Shannon Washington
Shannon
Washington
Month: March 2024
Creative, traveler, culturist—Shannon Washington is a busy woman.
Currently, Shannon serves as Global Chief Creative Officer for gotham, the global boutique creative brand in the McCann Worldgroup network of agencies. Shannon returned to gotham in 2024 to lead the creative evolution and expansion of the agency, from a legendary, 30+ year player in the beauty space, to a full-stack creative powerhouse for a new set of categories, brands and talent.
Shannon previously served as the US Chief Creative Officer, Connected Communications for R/GA US, the network’s largest and flagship region where she focused on reshaping the region’s campaign creative vision, fidelity and work culture.
At R/GA, her intersectional and craft-centric style of leadership led to a renewed creative vigor in the office, resulting in an impressive set of award wins, including a Webby Agency of The Year win, a #2 sport for AdAge’s A-list, and three impressive award seasons, with a net of campaign awards the network had not seen since 2016. Business-wise, Shannon successfully led a host of winning pitches for Uber, Sephora and TurboTax, which was the second largest win for IPG in 2023. In addition, her approach has earned her three distinctive honors: Ad-Age CCO of The Year, The AdWeek 100 and one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business.
Shannon joined R/GA after a stint in Los Angeles with Media Arts Lab, where she helped launch Apple TV+ and build a foundation for original content marketing in the Apple ecosystem, and at Deutsch Los Angeles where she led the H&R Block team. Before that, Shannon was at Droga5 NY, where she led the culture-driven “I Am What I Make Up” relaunch of CoverGirl and the launch of You Invest with Chase.
When she can, Shannon can be found actively adding to the discourse around the culture of leadership and inclusivity in advertising through panels and public conversations. When she’s not in front of a monitor, Shannon is working on adding another stamp to her passport or attempting to run a 10-minute mile.
Shannon is a proud and loud graduate of Howard University and lives in New Jersey.
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Chaucer Barnes
Chaucer
Barnes
Month: March 2024
Chaucer Barnes is the Chief Marketing Officer of UnitedMasters Inc., where he bridges the worlds of music and advertising. His career has been marked by his ability to bridge cultural gaps and create impactful strategies for some of the world’s biggest brands. In his current role spanning Translation and UnitedMasters, Chaucer leverages his extensive background as a media planner, brand strategist, creative director, partnership architect, and independent musician to orchestrate innovative solutions that reshape brand behavior. His work aims to create a new normal in how brands and creators gain fame and influence in today’s world. Chaucer has spoken at several industry events, including the Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Lions Festival, and Tribeca Film Festival, and has been featured in Ad Age, Adweek, Fox 5 NY, and Campaign US. He has also been a guest on multiple podcasts, including Morgan Stanley’s Access and Opportunity podcast and Blavity’s Black Tech Green Money podcast. He currently serves as an executive board member of the Advertising Club of New York.
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Aaron Walton
Aaron
Walton
Month: March 2024
Recognized as a trailblazer and thought leader, Aaron Walton’s focus on innovation and cultural engagement has transformed traditional marketing and advertising strategies. As the CEO / co-founder of Walton Isaacson (WI), a full-service advertising agency, Aaron’s focus is squarely on identifying unseen opportunities rooted in cultural insights and connections. In recognition of his contributions to and ongoing impact on the industry, Aaron was inducted into the AAF Advertising Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
Founded in partnership Earvin “Magic” Johnson, WI has built inventive and dynamic relationships with brands such as Lexus, McDonald’s, American Airlines, The Home Depot, PNC Bank, and Amazon.
His leadership in the advertising community has led to several industry Board positions including a 2024 appointment to the American Advertising Federation, and 2023 appointments to The Ad Council and the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s).
Steering Committee
Steering Committee
Felecia Hatcher
Felecia
Hatcher
Month: March 2024
Leading Fortune 100 corporations, premier global tech entities, renowned foundations, and diverse communities worldwide consistently seek out Felecia Hatcher for her expertise in fostering inclusive innovation and facilitating transformative personal growth. As an internationally acclaimed transformational speaker and author, Felecia orchestrates spaces, curates events, and designs courses that empower business professionals, innovation pioneers, and entrepreneurs. Through her guidance, they not only amplify their impact but also confidently stride into their unique Zone of Genius.
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Katie Williams
Katie
Williams
Month: March 2024
Katie Williams is the US Chief Marketing Officer at Haleon. In this role, she works to shape the future of consumer experiences with our iconic portfolio of Haleon brands like Advil, Sensodyne, Tums, and Centrum. She is a leader in CPG marketing with extensive experience and proven success in delivering growth, creative courage, digital transformation, and employee development. She is best known for her relentless focus on equity and inclusion as a critical pathway for business and brand growth.
Katie joined Haleon in 2020 with +20 years of CPG experience at companies like Procter & Gamble where she started her career in R&D, Kraft Foods and most recently Mondelez International where Katie was charged with modernizing the brand and consumer engagement approach across the North America portfolio as the VP of Marketing Transformation. Prior to this role, Katie held various commercial and enterprise marketing roles at Kraft and Mondelez helping to build brands in the US and globally including such iconic brands as Oreo, Ritz, Sour Patch Kids, and Halls.
Katie earned a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
Katie lives in Montclair, NJ with her two sons CJ (14) and Chase (10) and her husband of 20 years Cameron.
Steering Committee
Steering Committee
Alia Kemet
Alia
Kemet
Month: March 2024
Alia serves as the Chief Marketing Officer of Shipt, a subsidiary of Target and a leading same-day delivery service. With a comprehensive role, she directs all aspects of marketing, brand management, and consumer experience, including creative direction, production, advertising, consumer strategy, membership loyalty, and insights. Drawing from over 25 years of marketing expertise acquired from notable positions at McCormick & Company, IKEA, Whole Foods Market, and BET, Alia’s leadership has earned her industry accolades such as Adweek’s Brand Leader of the Year and inclusion in Ad Age’s Leading Women Class.
Beyond her professional achievements, Alia holds influential roles within the advertising community, serving on esteemed boards such as the National Advertising Review Board, and the University of Maryland Flex MBA Advisory Council. Committed to community service, she actively engages with organizations including Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., Girl Scouts Council of America, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and serves on the Maryland Food Bank Board of Directors.
Alia’s passion extends beyond her professional endeavors; she has produced The Phenomenal Grit podcast, hosting insightful Career Conversations for Women of Color. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Howard University, and amidst her 25 years of marriage, she is a devoted mother to four children.
Steering Committee
Steering Committee
Trevor Edwards
Trevor
Edwards
Month: March 2024
Trevor A. Edwards, former President of the NIKE Brand. He resigned from his position in August 2018. Mr. Edwards was responsible for leading all category and geographic business units, the Jordan Brand and Action Sports, which includes Hurley International LLC, Digital Sport and brand management throughout the world as well as leading NIKE’s wholesale, retail and e-commerce operations.
Mr. Edwards was previously Global Brand & Category Management Executive Vice President, where he was responsible for helping to drive the NIKE Brand growth strategy by leading its category business units globally. Mr. Edwards joined the company in 1992 as a Regional Marketing Manager and has held senior marketing positions in the Americas, the Europe/Middle East/Africa region, the U.S. and Global Brand Management. Mr. Edwards has led some of the brand’s most significant break-through innovations, including spearheading the creation of Nike+, a revolutionary sports training experience that connects digitally enabled footwear with digital services. He has also helped transform the digital landscape and position Nike as a leader by using social media to connect with consumers globally.
Mr. Edwards earned a BA, business, 1984 and MBA, international marketing and finance, 1989 from Baruch College.
Steering Committee
Steering Committee
Ross Martin
Ross
Martin
Month: March 2024
Emmy and Peabody award-winning marketer and business leader Ross Martin is President of Ad Age Agency A-List marketing firm Known and the Founder of venture capital fund Lunch Partners, an early-stage private investment vehicle for some of the world’s most inspiring CMO’s. He is the Executive Producer of Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy and the five-part docuseries Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space, both for Netflix, as well as Meal Ticket, the upcoming documentary about the McDonald’s All- American Games for Amazon Prime Video, and Deep Dive, a new series with Universal Music Group and TIME Magazine. He is the Executive Producer and Co-Host of the popular iHeart Media podcast “Future Legends of Advertising,” now entering its second season. Ross is a member of the National Board of Directors of the American Advertising Federation, the Yale University Center for Customer Insights and the Digital & Innovation Council for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Recent accolades include Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People In Business,” an Advertising Age “Media Maven” distinction, Fortune Magazine’s “40 Under 40” top business leaders and Adweek’s “50 Most Indispensable Executives in Advertising.” In 2014, he was inducted into the Advertising Hall of Achievement.
Steering Committee
Steering Committee
Madeline Nelson
Madeline
Nelson
Month: March 2024
Madeline Nelson is an Emmy-nominated producer and Grammy Award winning Artist Manager, who currently serves as the U.S. Head of Independent Label Relations at Amazon Music. Nelson is also the founder of Heads Music, a boutique music management company, and co-founder with Wyclef Jean, of SodoMoodLab, a scoring and jingle company.
Heads Music is led and staffed entirely by women, a reflection of Nelson’s dedication to making sure that women have a voice within the music industry. Her dedication to her work and fighting for her beliefs has been forged through Nelson’s illustrious career in the music industry, which can be seen in her work as a mentor in the Next Gen Femme mentorship program within the Femme It Forward umbrella, and her recent invitation to participate in the American Association of Independent Music’s annual Indie Week event as their Keynote Speaker.
Madeline has been instrumental in the shaping of entertainment and music culture behind the scenes in her roles as producer, executive, artist manager, and trusted advisor for over three decades. Her repertoire ranges from her work as manager of Grammy Award winning R&B supergroup Blackstreet in the 1990s, to her A&R work with Michael Jackson, followed by her role as SVP of Artist and Label Relations at Sony Music, and now, her current role at Amazon Music as well as management of Wyclef Jean.
In addition to her work at Amazon Music, Madeline recently signed on as the consultant to the “Wyclef and TIAA: Music for a New Legacy” campaign, which aims to raise awareness among America’s youth, in particular the large percent of African American youth, on the importance of investing into a financially secure future. This campaign saw the release of the Wyclef track “Paper Right” featuring Pusha T, Lola Brooke, Capella Grey, and Flau’jae, with streaming proceeds being donated directly to the non-profit organization First Generation Investors.
Steering Committee
Steering Committee
Larry Adams
Larry
Adams
Month: March 2024
Larry Adams is the proud Black founder & CEO of XStereotype. Larry Adams is a digital marketing and media veteran, the former head of design for AT&T and Warner Media, he helped design and develop HBO Max and launched DIRECTV NOW, and most recently served as Sr. Advisor for the Bloomberg 2020 presidential campaign.