would elevate efficiency and innovation.
2. Enhance Training for the Future: She’d establish comprehensive training programs to help teams understand the distinction between AI-driven and human-driven roles. This would empower professionals to identify where their unique value lies in a rapidly evolving landscape.

She says by focusing on these areas, we can future-proof our industry and create an environment that fosters growth, creativity, and sustained success.