Dooner is the former chairman and CEO of the advertising giant McCann-Erickson Worldgroup, and current partner at DDCD Partners.

New York native Dooner began his career in 1970 as a media buyer at Grey Advertising. Three years later, he made the jump to Marschalk (it later became Lowe Lintas), rising through the ranks to eventually become the agency's executive VP. In 1984, Dooner jumped ship to join McCann-Erickson as senior vice president, assuming responsibility for accounts like Coca-Cola and Gillette. Despite the painful loss of much of Coke's business in the early '90s, Dooner continued to ascend through the ranks, moving up to president in 1992 and the CEO spot in 1995. He later orchestrated a major reorganization of the company, creating McCann-Erickson Worldgroup as the holding company for seven different lines of business. His ability to aggregate more than 100 agencies under one roof and yet keep them nimble enabled him to lure back Coke in 2000, and his solid track record earned him a promotion in 2001 when he was named CEO of McCann's parent, Interpublic. His stay atop Interpublic, unfortunately, was far less successful. With the downturn in the economy, the company struggled financially and an SEC investigation into accounting irregularities proved especially embarrassing. Mounting woes led to a demotion in 2003 when he was named CEO of McCann (whose parent company is IPG), replacing Jim Heekin, a position he'd held in the past. Dooner left McCann again in 2010, after the loss of some of the company's biggest clients—like Verizon—left them in shambles. His hotly contested 2.5 million-a-year pension is yet another striking example of CEO's being rewarded for underwhelming performance.

Dooner re-entered the game for his final act in 2011 when he quietly partnered at DDCD Partners—the brainchild of former leaders at William Morris Endeavor Marketing. His new stake in the holding company is perhaps his last shot at making a legacy for himself after his last tumultuous years at McCann-Erickson.

Dooner is a trustee at the College of New Rochelle and sits on the National Multiple Sclerosis Society board of directors. He lives with his wife, Cynthia, and their daughter, Jacyln, in Pelham Manor in Westchester. Their other daughter, Miriam, died of cancer in 2004.

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