Showcasing marketing excellence is a point of pride for AMA New York. Our platform provides opportunities for us to learn from each other’s experiences and celebrate our successes. In pursuit of our mission and as part of our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, we are using our platform to launch a year-round Brilliant Marketers series to highlight diverse individuals who are making their mark in the marketing industry with the hope that you will use this opportunity to learn more about who they are and gain valuable insights that will bolster your own career path.
The #BrilliantMarketers series kicks off in honor of Black History month and launches in cooperation with other local AMA chapters using #celebrateAMAzingYou. This post will be updated frequently in a continued celebration of brilliance in marketing.
Daniel Sullivan
Daniel Sullivan is the Americas Field & Partner Marketing Director at Cisco. Daniel is responsible for driving growth marketing and scaling demand through strategic marketing programs. He has been honored over the last several years at Cisco with the Circle of Excellence Award, US Partner Innovator of the Year, and Americas Partner Marketing Top Achiever.
During the pandemic, as business needs dramatically shifted, Daniel set a simple and clear expectation for his team to focus on initiatives that directly impacted pipeline creation. The result? 66% growth, new innovations, refreshed stakeholder feedback, and an enhanced profile for his team within the organization. Now THAT’S brilliance in marketing!
Chris Heywood
Chris Heywood, Executive Vice President, Global Communications, NYC & Company, is a leader for the official destination marketing organization for the five boroughs of New York City. For over 14 years, Chris has focused on maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the City, building economic prosperity, and spreading the dynamic image of the Big Apple around the world.
Benjamin Lord
Benjamin Lord is a brilliant multidisciplinary marketer with expertise in CPG, beauty, retail and digital. Recently he took on a new role with L’Oreal as the Vice President of Global Digital for Urban Decay.
Benjamin has also been a part of AdWeek’s Innovators Council since 2019 and is an AdWeek Mentor & Mentee. His stellar work with some of the world’s top ad agencies garnered awards from Cannes Lions and accelerated growth and innovation for brands we know and love like Unilever, LVMH, Shiseido, and Nike.
His accomplishments don’t stop there! Benjamin was also recognized as a 2020 Pride Star for his commitment to pushing forward LGBTQ inclusion, visibility, and equality as well as driving progress in how the LGBTQ community is represented in advertising. Read his interview with Adweek here to learn more about this #brilliantmarketer.
Meghan Stabler
Meghan Stabler is an inspirational and dynamic e-commerce expert you should definitely know! Currently, she is the Vice President of Global Product Marketing & Communications at BigCommerce where she leads several of their high-performing marketing teams, including Product Marketing, Analyst Relations, Public Relations, and the Customer Reference & Use Case Program. She has built her successful career driving unprecedented growth for startup, IPO, turnaround, and enterprise on-prem and SaaS software firms in industries including cyber/security, enterprise management, data/BI, and eCommerce. Check out her recent talk on How COVID 19 Has Transformed The Ecommerce Industry.
Meghan’s core belief that everyone should be able to bring their authentic selves to work every day has driven her advocacy for employee rights, LGBTQIA+, and inclusion. Her undeniable passion for helping underrepresented groups has led to her current seat on the national board of Directors for Planned Parenthood. She also served on the national board of directors for the Human Rights Campaign and was a member of President Obama’s National LGBT Policy Committee for eight years. We’re proud to celebrate this #brilliantmarketer today and every day.
Aaron Walton
Aaron Walton is the ultimate storyteller. Since 2005, Aaron has led Walton Issacson, a creative agency that knows no barriers. What’s the secret sauce? Igniting culture. Aaron’s past experiences had a lot to do with how he built his company. He believes in celebrating who you are, self-expression, and living authentically – and that carries through to the work his agency produces. Iconic brands like McDonald’s, Nike, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Lexus rely on Aaron and his team to help them connect with their audiences using entertainment, food, sports, fashion, music, and information to drive their ideas and campaigns.
So what makes Aaron and his agency different from the others? Here’s one example. Remember the Lexus and Black Panther movie collaboration? You might not know the full story which includes eight graphic novels, Comicon, the Black-Eyed Peas, an auto show, New York Fashion Week, and the Superbowl — way before the movie release. Check out the video here and see why we are proud to call Aaron Walton a #brilliantmarketer.
Helen Loh
Helen Loh is a content marketing rockstar and financial services leader currently serving as the Senior Vice President of Marketing at Charles Schwab. Here she oversees branded communication channels for retail investors, as well as marketing for all retail products, services, and digital client experiences.
With over 25 years of experience in brand and growth marketing, she has worked across Fortune 500 and Silicon Valley startups. And her brilliance doesn’t stop there! Helen is also a co-sponsor for the AAPI Employee Working Group at Charles Schwab and is a powerful voice addressing her community. Hear about her experiences on the CMO Moves podcast where she was recently featured along with 10 Asian American business leaders who are creating an impact in advertising, marketing, and culture at large.
Nik Tran
Nik Tran is a multi-award winning marketer currently serving as Head of Global Marketing at TikTok. Here he leads the high-performing team driving the fastest growing social media app in the world, especially amongst GenZ. For his exceptional work, he has earned spots on Fortune and AdAge’s 40 under 40 lists, Forbes CMO Next, and 2020 AdAge Marketers of the Year.
Prior to his time at TikTok, he was the vice president of brand marketing and culture at Hulu, and held positions at Samsung and Taco Bell. In his career, he has tackled some of the biggest challenges faced by marketers today and has come out victorious. We love this interview with him on Drift.com, where he shares 7 Marketing Lessons he’s learned along the way.
Judy Lee
Judy Lee is the Global Head of Experiential Marketing at Pinterest where she leads a team of marketers that created engaging brand activations around the world. A testament to her exceptional work in the industry, Judy was named a Top Woman to Watch by Brand Innovators and a Top Woman in Events by Event Marketer in 2019.
Not only does she share her deep knowledge across marketing disciplines as an industry thought leader in tech and media, but she’s also an advocate for underrepresented groups serving on Adweek’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council.
Jon Chang
Jon Chang is currently Head of Growth, US at Klarna and New York University Adjunct Faculty of Social Media and Web Analytics. In 2019, he was recognized as Forbes 30 Under 30 list maker, an expert in digital, growth, product marketer, global educator, and keynote speaker. Jon most recently led a discussion at Boost Couch Conference about cross-border consumer growth strategies, integrating cultural differences, and automation.
Jon serves on the board of EXPLO, a not-for-profit organization that celebrates learning through exploration and also as an advisor at Techstars, helping tech companies create growth marketing strategies. Learn more about Jon here.
Pam Didner
Pam Didner is a B2B marketing expert and President of Portland-based consulting firm Relentless Pursuit. As an agency leader, She trains, coaches, and provides strategic guidance on sales enablement, account-based marketing, and sales and marketing integration for enterprise and technology companies. Pam is a three-time author, podcaster, and international speaker, guiding audiences to put their marketing goals into action.
In 2019, Pam was named one of 20 women in marketing to follow and is a self-described Tango dancing B2B marketer. You can learn more about Pam’s marketing perspective on her YouTube channel.
Erica Chan
Erica Chan is the Head of Brand, Experience and Insights, North America B2B at Alibaba Group, one of the world’s largest B2B ecommerce marketplaces. Here she helped oversee Alibaba’s successful brand launch in the U.S. in 2019. Prior to joining Alibaba, Erica developed expertise in brand and corporate strategy including senior roles at OpenSky and Interbrand.
We love this Q&A we found from Authority Magazine where Erica discusses her outstanding career and shares her keen insights into creating trusted, believable, and beloved brands. You can view her interview on Medium here.
Jenny Fernandez
Jenny Fernandez is the VP of Marketing at Loaker where she is on the USA Senior Leadership Team. Her excellence in the field of marketing doesn’t end there. She also advises start-ups on strategic growth strategies, contributes to the development of others as a leadership coach, and teaches marketing at Columbia University and New York University.
We were fortunate enough to get the scoop from Jenny about how she’s navigated her career, learned to embrace change, and developed her own unique leadership style during our Women in Marketing virtual series. You can catch the interview on YouTube here.
Bernice Clark
Bernice Clark is the CMO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, an organization engaged in investing in neighborhoods to address community needs; building a more sustainable city to meet climate change challenges; creating 21st century industry workforce development opportunities; and managing 60 million square feet of publicly owned properties housing manufacturing, food markets, and more.
We’re fortunate to have had Bernice share her keen insight into her ascent to SVP of marketing and digital at Macy’s and what being a Woman in Marketing means to her as a part of our AMA New York’s Women in Marketing virtual series. You can catch the on-demand virtual conversation here.
Leah Holzman Glass
Leah Holzman Glass is the Head of Global Marketing at Amazon Pay. She’s a first-rate B2B marketing leader with over 20 years of experience developing integrated marketing and communications strategies that drive growth. Leah is also an expert in transforming teams and is dedicated to developing the next generation of marketing leadership.
We’re excited to talk with Leah on Thursday, March 18th at 12:00pm Eastern as a part of our virtual Take Your Seat at the Table series. Join us as Leah shares how she’s successfully navigated her career, found her own voice as a marketing leader, and answers questions live from attendees. Click here to register.
Mani Dasgupta
Mani Dasgupta is the Chief Marketing Officer at IBM Global Business Services. Mani is a marketing innovator who specializes in transforming brands. Her focus is on the customer and as a champion of diversity and inclusion, Mani uses her position to not only drive business outcomes but to be a powerful leader that is transforming IBM from the inside out.
Mani was generous enough to share her insights as part of our Women in Marketing program when it comes to her international career journey and how she navigated her role as a woman of color in the tech industry. Watch Mani share her story with Board Member Young Mi Park in Take Your Seat at the Table: A Virtual Conversation with Mani Dasgupta.
Lesleigh Irish-Underwood
Lesleigh Irish-Underwood was most recently named MetroPlusHealth’s first Chief Brand & External Relations Officer. As a visionary leader, influential strategist, and innovative brand builder, she will lead the charge to strengthen the five-star rated health care plan’s role in promoting over 600,000 New Yorkers’ health and wellness.
Lesleigh has built her career on serving her home city’s most challenged and underserved communities. During her tenure at the United Way of New York City (UWNYC), Lesleigh played a pivotal role in strengthening its brand and significantly increasing its annual revenue. Before she transitioned to the nonprofit sector, Ms. Irish-Underwood was a 25-year veteran of the consumer publishing industry, holding leadership roles at the Knopf Publishing Group of Random House, and Pearson Kensington Publishing. Learn more about Lesleigh here.
Preston Kevin Lewis
For Preston Kevin Lewis, the customer is his business. As SVP of Latin America for Warner Brothers Consumer Products, he is responsible for iconic brands that range from DC SuperHeroes like Batman and Wonder Woman to Harry Potter and Scooby Doo. In fact, many of the brands you grew up with have been under his charge in all parts of the world, including Australia, New Zealand, India, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. He also managed marketing and retail at HBO, MTV, and the Walt Disney Company setting the international stage for growing their respective retail, theatrical, and television businesses.
Though Preston is a career entertainment executive, he is not one for being in the spotlight. However, he offers some savvy advice about leadership and strategic partnership that stands the test of time. He once said, “Building partnerships was the next crucial piece in the puzzle. “It’s about building strategic alliance partners, so you are just as important to them as they are to you. That way partners like that very quickly become steeped in the DNA of Warner Bros. They know Looney Tunes deeply, they know Superman deeply and they become great partners in delivering solutions in the marketplace.” Read more of the InTheBlack Interview here.
Jason White
Jason White went from selling soap to managing major agency accounts including Nike at Weiden + Kennedy until he was tapped to make W+K a category leader in China. He then jumped to the brand side where he became EVP of Global Marketing for Apple brand Beats by Dr. Dre. After five years, he made a shift to the cannabis industry where he is now Chief Marketing Officer of Curaleaf, the largest cannabis operator in the U.S.
In a Forbes interview, Jason talked about his mentors. He said, “You wouldn’t believe the mentors I’ve had over the last 20 years. Truly a gift from above…I feel like I cheated and got way too many industry superstars at incredible moments of growth in their careers. They were breaking rules and kicking butt and they let me go along for the ride provided I worked my tail off.” Learn more about the branding and legislation challenges he faces, pandemic pivots, and how he’s bringing his corporate mindset to this fast-emerging market in this WARC article.
Nadja Bellan-White
Nadja Bellan-White recently became Vice Media’s first Global CMO. In this role, she is responsible for Vice News, Vice.com, Vice Studios production unit, the Vice TV cable channel, in-house ad agency Virtue, and women-focused brand Refinery29.
In Variety, Bellan-White said, “I’m hugely excited to be joining the Vice family and to play my part in realizing Nancy’s vision for the business. Vice is one of the most unique brands in media and one I have admired from afar. We have the opportunity to continue to build a brand that embodies the pillars of truth and culture — at a time when it is so important to our audience to tell those stories that reflect their lives.” Read more about Nadja’s historic appointment in Variety.
