about chris degenaars

Chris Degenaars is a Los Angeles-based marketing professional with over a decade of experience in building brands, developing marketing strategies, connecting online & offline experiences, navigating regulated markets, and setting ethical standards that define responsible advertising. Chris is the Marketing Manager for Wilshire Law Firm, where he is responsible for holistic marketing campaigns, and contributes to the industry as the Founding President of AAF Los Angeles and by serving on the Advisory Council for the Institute for Advertising Ethics. In 2024, he was recognized for his commitment to the industry by being named one of SoCal's 32 Under 32 Professionals. 

Starting his career on the agency-side, Degenaars contributed to the growth of Long Drive Agency to be an industry-leading marketing technology company in the golf industry. As the Director of Operations & Strategy, Chris reported to the Founder & CEO and oversaw day-to-day agency operations, responsible for client success and marketing campaigns. He also led product management for Digital Range, a proprietary platform developed for agency clients to monitor campaign performance, including client training and UX/UI design.

Chris then went on to Giant Group, the world's largest bicycle manufacturer. During his tenure, he managed national digital campaigns for the 4 consumer brands in Giant Group's portfolio, including go-to-market campaigns and retail training on digital marketing strategies. He then moved over to the Global Digital Experience team, where he developed global programs to build the portfolio of brands through social media, community, personalization, and support over 60 product launches.

He's widely recognized for his work with the American Advertising Federation (AAF), the unifying voice for advertising, including as the Founder of Ad 2 SoCal and the 2022-2023 President of AAF Orange County. Chris has been a judge for the American Advertising Awards (ADDYS) from 2019 to 2025, a judge for AAF District 10’s Mosaic Awards in 2022, and a judge for the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) in 2023.

Degenaars is on the board of directors and advisor to various companies and nonprofits. Currently, he serves on the Institute for Advertising Ethics (IAE) Advisory Council, the only independent body addressing the complex issues of ethical standards and practices across all aspects of advertising communications. Previously, Chris served as a board officer for the nonprofit, Trips for Kids National, the largest and oldest youth development bicycling organization in the United States (acquired by League of American Bicyclists in 2023).