Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Rising Star Women of Marketing for 2024. In North America, women occupy six out of 10 marketing positions, dominating the field at all levels. Plus, over half of Chief Marketing Officer roles at companies and organizations are held by a woman. With so many talented professionals, these rising stars come from a wide variety of backgrounds, with the skills and talents needed to flourish in each marketing specialization.
Congratulations to Jennah Es-Sudan, the Director of Marketing and Business Development of Aegon, an integrated, diversified, international financial services group. Armed with a Doctoral degree in Business Administration and Management, Es-Sudan has decades of experience as a marketing leader.
We also honor the career of service-oriented leader, Meg Butler. She is the Lead Director of Partnership Marketing at Boys & Girls Clubs of America, where her strong background in marketing, communications, and journalism guides her performance at this youth development organization.
In the healthcare sector, awardee Savannah Sullivan is the Market Director of Marketing and Communications of Lifepoint Health, a leading healthcare provider. Sullivan is a seasoned marketing and communications executive with 16 years of experience, spanning branding, consumer insights, B2B and B2C campaigns, and social media.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Rising Star Women of Marketing for 2024.
Tracy Ruvolo
Senior Director of Marketing, Fresenius Kabi USA
Tracy Ruvolo is the Senior Director of Marketing at Fresenius Kabi USA. Fresenius Kabi is a global healthcare company with broad capabilities in pharma, nutrition, MedTech, and biopharma and deep specialization in the essential products medical professionals depend on to provide lifesaving and life-sustaining care to patients with critical and chronic conditions.
Throughout her career, Ruvolo has held various roles in marketing and management within the healthcare and nutrition sectors. At Fresenius Kabi USA, she previously led the marketing team for the Parenteral Nutrition Portfolio, achieving notable recognition as Marketer of the Year 2020 and President's Club Award Winner. Before this, she worked at Abbott, where she contributed to the development and launch of new pediatric specialty nutrition products. Before that, she gained experience at Mead Johnson Nutrition as an executive territory business manager and neonatal academic specialist, where she played a significant role in increasing product usage in neonatal care settings. Additionally, she has clinical experience as a clinical dietitian at Banner Children's Hospital and as a neonatal nutritionist at Phoenix Children's Hospital.
Ruvolo graduated from Arizona State University with an MBA in Leadership and Marketing, from Texas Woman's University with a Master of Science in Exercise and Sports Nutrition, and from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with an undergraduate degree in nutrition.
Rachel Molina
Marketing Director, Empower
Rachel Molina is the Marketing Director of Empower. Built on a foundation of trust, integrity, and promise, Empower proudly serves over 71,000 outstanding organizations and more than 17 million individuals. They take great pride in helping people with saving, investing, and advice while providing them with the tools and resources they need to help reach their financial goals.
Molina is a results-driven marketing and communication professional dedicated to creating compelling campaigns and collateral for Taft-Hartley, healthcare, the public sector, and other priority industries. Her skills include everything from conception, writing, design and vendor direction, promotion, delivery, and measuring metrics. She is a registered representative of Empower Financial Services, Inc.
Before joining Empower, Molina was a marketing manager at Prudential Financial. Before that, she was a marketing communications consultant at MetLife. Earlier in her career, she worked with Foxtons as a marketing assistant. Molina graduated from William Paterson University of New Jersey with an undergraduate degree in communications.
Marie-Elana Leone
Director of Marketing, North America, Aptar
Marie-Elana (Lana) Leone is the Director of Marketing at Aptar North America. As an innovative strategist, she focuses on leveraging technology and data to improve business performance. Lana plays a pivotal role in developing brand strategy, mentoring creative teams, deploying targeted marketing campaigns, scaling ABM programs, and infusing digital capabilities into her organizations.
She brings over 20 years of experience in biotechnology and life sciences to her B2B marketing leadership role with a unique combination of medical device sales and healthcare technology marketing. With a foundation in Biomedical Engineering and an MBA in Global Marketing, Lana approaches challenges with a unique blend of scientific rigor and creative marketing acumen.
Her journey has been marked by significant milestones that underscore her capabilities as a storyteller with a commitment to excellence. Most prominently, Lana was recognized with the prestigious “Marketer of the Year” award while at Zebra Technologies which celebrated her ability to blend creativity with analytical rigor to achieve outstanding results. Her relentless dedication and transformative leadership have been instrumental in supporting technical sales teams to drive profitable growth and exceed revenue results.
Lana earned an MBA in Global Marketing from DePaul University and a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. She currently lives in Chicago with her family and enjoys all the city has to offer.
Katherine Senseney
Marketing Director, FIS
Katherine Senseney is the Marketing Director of FIS, where she supports the national sales team and engages strategic bank partners. FIS is at the heart of the commerce and financial transactions that power the world’s economy. They are passionate about helping businesses and communities thrive by advancing the way the world pays, banks, and invests, serving more than 20,000 clients and more than one million merchant locations in over 130 countries.
Throughout her career, Senseney has held various marketing roles spanning across different industries. Previously at Worldpay, she specialized in bank partnership marketing, driving sales growth and aligning marketing strategy with sales targets. During her tenure at Vantiv, she focused on strategic partnership marketing, collaborating with leading banks to market payment processing solutions. At First Data Corporation, she led customer-focused strategic marketing programs and efforts to improve customer attrition. Previously, at United Technologies, she provided strategy and sales support for commercial engines in the global aviation market.
Earlier in her career, she was a senior marketing associate at GE, managing sales support for asset management products, and she was a marketing communications manager at Republic Financial Corporation, overseeing marketing communications and event logistics. She also served as a mergers and acquisitions project manager at First Data Corporation and as a project specialist at Cisco Systems, contributing to various projects and marketing efforts. Senseney earned an MBA from the University of Denver and an undergraduate degree in English and writing from the University of Colorado.
Meg Butler
Lead Director, Partnership Marketing, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Meg Mirshak Butler has diverse work experience in various roles and industries. Butler is currently the Lead Director of Partnership Marketing at Boys & Girls Clubs of America. As the nation's premier nonprofit youth development organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s programs, training, and services support millions of kids and teens every year. Before this, Butler worked as the marketing director for teens and workforce development at Boys & Girls Clubs of America, where she was responsible for managing corporate funders and developing marketing plans to support youth in their college and career preparation.
Before joining Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Butler served as the assistant director of communications at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. She also has experience as a corporate communications specialist at TaxSlayer, LLC, where she managed content marketing and public relations for the company's customer marketing, revenue, and retention department.
Earlier in her career, Butler worked as a staff writer for The Augusta Chronicle, covering news related to the energy sector, federal stories, and other local topics. She has a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame, where she participated in the Notre Dame London Study Abroad Program.
Tasha Dean
Director of Marketing & Communications, Miami University
Tasha Dean currently serves as the Director of Marketing and Communications for the College of Creative Arts at Miami University. In this role, she develops and executes comprehensive marketing strategies to help reach enrollment goals and build the division's reputation both regionally and nationally.
In the year and a half that Tasha has held this position, she increased news story production by 246%, helped secure 4 national awards, and established a creative team that she oversees. Tasha serves on several committees, including the University Communication and Marketing AI Committee, because of her advocacy for AI.
Since coming to Miami, Tasha has worked in University Advancement, the Department of Emerging Technology in Business and Design, Scripps Gerontology Center, and now University Communications and Marketing. Prior to her time at Miami University, Tasha held multiple roles at Ohio University in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs.
Highlights of her career include securing multiple national EduAd Awards, CASE Awards, and a university “Excellence in Marketing and Branding Award.” Tasha oversaw the migration of hundreds of web pages to a new CMS (twice), led communication and event efforts for the 100th anniversary of a department, created a donor stewardship plan (twice), and conceptualized and implemented an internship program.
Tasha holds a Master of Arts in Media Arts and Studies with a specialization in Media Management and a Bachelor of Science in Visual Communication from Ohio University.
Silvia Valderrama
Marketing Director, TR Americas, Shiseido
Silvia Valderrama is the Marketing Director of TR Americas of Shiseido. Shiseido is one of the top cosmetics companies in the world, with a rich portfolio of international brands in 120 countries and regions. Valderrama leads strategic marketing initiatives to enhance brand visibility and drive sales.
During her tenure as a derma-cosmetic line consultant at Ecopharm, Valderrama provided expert consultation on skincare products, contributing to the success of the company's derma-cosmetic line. As a regional director at Yves Rocher, she oversaw operations and marketing strategies in the Latin American region, achieving significant growth and market penetration. While serving as the marketing director for travel retail Americas at L'Oréal, she spearheaded marketing campaigns and initiatives tailored to the travel retail sector, driving revenue growth and brand awareness.
Valderrama graduated from Université Paris-Sorbonne with a Master's DESS in International Commercial Negotiation and from Universidad Externado de Colombia with an undergraduate degree in finance and international relations.
Funbi Ibe
Senior Director, Marketing - Automotive Enterprise & Mobility, Cox Automotive Inc.
Funbi Ibe is the Senior Director of Marketing for Automotive Enterprise and Mobility at Cox Automotive Inc., the world’s largest automotive services and technology provider. Fueled by the largest breadth of first-party data fed by 2.3 billion online interactions a year, Cox Automotive tailors leading solutions for car shoppers, auto manufacturers, dealers, lenders, and fleets.
Ibe is an accomplished marketer of technology and consumer products with a passion for understanding consumer needs to develop targeted, relevant, and effective go-to-market approaches. She has a proven record of building high-performing teams, developing innovation, market entry and repositioning strategies, and multimedia campaigns.
Ibe started her career in 2007 as an apparel and accessories manager at Kohl's Department Stores. From there, she went on to Mondelēz International, before eventually rising to head of marketing at Samsung Electronics America, her most recent position before joining Cox Automotive Inc. Ibe graduated from Clark Atlanta University with an MBA in Marketing and from the University of Georgia with an undergraduate degree in public relations and communications.
Tammy Black
Director, Marketing (PubSec & Healthcare), Trellix
As the Director of Marketing for PubSec and Healthcare, Tammy Black leads marketing efforts for Trellix’s public sector sales vertical, including campaign strategy, event production, social media, brand elevation, and channel marketing.
With over 22 years of experience in marketing, consumer, and enterprise computing, Black started her career in high-speed sales before transitioning to partner marketing at America Online, where she managed key OEMs, including Hewlett-Packard and Sony. This experience laid the foundation for her professional journey in marketing, product, and alliance management. Throughout her career, she held various leadership roles managing strategic alliances with companies, such as Amazon, General Motors, Volkswagen & Audi, Insight Enterprises, and Intel/McAfee/Trellix.
Black’s passion for the public sector, product quality, sales, marketing, and partnership has driven her success during her nine-year tenure at Trellix, marked by award-winning marketing initiatives and a proven track record of marketing return on investment. She is recognized as an award-winning achiever with a consistent record of exceeding corporate targets through programmatic initiatives that optimize brand visibility, product success, and sales revenue.
Christina Zdanowski-Pattison
Senior Director, Marketing Strategy & Market Activation, Highmark Health
Christina Zdanowski-Pattison is the Senior Director of Marketing Strategy and Market Activation of Highmark Health. She is responsible for leading the marketing strategies and market activations as Highmark Health redesigns the care delivery system with its anchor partners.
Zdanowski-Pattison managed multiple healthcare brands within matrix organizations in both provider and insurance sectors. At the University of Rochester Medical Center, she spearheaded the development and implementation of a strategy aimed at transforming a community hospital into a regional referral center. During her tenure at Rochester General Hospital, she crafted the strategic plan that paved the way for the hospital's evolution into a regional healthcare system. She successfully executed the business development and marketing components of the plan, resulting in a 150% increase in specialty referrals and a $5.5 million boost in primary care revenue. Transitioning to Highmark BlueCross BlueShield and Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, she oversaw marketing acquisition and retention strategies, including go-to-market launch plans, vendor management, budgeting, and marketing database maintenance across all business-to-business and business-to-consumer segments.
Earlier in her career, Zdanowski-Pattison was a national marketing manager for Frontier Communications, where she directed marketing efforts for strategic data, local, and long-distance residential products across 42 markets, achieving increased sales conversions, reduced cost per sale, and a profit margin exceeding 30%. Zdanowski-Pattison graduated from SUNY Brockport with an undergraduate degree in business administration, business, and marketing.
Dana Shank
Senior Director of Marketing, Kellanova
Dana Shank is the Senior Director of Marketing at Kellanova. She first joined the company in 2023. At Kellanova, their vision is to be the world’s best-performing snacks-led powerhouse, unleashing the full potential of their differentiated brands and their passionate people.
Shank is an innovative and results-oriented digital marketing and media leader with a track record of creating solutions that meet strategic business needs. Within the industry, she is recognized as a leading female digital marketing leader. With significant expertise in developing strategic roadmaps, optimizing performance with analytics, and leading large teams of employees and agencies, she is known as a resourceful problem solver. Respected for her ability to articulate complex issues, she excels at delivering big-picture objectives while balancing proven tactics with innovative elements to maximize performance.
Previously, Shank was a senior director of marketing services at Kellogg Company. Before that, she was an independent consultant at Oliver Wyman. Earlier in her career, she worked with Starcom USA as a media director. Shank earned an undergraduate degree in business and marketing from the University of Notre Dame.
Simran Tayal
Director of Marketing, Hitech, Tavant
Simran Tayal is the Director of Marketing, Hitech of Tavant. Driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning, Tavant’s solutions elevate operational efficiency in a rapidly changing business environment. Tayal leads the marketing strategy and execution to serve global clients in the technology, manufacturing, agriculture, and media industries.
With over 14 years of experience in technology marketing, she has a proven track record of delivering positive ROI multi-channel marketing campaigns, both online and offline. During her tenure as the associate director of marketing at Tavant, Tayal contributed to the development and implementation of marketing campaigns to drive brand awareness and lead generation. As a product marketing manager at Manthan, she played a crucial role in promoting Manthan's algorithmic customer engagement solutions to retailers and brands worldwide. She leveraged her expertise in analytics and industry marketing to drive lead generation and brand positioning efforts. At IBM, as the market segment manager for the distribution sector, she led marketing initiatives to promote IBM's cloud platform and cognitive solutions to clients in the retail, consumer products, and travel industries. She successfully managed various marketing activities, including event management, digital marketing, and customer marketing, contributing to IBM's success in the market.
Tayal earned a Master’s in Marketing Management and a PGDM in Marketing from Alliance Business School an undergraduate degree in business administration and management.
Savannah Sullivan
Market Director of Marketing & Communications, Lifepoint Health
Savannah Sullivan is the Market Director of Marketing and Communications of Lifepoint Health, a leading healthcare provider that serves patients, clinicians, communities, and partner organizations across the healthcare continuum.
Sullivan is a seasoned marketing and communications executive with 16 years of experience spanning branding, consumer insights, B2B and B2C campaigns, and social media. Thriving in roles as a strategic partner for C-suite and physician executives, she excels in leading and developing teams. Her approach seamlessly blends creative vision with analytical insights across both digital and traditional media, ensuring that marketing efforts resonate with target audiences and yield tangible results. Renowned for her ability to revamp or establish effective MarComm departments within complex organizations across diverse sectors, she possesses significant expertise in healthcare, government, and associations.
Before joining Lifepoint Health, Sullivan was a marketing and public relations at Wiser Strategies. Before that, she was a communications manager at Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers. Earlier in her career, she worked with Homework Hotline as a language arts and Spanish teacher. Sullivan graduated from Florida State University with an MBA and an MA in Spanish and from Belmont University with an undergraduate degree in Spanish and music business.
Ann Georgesen
Senior Director of Marketing, IntouchCX
Ann Georgesen is the Senior Director of Marketing at IntouchCX. She first joined the company in 2022 as the director of marketing. IntouchCX is an innovation meets industry, where dreamers meet doers, and, where scale meets soul. They are revolutionizing the global customer experience across all industries, delivering value-driven CX management, digital engagement, and AI and automation solutions to the world’s best-known brands.
As a marketing professional, Georgesen is deeply passionate about achieving extraordinary results through a myriad of creative approaches, spanning from design strategies to content creation to web analytics. With her extensive technical expertise and talent for clear communication, she excels in translating business objectives into measurable outcomes. Her proficiency lies in leveraging integrated marketing plans and content-rich assets to drive social media outreach, skillfully blending marketing competencies with customer insights to optimize business results.
Previously, Georgesen was a director of marketing at Goodbay Technologies, Inc. Before that, she was a marketing director at Concentrix. Earlier in her career, she worked with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine as a research assistant. Georgesen earned an MA in Psychology from Wake Forest University and an undergraduate degree in psychology from Indiana University Bloomington. She holds certification as a CX PRO-I by Forrester Research.
Cari Lawes
Director of Marketing, Southern Utah University
Cari Lawes has found fulfillment in her role as Director of Marketing for the Southern Utah University (SUU) Aviation program. Joining the SUU Aviation team in 2014 as the Student Outreach Coordinator, she embarked on a journey to strengthen the program's brand. Recognizing the underrepresentation of women in the aviation industry, which stands at less than 10 percent, Cari is determined to advocate for the growth of female participation in aviation and provide support to those who aspire to enter.
Through her dedication and expertise in aviation, communication, academia, and design, Cari advanced to the position of Director of Marketing. Her focus lies in Brand Recognition, Graphic Design, and Developing Strategic Messaging and Communication Processes. Leading the marketing team, she has played a pivotal role in helping to shape the identity of the aviation department. Cari's contributions span from creating logos, marketing materials, and website layouts to branding hangars, offices, and aircraft with distinctive decals.
In addition to her creative endeavors, Cari orchestrates recruiting efforts and strategic outreach initiatives, she is often still one of the first contacts for prospective students interested in SUU Aviation. Her multifaceted skill set and unwavering commitment continue to propel the program forward, fostering a culture of inclusivity and excellence within academia and the aviation community.
Tracy Borkowski
Director, Marketing & Communications, Beth Israel Lahey Health
Tracy Borkowski is the Director of Marketing and Communications at Beth Israel Lahey Health, a new, integrated system providing patients with better care wherever they are. Borkowski is an innovative and accomplished marketing executive with proven success driving profitability and revenue growth through the development, launch, and management of fully integrated marketing programs and strategies.
Borkowski’s background demonstrates expertise in leading brand equity, corporate messaging, and customer experience initiatives to penetrate target markets and enhance competitive market positioning. She is known for her ability to build strong working relationships with internal and external business partners, multidisciplinary stakeholders, and staff, and is capable of influencing at all levels.
Borkowski started her career in 1996 as an account executive of advertising at Bates Southwest. From there, she went on to Harris Drury Cohen, before eventually rising to director of digital marketing and acquisition at Methodist Health System, her most recent position before joining Beth Israel Lahey Health. Borkowski graduated from New York University with an undergraduate degree in journalism.
Erin Haas
Director of Marketing, Power Services, Day & Zimmermann
Erin Haas is the Director of Marketing for Power Services at Day & Zimmermann. She first joined the company in 2009 as a contracts and proposals coordinator. Day & Zimmermann is a privately held company in the fields of construction, engineering, staffing, and ammunition manufacture, operating out of 150 locations worldwide.
Haas is a marketing and communications leader with more than 15 years of experience planning and executing market strategies, engaging customers through compelling content across both traditional and digital channels, and delivering business results through project management leadership.
Previously, Haas was a senior editor at the Military Officers Association of America. Her specialties include creative problem-solving, channeling her inner entrepreneur to grow businesses in B2B and nonprofit environments, leveraging analytics, and building and mentoring thriving teams. She has additional experience in various related areas. Haas earned an undergraduate degree in journalism and political science from the University of South Carolina.
Cathy Hoffman Logan
Director of Marketing, Ambius & Steritech, Rentokil North America
Cathy Hoffman Logan is the Director of Marketing for Ambius & Steritech at Rentokil North America. Rentokil North America is the leading provider of commercial and residential services in North America, a division of Rentokil Initial plc, one of the largest business services companies in the world. In this role, Cathy leads the marketing strategies of both the Ambius and Steritech businesses with a focus on driving their profitable growth throughout North America. Ambius is a renowned leader in creating sensory-driven experiences through innovative interior and exterior landscaping, green walls, holiday decor, and cutting-edge scenting solutions in over 16 countries. While, Steritech is a pioneer in the food safety arena and industry leader providing best-in-class assessments and consulting services for multi-location businesses in order to deliver their ideal brand experience every time, everywhere.
An experienced marketer with passion for creating the ultimate customer experience, Cathy has a demonstrated history of delivering results. She’s energized by ideas that create value, drive growth, and lead positive change. Most of all, Cathy is fascinated by the story we weave into the fabric of people’s lives.
Prior to her current position, Cathy held various roles at Ambius starting in 2013 shaping the strategic growth for Ambius, executing marketing campaigns, and driving cross-functional alignment. A creative problem solver who is both a big picture thinker and analytical, Cathy has a reputation for always being curious and leading with passion and empathy. Throughout her tenure, Cathy worked in a wide variety of roles from grassroots nonprofit marketing communications to celebrity event publicity and even preparing a health and safety informatics business for acquisition. Known for her passion to really dig in deep to the subject matter she’s marketing, she’s spoken on panels about everything from local fundraising to the impact of biophilic design.
Earlier in her career, she gained valuable experience at the American Red Cross, where she held several roles in development marketing. At the American Red Cross, she developed and executed strategic direct response marketing programs, while supporting fundraising, marketing and communications for large-scale disasters like the Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. During this transformational time, she managed an advisory board of directors, served as a key member of the online giving advisory committee that reframed their digital footprint, and led the fundraising customer management system, data entry, and call center for one of the largest Red Cross chapters.
Cathy's education history includes a Bachelor of Science in International Business and Marketing with a minor in Italian from Penn State University.
Carla Ferrario
Director, Marketing, Consumer Care, A/EMEA, Kao Corporation
Carla Ferrario is the Director of Marketing for Consumer Care for A/EMEA at the Kao Corporation. Ever since the company's founding in 1887, Kao has strived to deliver value to people’s lives. Today, they are a leading manufacturer in the fields of hygiene, beauty, and health, while their chemical business contributes to the development of diverse industries.
Ferrario has spent the majority of her career at Kao, starting as an international marketing manager and moving through the ranks to her current level. She has a long list of accomplishments, including doubling the Bioré business to become a $100 million brand and achieving the number-one share position among Millennial and Gen Z consumers in the Face Care Category. She has made impactful contributions to campaign execution, communication, and brand awareness, consolidating her reputation as a seasoned marketing leader.
Ferrario graduated from Xavier University with an MBA and from the University of Cincinnati with an undergraduate degree in international relations.
Holly Bolinder
Marketing Director, Blue Cross of Idaho
Holly has multi-faceted Marketing experience as a Marketing and Communication executive, digital strategist, and customer experience innovator. She is a creative brand storyteller with 30+ years of experience in developing marketing strategies, with the last 15 years focused on healthcare and health insurance. As an innovative digital strategist with over 10 years of SaaS go-to-market experience and an ability to infuse digital capabilities into the company's DNA, she can translate data and consumer insights into scalable strategies that create meaningful, ongoing connections with customers.
Currently, as Director of Marketing at Blue Cross of Idaho for the last four years, she focuses on brand strategy, demand generation, government programs, and digital channel strategy and management. This includes the acquisition, engagement, and retention marketing strategies for the Medicare, Dual Eligible, and Individual portfolios. She brings her expertise in lead management and digital experience together to help accelerate business growth through robust, multi-channel marketing campaigns. She led the development of a new Member Engagement Marketing capability using text and email marketing platforms to help support better member health and satisfaction through clinical solutions and digital tool adoption and use.
Before joining Blue Cross of Idaho in 2020, Holly spent 8 years at Saint Alphonsus Health System where she held a variety of marketing roles including Regional Marketing Programs Manager and Regional Customer Experience Liaison, a new role developing and executing CRM lead management digital campaigns, marketing automation nurturing programs and leading the implementation of digital health initiatives.
Holly has been married to her husband Erik for 35 years and together they have lived in Boise, Idaho for over 25 years. They have three children and enjoy the beautiful Idaho outdoors.
Rhyan Kelly
Director, Marketing + Account Strategy - Beauty, Wellness + Mass Retail, Hearst Magazines
Rhyan Kelly is the Director of Marketing + Account Strategy at Hearst, working across beauty, wellness + mass retail accounts for all Hearst brands, including Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s BAZAAR + more, specializing in the beauty category. With an exceptional talent for writing + design, Rhyan crafts impeccable marketing proposals, presentations + programs, with an innovative approach to her work that’s equal parts creative + strategic.
At Hearst, Rhyan has helped secure multi-million dollar advertising campaigns, brought in new advertising business, deepened partnerships with current advertisers, demonstrated ingenuity in problem-solving, achieved operational efficiencies, and delivered strong results. In 2022, Rhyan was named a Hearst Spotlight Award winner—honored for excellence in marketing and her outstanding contributions to the Hearst business.
In addition to marketing, Rhyan is a published author and writes in editorial roles for Cosmopolitan, InStyle, Elite Daily + Thought Catalog. Her travel feature, “Why Yes, You CAN Do Vegas Without 24/7 Partying" was named one of Cosmopolitan's top-performing travel stories in 2023.
Rhyan began her career in marketing as an intern at Hearst’s O, The Oprah Magazine. After her internship, Rhyan accepted a full-time position at Time Inc. as an Advertising Sales + Marketing Assistant and was later promoted to Marketing Associate. Rhyan was also a member of Time Inc.’s Media Upstarts team, where she helped develop content initiatives across all Time Inc. brands.
After two years at Time Inc., Rhyan joined the corporate marketing team at Meredith as a Marketing Manager for Meredith's portfolio of brands, such as SHAPE, Martha Stewart + 18 other titles. Following one year at Meredith, Rhyan returned back to Hearst as a Marketing Manager and was promoted within Hearst throughout the years to her current role as Marketing Director. Rhyan is a graduate of Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She is also a TCS New York City Marathon Finisher.
Christie Wakefield
Director of Marketing/ Technology, Pacific Office Automation
Christie Wakefield has diverse work experience spanning several industries. She is currently the Director of Marketing and Technology at Pacific Office Automation, a position she has held since October 2021. Pacific Office Automation (also known as "POA" or "Pacific Office") is a privately held office technology company based in Beaverton, Oregon. POA is the largest office equipment dealer in the United States, with over 1,000 employees and offices in ten different states.
With over 20 years of experience in driving sales and revenue growth, implementing strategic marketing initiatives, and fostering collaborative partnerships, Wakefield has established herself as a seasoned professional in the field. Before her current role, she worked at TriNet as the regional director of sales from June 2020 to October 2021. At TriNet, she provided HR administration services and guidance to clients. Before TriNet, Wakefield was employed at Ricoh USA, Inc. for over a decade. She held various roles at Ricoh, including district business manager, field marketing manager, and sales manager.
Earlier in her career, she worked as a sales representative at Cintas, the district operations manager at Gold's Gym, and a sales manager at 24 Hour Fitness. Wakefield attended Washington State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences. She has an MBA from the WSU Carson College of Business.
Erica Tse
Director of Marketing, Hadassah
Erica Tse is the Director of Marketing at Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America (HWZOA), leading the organization’s strategic marketing objectives to support philanthropic growth and bring new members to the largest Jewish women’s organization in the United States. Since joining Hadassah in 2022, Erica has crafted and executed integrated campaigns, as well as established processes and systems for project management and data analysis, to improve outcomes for lead generation and enhance brand visibility. With nearly 300,000 members, Associates, and supporters across the country, Hadassah owns two hospitals in Jerusalem, which provide world-class healthcare to over a million people a year, and youth villages that house and educate at-risk children. In the US, Hadassah empowers women and advocates locally and on Capitol Hill to advance women’s health.
Erica is a seasoned marketing professional with over 18 years of experience strategizing results-oriented B2B and B2C campaigns. With her extensive experience in marketing communications across media, healthcare, and nonprofit sectors, Erica has demonstrated her diverse skillsets encompassing creativity, analytical thinking, adaptability, and strong interpersonal communications. Her career flourished at Elsevier, a global information analytics leader, where she managed many initiatives such as branding, sales enablement, social selling, content marketing, lead generation, and marketing intelligence. Her collaborative spirit and dedication were recognized with an “Outstanding Achievement” award in 2022.
Erica earned her Master’s in Integrated Marketing Communications from Eastern Michigan University and holds a BA from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Driven by her vision to be a humble, compassionate, and impactful marketing leader, Erica thrives on helping organizations grow and succeed.
Erica Spatz
Director of Marketing, Bemis Manufacturing Company
Erica Spatz has extensive experience in marketing and business development roles. She worked at Bemis Manufacturing Company from 2012 to the present, starting as a senior manager in market and business development and eventually obtaining her current role as Director of Marketing. Founded in 1901 and the fourth generation, family-owned Bemis Manufacturing Company is headquartered in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin. Bemis has grown from a maker of furniture and wooden wagons to an innovative international manufacturer serving markets worldwide.
Spatz is a marketing professional with extensive experience working with the nation’s largest retailers, both online and in-store. She has experience in brand development and digital marketing strategies, including website management, online advertising, and social media. Known for demonstrating passion and enthusiasm, she builds positive working relationships to deliver extraordinary products that meet consumer needs. She creates integrated marketing campaigns that delight target market segments using her expertise.
Before Bemis, Spatz worked at Kohler Co. for eight years as an associate channel manager, where she oversaw brand marketing activities for major retail partners and contributed to strategic planning and financial forecasting. Spatz completed her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Affairs from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Later, she received an MBA in Marketing at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Lindsey Cox Nelson
Director, Marketing Activation, Organic Valley
Lindsey Cox Nelson is the Director of Marketing Activation at Organic Valley. She is passionate about representing the 1,600 member-owners of Organic Valley by authentically and transparently sharing the cooperative’s mission and purpose in engaging, memorable ways with consumers.
Lindsey manages the cooperative’s full-funnel marketing activation strategy and plan across paid, earned, shared, and owned media and leads a talented team of marketing managers to achieve business objectives. She helped launch the cooperative’s new, award-winning national campaign, "Protecting Where your Food Comes From," educating consumers about organic dairy’s important role in helping to mitigate the climate crisis and create a better future for people, animals, and the earth.
Prior to Organic Valley, Lindsey served in leadership roles for Martha Stewart, REAL SIMPLE, and the Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG) media agency Initiative. Outside of Organic Valley, Lindsey enjoys art, volunteering, baking, and spending time with her husband and daughter.