HD EXPO Panelists/Moderators

Mark Androw

Mark Androw was born in Chicago, studied film production at New York University where he earned a BFA degree.  He received a JD degree from law school at De Paul University and is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois and is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association.   He got his start in the commercial industry working as a line producer and production manager at the Chicago based commercial production company, Freese & Friends. He later served as that company’s executive producer.

In 1989, he left Freese & Friends to help found Chicago Story. The company brought a novel approach to the commercial industry by enabling New York and Los Angeles-based directors to work in Chicago as if they were local talent. That formula proved to be a winner as Chicago Story quickly became the city’s largest commercial production house. It was twice named Production-Company-of-the-Year by Screen Magazine.  Androw went on to replicate its success by opening production offices in New York and Los Angeles.  The company changed its name to The Story Companies in 1999 and to STORY in 2005.

Today, Androw continues to nurture Story’s growth. He has assembled a staff of exceptionally talented directors and built a list of clients that includes agencies from every major market in the United States. Under Androw’s steady leadership, STORY is today one of the advertising industry’s most versatile production resources and one of few companies that can claim a true national presence.

In addition to his role with STORY, Androw served as national treasurer of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) for 8 years and as national chairman of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) for 2 years.   He is the 2nd chairman in the 35-year existence of the AICP to be based outside of New York and LA.   He currently sits on the board of directors of the AICP and the Illinois Production Alliance(IPA).

On behalf of AICP Androw has been very active in the labor committee of the organization and has been involved in the negotiation of the national labor contracts of the Directors Guild of America and IATSE on behalf of the AICP.

Androw has been happily married for 18 years and is the father of 3 children.