Top Women in Marketing Awards Luncheon 2024

SVP Marketing and Brand Engagement

BCD Meetings & Events

Brittany Brocious puts marketing at the core of BCD Meetings & Events’ business strategy

Brittany Brocious put humor into the company’s messaging and positioned marketing initiatives at the top of the list in its three-year plan. She’s an Agency Leader in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

Brittany Brocious joined BCD Meetings & Events (BCD M&E) eight years ago. With her 17+ years of marketing experience, Brocious — now senior VP, global marketing and brand engagement — has transformed the company’s marketing function from a limited ad hoc service to a business driver.

In her first three years with BCD M&E, the company experienced 800% growth in marketing resources, a figure that continues to rise year over year (except for COVID-19-dominated 2020). Since then, BCD M&E has become one of the top followed meetings and events agencies, with an average annual growth rate of 26% across digital channels.

One of Brocious’s key accomplishments in the past year was the “Better By” campaign. Its objective was to introduce levity and humor by highlighting personality over services, and to address some of the misconceptions of being a larger agency. Despite worry that the message might be lost in translation across global regions, and that the messaging would be too bold in nature, the campaign received only positive feedback in all markets.

Brocious was also instrumental in introducing the company’s three-year strategic plan at BCD M&E’s annual leadership meeting. Under her guidance, marketing initiatives were placed at the forefront of the company’s business growth strategy for the first time in every region. Positioning marketing as a key driver of growth was a major shift in perception from previous years.

Finally, 2023 marked the official post-COVID return to full capacity for the company — which didn’t lose momentum during the pandemic but did experience significant strain. The full team came back last year with growth plans for accelerated momentum.

Through it all, Brocious remains committed to her vision for the future, embracing mentorship roles and speaking engagements to inspire people on the importance of creative strategy in global marketing.

Congratulations to Brittany Brocious!

Senior Vice President, Energy Marketing Practice Leader

ICF

Nancy Caplan drives innovation at ICF, leading new revenue initiatives while slashing greenhouse gas emissions on a massive scale

At ICF, Nancy Caplan spearheaded the launch of 42 new initiatives that generated $72 million in gross revenue while reducing over 275,000 gas-powered cars worth of greenhouse gas. This has earned her recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024, in the Agency Leaders category.

Nancy Caplan’s leadership in marketing is distinguished by her ability to deliver results and innovate in a rapidly changing field. As senior vice president and head of her team at ICF, Caplan has initiated utility programs that directly contribute to energy savings for the company, including launching 42 new initiatives last year. These programs generated $72 million in gross revenue, but more importantly, they helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to removing over 275,000 gas-powered cars from the road or eliminating emissions from three coal-fired power plants.

As a global consulting and technology services company, these tangible environments impact results that reflect the effectiveness of its marketing strategies. Her team’s campaigns in 2023 reached more than 40 million energy customers and garnered over three billion impressions, leading to an increase in utility customer response rates at three to five times higher than the industry standard.

Consistent success earned her department more than 90 awards, including Tellys, Addys and Marcoms. Altogether, her department has won more than 225 different awards, including an Emmy, which stands as a testament to its reputation for excellence. Over the last year, Caplan’s department expanded by nearly 40%, a growth that came with increased diversification of talent and newly integrated roles like behavioral scientists and brand managers to strengthen the connection between marketing initiatives, client services, and measurable impact.

Caplan has pioneered growth in areas like account-based marketing for historically hard-to-reach commercial and industrial utility clients. Her team has also been at the forefront of marketing technology and behavioral insights while contributing to relevant initiatives such as California’s Wildfire and Natural Disaster Resiliency Rebuild Program.

Whether driving client growth, promoting a cohesive team culture, or insisting on consistent innovation, Caplan leads her team in prioritizing learning and professional development.

Congratulations to Nancy Caplan!

Global President

Praytell

Beth Cleveland’s Praytell agency combines experience and focus on results

Beth Cleveland launched a number of initiatives that let the agency stay on top of cultural trends, and also took steps to support DE&I for her employees and clients, making her an Agency Leader in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

In 2012, Beth Cleveland was leading her own agency, Elm PR, when former Ruder Finn colleague Andy Pray suggested they join forces as Praytell, a creative communications agency, now a $32 million midsize agency with offices across the U.S., U.K. and Australia, working with clients like Dick’s Sporting Goods, Sonos, Gallo, Destination Canada and more.

As Praytell’s global president, Cleveland leads key client relationships and business operations, focusing on growth and innovation. Her projects in the past year include:

Creative That Earns. Praytell launched its Creative That Earns platform, a methodology that focuses on earned media and answers the question, “How do you come up with big ideas?” Praytell uses inputs from art, science, etc., to inform its campaigns so it can start with earned media instead of trying to latch onto it at the very end.
Trend-to-Earned platform. With TikTok and social trends increasingly driving coverage, the agency launched the Trend-to-Earned platform designed to identify viral moments so Praytell can strategically insert its clients into relevant conversations that reporters are already covering, from cultural integrations to industry trends.
The Cultural Collective. To support client work, Praytell launched a think tank for culturally relevant, authentic and inclusive ideas, tapping into the agency’s cultural competency. Praytell has also expanded its Hispanic marketing capabilities to include strategic insights, develop creative campaigns and bolster Hispanic media relations.

Cleveland also oversees the agency’s DE&I initiatives, working alongside Praytell’s chief diversity officer. Praytell’s workforce is 40% BIPOC, and it supports five thriving employee resource groups. The agency Praytell fosters and develops diverse talent with intentional training programs through Paradigm, along with leadership mentor programs and cross-agency development programs like Foster the Future.

In addition, Praytell fosters a pay equity program with transparent salary bands that remove bias and ensure fair compensation for all staff. There’s also the “7-Year Stretch,” inspired by theories that both the mind and body change and rebuild in seven-year cycles. Cleveland launched the program to give employees at the agency with seven or more years of tenure four consecutive weeks off to renew, refresh and re-energize.-

Congratulations to Beth Cleveland!

EVP, Global Strategy + Insights

KWT Global

KWT Global’s Dara Cothran connects new tools to clients’ urgent needs

Dara Cothran helps communicators prove the business value of their work and champions AI as a tool to help clients cut through their clutter to gain coverage. She’s an Agency Leader in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

Dara Cothran is the executive VP of global strategy and insights of integrated communications agency KWT Global, giving her a unique vantage point that lets her help the agency connect the evolving communications landscape and its clients’ business needs.

Recognizing the growing demand for executive positioning, Cothran developed Executive Voice. It’s a proprietary process that guides leaders through steps to let them define their voice, providing them with a playbook for sharing their perspectives and POV across internal and external communications channels. Since its June launch, Executive Voice has driven significant revenue for the agency.

Cothran also helps clients like L’Oreal and Consumers Energy demonstrate the business value of their communications to senior leadership. She helped Consumers Energy rethink its measurement KPIs, directly connecting PR to business goals that leadership values most. For L’Oreal, she oversaw a team effort to communicate the company’s sustainability commitments, which include more than 32 goals, creating more digestible, meaningful content for a variety of stakeholders.

In addition, Cothran uses AI to identify fresh approaches to data and insights. For instance, she applied a new tool in the past year, Relative Insight, an AI-language analysis platform, as part of Executive Voice. The agency also expanded its application of PRophet, an AI-driven platform for PR professionals. Cothran also adapted the Stagwell network, designed for ad agencies to apply marketing cloud solutions for KWT’s industry and work.

She also places high value on continuing education for the agency, launching KWTU, an educational program of biweekly 101 and 201-style courses designed to enhance team members’ skills on a variety of topics, from sharpening one’s writing and editing skills to building a social media strategy.

Kudos to Dara Cothran!

CEO

Brodeur Partners

Andrea Coville: Putting ‘Relevance’ at the center of her strategy at Brodeur Partners

As CEO of Brodeur Partners, Andrea Coville’s ‘Relevance’ methodology has helped her dig deep into the data to serve her clients — while also taking a stand on sustainability. She’s an Agency Leader in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

Andrea Coville’s signature tool is Relevance — a proprietary methodology she developed in 2010 that addresses how brands can achieve and maintain their relevance in challenging times. As CEO of Brodeur Partners for more than 25 years, Coville has maintained a prestigious client roster while leading groundbreaking research and fostering strategic partnerships that have enhanced Brodeur’s offerings in the marketing landscape.

Since becoming CEO in 1999, Coville has expanded the agency, moving into full-service communications, digital strategies, social change initiatives and business consulting. All this has enhanced the agency’s value proposition and service delivery by providing measurable outcomes to clients and its own brand positioning

In the last 12 months, Coville guided Brodeur in conducting extensive global Relevance research on Gen Z preferences. Under Coville’s leadership over the year, Brodeur Partners has enhanced its Relevance platform by integrating with Pluralytics, an AI capability, allowing the agency to refine and optimize messaging for diverse audiences and showcase its innovative approach to technology that leads to deeper audience engagement.

In the meantime, Coville has positioned herself as a thought leader and mentor, sharing her insights at the University of New Hampshire, the University of South Carolina, Boston University and Syracuse University. In the near future, she is scheduled to speak at the University of Southern California, American University, Simmons University and Cornell University, further supporting her role as an influential figure in the marketing and communications fields.

Coville also champions sustainability and purpose-driven initiatives. A partnership with SustainServ, for example, has guided clients in incorporating sustainability into their operations. Additionally, new research conducted in partnership with Interbrand and NewtonX generated “How Brand Impacts Share Price,” offering insights into brand valuation and its financial implications, contributing to the understanding of the economic impact of strategic brand management.

Congratulations to Andrea Coville!

Chief Marketing Officer

AIMCLEAR

Amanda Farley’s vision includes her community as well as her clients at AIMCLEAR

At marketing agency AIMCLEAR, Amanda Farley finds the data to help her clients target the right customers and drive sales. In her community, she’s deeply involved in helping young people and schools in need. All this makes her an Agency Leader is Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

Amanda Farley is the chief marketing officer at Minnesota-based digital marketing agency AIMCLEAR, leading a team of digital marketers, SEOs and data scientists to serve clients from hot startups to established brands, including one client that is a leading brand in kitchen and bath cabinetry.

Farley tested a digital marketing strategy to drive customers to the client’s physical home improvement stores. The strategy relied on targeted, immersive and emotion-evoking ads on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Google launched in test markets based on audience attributes, individual store performance and other data inputs. In a few months, the $665,618 ad spend yielded $2,422,176 in directly attributable store sales.

Work like the case above illustrates how Farley’s marketing talent has resulted in five 2023 U.S. Search Awards, including Best Small Integrated Agency (AIMCLEAR’s eighth) and two consecutive Best Small Agency awards for the U.S. Agency Awards.

Farley’s life isn’t just all about marketing, though. She’s committed to making an impact for families in need in her community of Detroit, currently working to improve the lives of students in some of the city’s most troubled schools, including providing clothing and needed supplies for 150+ kids and providing a high-quality washer/dryer at a school where absenteeism was attributed, in part, to kids not having clean clothes and being too ashamed to attend school.

Her vision extends to assisting children in need in Detroit and other cities where AIMCLEAR operates. The Detroit-focused initiative, dubbed “Mission Detroit,” started with a 3 a.m. brainstorm of a big-picture effort focused on good work for good people, innovation, a humans-first mindset and building talent density to create opportunities for people.

Farley’s commitment is driving AIMCLEAR’s impact in Duluth, Saint Paul and Kansas City, tapping the energy and talents of her colleagues to expand her vision for helping others.

Kudos to Amanda Farley!

CEO & Founder

Corner Market Communications

Corner Market Communications’ Meghan Kelleher transforms top food brands

Meghan Kelleher’s ability to sustain considerable growth in staff, new clients, and awards while driving viral media results for her clients at Corner Marketing Communications has earned her recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024, in the Agency Leaders category.

Meghan Kelleher has consistently disrupted traditional processes and exceeded expectations throughout her career. At KIND, she launched the media campaign for Do the KIND Thing, a book that became a New York Times Best Seller in its first week. She also founded the company’s entertainment division, focusing on product placement and celebrity partnerships.

At Google, she led integrative marketing for the Waze Connected Citizens Program, doubling its media coverage year-over-year, including a feature in a Harvard Business Case Study in 2017. When it came time to venture independently, Kelleher created MKTC Consulting, helping brands like OATLY rise to icon status as its sole external PR representative in North America for four years. Consistent success at driving media efforts earned MKTC a reputation that led to new clients, including Applegate, Primal Kitchen, Magnolia Bakery, Gotham Greens and more.

At the beginning of 2023, Kelleher founded Corner Market Communications to expand her MKTC Consulting venture. The new integrated communications agency specializes in strategy and execution for packaged food and beverage brands that can be expected at your local corner store. Early growth for Corner Market Communications was reflected in employee growth including two senior account executives, two account coordinators, and a CFO. Corner Market Communications also diversified its service offerings, introducing paid influencer marketing, earned influencer gifting and strengthening its expertise in crisis communications.

Led by Kelleher, high-impact campaigns that led to viral attention were frequent for Corner Market Communication clients. Some of the most notable included Magnolia Bakery’s first grocery launch, Cometeer’s Houseplant collaboration, Primal Kitchen’s Seemingly Ranch campaign and Applegate’s Meatheads campaign, which became one of the brand’s most viewed campaigns to date. The early accomplishments of Kelleher and her team earned her recognition as a PR Week Up & Comer for 2023

Awards and business success however take a back seat to the intrinsic reward Kelleher feels for empowering women to start their journey as consultants.

Credit to Meghan Kelleher!

Co-founder

The Quality Edit

Lauren Kleinman’s innovative leadership fuels fast growth and purpose-driven success at The Quality Edit

Lauren Kleinman’s commitment to consistent growth and effective leadership while doubling performance as an agency has earned her recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024 in the Agency Leaders Category.

Lauren Kleinman’s unique leadership is reflected in her understanding of the modern digital landscape and her ability to drive growth consistently. As co-founder and CEO of the award-winning PR agency Dreamday, Kleinman pioneered blending traditional public relations with affiliate marketing to drive quantifiable results for her clients.

In 2023, the agency more than doubled affiliate performance across its client roster and secured over 10,250 press placements, outperforming its previous benchmark by more than double. Dreamday’s vision to trailblaze in the industry through performance PR is reflected in its initiatives to provide services to underrepresented voices. The agency celebrates its Client Accelerator program, a purpose-driven initiative that provides pro bono PR services to mission-driven brands with limited resources.

In parallel to her success with Dreamday, Kleinman extends her innovative approach to The Quality Edit, a media company she founded with Scott Silver and Lee Joselowitz. Under Kleinman’s direction, The Quality Edit increased revenue by 40% year-over-year, expanded to over 50 contributors and 10 full-time employees, saw a 33% rise in affiliate revenue, and benefited from a 53% surge in organic traffic. The company’s holistic approach to advertising and performance-driven marketing strategies has led to its advertising clients investing over $10 million in ads, leading to $20 million in incremental revenue and the acquisition of 125,000 new customers for clients.

At The Quality Edit, Kleinman ties purpose to performance with the media company’s client roster being 58% female or BIPOC-founded. Lauren Kleinman’s charitable efforts and advocacy for personal wellness highlight her commitment to creating positive impacts beyond her business ventures. Kleinman’s strategic vision and data-backed results have led both companies to set new performance benchmarks in both digital media and PR. As of this year, The Quality Edit has driven more than 1 billion impressions and helped clients secure $50 million in incremental revenue.

Credit to Lauren Kleinman and The Quality Edit.

Senior Vice President, Strategy

Klick Health

Elizabeth Paffenbarger of Klick Health enlists AI to help healthcare clients identify opportunities and forecast goals

Elizabeth Paffenbarger of Klick Health breathes life into AI tools that accelerate growth for healthcare organizations around the world. She’s an Agency Leader in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

“Strategy needs to evolve because our clients, our business and our people are evolving,” says Elizabeth Paffenbarger of Klick Health, an agency focused on developing, launching and supporting life sciences brands so they can reach their full potential. As senior vice president of strategy, Paffenbarger is responsible for orchestrating one of Klick’s largest strategy teams. In the last year, she and her team created campaigns that aired during the Super Bowl, built business solutions for healthcare access accelerator programs and much more.

Before joining Klick in 2019, Paffenbarger developed service and experience design departments and practices for global healthcare agencies like Publicis and Havas, bringing new ways of thinking to clients like Amgen, Biogen, Genentech, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi.

AI plays a big role in Paffenbarger’s current work at Klick Health. She helped advance the ethical application of AI within Klick, developing AI resources to synthesize complex research and academic information and transform it into actionable business opportunities, leading to a major brand win for one of Klick’s clients. She’s also played a significant role in mobilizing teams to evaluate AI potential across workflows and identify opportunities to develop innovations and efficiencies.

Paffenbarger is also passionate about creating environments that nurture strategic thinking. This past year, her teams delivered large-scale growth-accelerator workshops across three Fortune 100 pharmaceutical companies; one workshop helped a global pharmaceutical organization generate initiatives and analyze ROI, allowing it to double its forecasts across key portfolios throughout 2023. Since then, Klick has introduced Paffenbarger’s approaches to other businesses and clients.

Committed to mentoring others and elevating their success, Paffenbarger is also an active participant and mentor in Klick’s Difference Makers, an internal leadership accelerator.

Congratulations to Elizabeth Paffenbarger for helping healthcare clients grow faster and smarter.

Chief Entertainment and Media Officer

HUNTER

Samantha Turtle created HUNTER’s Entertainment division and restructured its Media Team

Samantha Turtle’s ability to reshape the agency’s structure and operations to increase efficiencies and drive brand relevance for clients earned her recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing, Class of 2024 in the Agency Leaders category.

Samantha Turtle, chief entertainment and media officer at HUNTER, has been recognized for her instrumental role in the agency’s growth and innovation over her 16-year career. Turtle’s leadership has been pivotal in shaping HUNTER’s entertainment and media strategies, as well as expanding its business reach.

Turtle’s major contributions include creating HUNTER: Entertainment, a division that builds connections between brands and celebrity talent. This initiative has enhanced the agency’s ability to deliver results for clients by leveraging high-profile partnerships. Her leadership extends to HUNTER’s centralized Media Team, which she reorganized to streamline the agency’s media relations efforts across national news, entertainment, and business outlets. This restructuring has increased efficiency and contributed to the agency’s award-winning campaigns.

Turtle’s influence also extends geographically. She relocated to Los Angeles to lead HUNTER’s new office, focusing on entertainment marketing and expanding opportunities on the West Coast. In addition to managing the entertainment and media divisions, she now oversees the agency’s Specialized Services, which include social, digital, influencer, creative and insight teams.

Turtle’s ability to drive cultural relevance for brands is evident in her work on major campaigns, such as a partnership between TABASCO and TikTok star @Tinx. Her creative approach has also shone through at prominent events like the Women in Film Oscar Party, where she helped Johnnie Walker celebrate female filmmakers. Turtle consistently strives to champion diversity, partnering with celebrities of color like Gabrielle Union and supporting initiatives like BAND-AID OURTONE, featuring Britt Stewart of Dancing with the Stars.

Turtle’s blend of creativity, strategic insight and attention to detail has solidified her reputation as a leader in the marketing industry.

Ragan congratulates Samantha Turtle on this well-deserved recognition, showcasing how a strategic restructuring in service of clients can create unmatched opportunities.

Co-CEO

SOKO

At SOKO, Brisa Vicente champions inclusion and fights negative stereotypes

Brisa Vicente has played key roles in SOKO’s efforts to put diversity and inclusion into the heart of every campaign the agency runs, making her an Agency Leader in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

Since founding independent agency SOKO seven years ago, Brisa Vicente has played an integral part in the Brazilian company’s rise. As the agency’s first COO, now co-CEO, she was the driving force behind its commitment to inclusivity and diversity, establishing and overseeing policies that ensure SOKO looks like the audiences it’s targeting.

SOKO’s new unit and methodology, Walk, showcases the agency’s unique creative approach to combating negative imagery in marketing messages, and Vincente played a key role in its launch. As part of the firm’s work with the Unstereotype Alliance Brazil Chapter, Vincente signed SOKO’s commitment during the Unstereotype Alliance Global Members Summit at the UN in New York.

Vicente also played a crucial role in creating and enforcing the SOKO “Rituals,” which facilitate diversity and inclusion at the heart of every campaign and allow SOKO to generate the broadest possible perspectives on what will affect an audience. This has resulted in a sea change in how agencies in Brazil approach their own work.

Her leadership was a major reason the agency earned SCOPEN’s coveted ranking as Brazil’s No.1 ad agency for 2022-2023. Vicente herself was ranked among Brazil’s Top 20 most recognized advertising executives in the same poll. In addition, she’s been honored in Women to Watch 2021, a project by Meio & Mensagem, one of Brazil’s most prestigious advertising publications; the project encourages debate on gender equality and highlights significant female names in communication.

Also notable are the results Vicente has delivered for SOKO’s clients, including Dove, Spotify, Heinz and Stella Artois, resulting in multiple accolades. The agency won five Cannes Lions to add to the 12 Lions it’s already earned, including a Gold Lion for its AB InBev work in 2022. Her team has also won dozens of accolades from The One Show, The Clio Awards, The Effies, and others.

Congratulations to Brisa Vicente’s efforts to put diversity and inclusion at the forefront of SOKO’s service to its clients.

VP, Brand Marketing & Media

eos Products

Carley Caldas gets a little edgy for the eos brand

Carley Caldas brought the eos skincare and beauty brand to one million followers on TikTok and spearheaded several eye-catching campaigns that captured customers. She’s a winner in the ‘Brand Marketer’ category of Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

As VP of brand marketing and media for beauty and skincare brand eos, Carley Caldas isn’t afraid to take risks; she was a “co-conspirator” behind the “Bless Your F*ing Cooch” campaign for eos shave cream. But Caldas is primarily focused on driving growth for the eos brand. Under her guidance, eos has expanded from a lip balm to a full-fledged beauty brand.

Caldas and her team revitalized eos’ lip balm storytelling with the “Second First Kiss” campaign, featuring a two-minute film that drove a click-through rate more than 50% higher than the company’s benchmark on YouTube and achieved an ad recall lift of more than 17%. She also orchestrated multiple activations for the brand’s women’s shave segment, including the “Skin So Soft” ad and the annual #SmoothHoohaSzn celebration.

Beyond that, Caldas oversaw the TikTok creator series for eos’s newest segment, Body Care, which more than tripled business growth and established eos’s status as the fastest-growing body lotion brand in the country. She also spearheaded the “LotionLock” campaign, which originated with a viral TikTok video. The campaign’s click-through rate was almost three times the benchmark, and it achieved a view-through rate of 28% over that benchmark.

Most importantly, business growth accelerated. Although eos lotion had already been growing before the Lotion Lock campaign, sales grew more than twice as fast during the campaign period over the previous year. Thanks to Caldas and her team’s efforts, eos has become their No.1 bestselling lotion on Amazon and one of the top 10 brands nationally.

In addition, Caldas and the social team increased the eos TikTok presence to 1 million followers, one of very few consumer brands to reach that milestone. Plus, she oversaw a launch into the men’s category with the “Unmanhandle Your Face” campaign; her team secured more than 30 male influencers for the campaign, including the brand’s first-ever name, image and likeness partnerships during March Madness.

Congratulations to Carley Caldas.

Senior Director of Marketing

HOA Brands/Hooters of America

Melissa Fry of HOA Brands/Hooters of America transforms brand identity through community engagement and empowerment initiatives

Melissa Fry’s success in engaging local communities and media and guiding the evolution of the HOA Brands/Hooters of America brand message of empowerment through a new set of values earns her recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024 in the Brand Marketers category.

As a former Hooters Girl, Melissa Fry, senior director of marketing for HOA Brands/Hooters of America draws on her own experiences to help guide the evolution of the brand’s image while staying true to the core experiences that were iconic to millions of customers over 40 years.

The globally recognized brand’s marketing efforts used to center around the image of the Hooters Girl, however, it’s gone under a comprehensive shift into focusing on a message of empowerment through the company’s SERVE values: Show You Care, Elevate the Spirit, Respect Everyone, Value Feedback, and Exceed Expectations. With a personal understanding of the confidence the Hooters Girl role can inspire and the positive impact these women can have in their communities, Fry fueled efforts to strengthen the connection between the brand, its employees and the guests they serve. Leading a team of four Local Marketing Managers and collaborating with four agency partners, she consistently drives local marketing initiatives that resonate with communities while keeping the brand values as the foundation of her marketing efforts.

With Hooters being an image-based brand, Fry’s focus on building employees’ personal brands and enhancing the company’s social media presence was timely as it helped bring the brand into the cultural conversation and attract digitally savvy customers. Her recognition of social media’s power as a marketing tool and a platform for employee empowerment adds a new layer of brand engagement for the company. When paired with her initiatives to engage local communities and draw in local media for the company’s campaigns, Fry and her team achieve positive ROI. As a female leader in a historically male-dominated industry, Melissa Fry has been a catalyst for female empowerment at HOA Brands/Hooters within the company and in the eyes of the public.

Kudos to Melissa Fry!

Chief Communications and Marketing Officer

APCO

Mara Hedgecoth’s visionary leadership drives APCO’s revenue growth, a bold rebrand and strategic expansions

Under the tenure of Mara Hedgecoth APCO has increased revenue by over 400%, completed a strategic rebrand, launched a sister company named Trilligent, and successfully navigated larger acquisitions. The company’s success in executing a robust vision on such a scale has earned Mara Hedgecoth recognition in the Brand Marketers category in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

Mara Hedgecoth’s strategic vision and leadership have been fundamental to APCO’s sustained growth and global visibility as a global advisory and advocacy firm, helping leading corporations, foundations and governments navigate the complexities that come with globalization. As the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at APCO Worldwide for twenty-two years, Mara Hedgecoth drives the company’s global marketing, communications and new business strategies.

Under her tenure, APCO experienced significant growth, increasing revenue by over 400%. She also guided the communications and integration efforts surrounding APCO’s acquisitions of Gagen MacDonald, Camarco, NGC International and Strategic Advice. These acquisitions strengthened APCO’s expertise in change and transformation, financial markets, and public and regulatory affairs, particularly in the Middle East and Italy. As APCO celebrates its 40th anniversary, Hedgecoth led a global campaign that served as a commemoration of the milestone and the beginning of APCO’s new brand identity, one that reflected its heritage, dropping the “Worldwide” from its name to own its established global presence, and mission to deliver meaningful action while signaling its focus on the future.

In addition to enhancing APCO’s external visibility, Hedgecoth oversaw the internal rollout of the company’s new global HR platform Via, led the creation of the company’s Alumni program, and developed the marketing plan, brand identity and the launch of Trilligent, APCO’s sister company focused on global advisory and strategic communications.

Through research initiatives such as the Corporate Advocacy Report and the Climate Action Confidence Tracker in partnership with the World Economic Forum for Sustainable Development, APCO has been positioned as a key player in addressing important global issues. Thanks to Hedgecoths’ careful curation of the APCO brand, its presence can be seen and engaged with across major global platforms such as the UN Global Assembly, CGI, Concordia, Climate Week, FORTUNE CEO Initiative, COP and others.

Congratulations to Mara Hedgcoth!

VP of Marketing

Mars Food & Nutrition North America

It’s all in good taste as Angie Madigan brings Ben’s Original rice to the table

For Mars Food & Nutrition, Angie Madigan helped rebrand Uncle Ben’s Rice and helped to bring innovative new products to the table, making her a Brand Marketer winner in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

For Angie Madigan, it was a once-in-a-career opportunity: rebranding Uncle Ben’s Rice as Ben’s Original for Mars Food & Nutrition. Madigan joined Mars in 2021 after working for brands such as Procter & Gamble and SC Johnson. Spearheading the rebrand meant playing a crucial role in driving a message of inclusion and belonging. The campaign, “We’re All Original Recipes,” earned Madigan and her team a Gold Effie in 2023 as it successfully relaunched Ben’s Original.

Under Madigan’s leadership as VP of marketing, Mars Food & Nutrition has worked to understand the evolving needs of tomorrow’s consumers and embrace global culinary trends in healthy, convenient and delicious ways, including:

Ben’s Original 10 Medley. Launched in September 2023 to address the growing interest of gut health and its contribution to overall physical and mental wellbeing by providing consumers with a convenient, nutritious, delicious meal. The dish won the Better Homes and Gardens 2024 Modern Pantry Award and was named Canada’s Product of the Year.
Super Grains. Aiming at another emerging customer interest, this new line from Seeds of Change focused on bringing ancient grains into mainstream offerings in a tasty and convenient way. Like the Original 10 Medley, Super Grain was rolled out in September 2023, with plans to expand into national retailers throughout 2024.
Kevin’s Natural Foods. Mars Food & Nutrition’s acquisition of this brand in July 2023 played a key role in its effort to make healthier-eating a bigger part of consumers’ daily lives.

In addition to bringing products like these to life, Madigan and her team are gearing up to offer a new ready-to-heat product designed to move Ben’s Original from a side dish to the center of the meal, offering consumers another way to enjoy convenient, healthy and tasty meals.

Congratulations to Angie Madigan!

Associate Vice President, Marketing & Communications

Signature Healthcare

Lorraine McGrath’s crisis communications strategy helped Signature Healthcare navigate critical events

Thanks to Lorraine McGrath’s crisis communications strategy, Signature Healthcare successfully responded to one of the most devastating fires in the company’s history and strengthened its connection to the community in the process. Lorraine McGrath’s success earned them recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024, in the Brand Marketers category.

As the associate vice president of marketing and communications for Signature Healthcare, Lorraine McGrath led the healthcare provider through managing the 2023 crisis surrounding its main hospital with just a staff of two. Hit with a devastating 10-alarm fire, Brockton Hospital was forced to evacuate 162 patients without the use of electricity, elevators or phones. While the staff managed to move patients to safety with no fatalities or injuries under extreme conditions, the damage required a year-long closure to rebuild the hospital’s electrical systems and infrastructure.

Thanks to McGrath’s initiative, key stakeholders, including patients, families, employees, and the public, were swiftly met with clear communication. Her communication campaign silenced rumors of the hospital never reopening and ensured that the 460,000 area residents and 2,700 hospital employees stayed updated. The campaign reinforced Signature Healthcare’s ability to maintain service during the transition, as twenty-five services were moved to ambulatory sites, and two new urgent care centers were operational within just three weeks of the fire.

In addition to managing the fire crisis, Lorrain McGrath helped to craft the Signature Healthcare strategic response. The healthcare provider expanded services to neighboring communities and took over a 70,000-square-foot outpatient facility in East Bridgewater. The outpatient facility was previously abandoned when a different hospital filed for bankruptcy, leaving 65,000 patients without care.

Thanks to McGrath’s communication strategy during the expansion, Signature Healthcare addressed the immediate needs of displaced patients and reinforced its position as a responsive and community-focused provider. With Brockton Hospital set to reopen in the summer of 2024, Lorraine McGrath and her team’s crisis communication strategies sustained Signature Healthcare’s trust in the community, ensured patients remained connected to services, and maintained staff morale through the tragedy and the rebuilding efforts that followed.

Congratulations to Lorrain McGrath!

Brand Director, The Botanist – Americas

Rémy Cointreau USA

Thirsty? Aislinn Maier makes The Botanist gin a must-have addition to any liquor cabinet

Aislinn Maier paired up with Major League Pickleball to reintroduce the revamped Botanist gin to consumers, making her a recognized Brand Marketer in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

Aislinn (Murray) Maier knows her gin. She has to — as brand director of The Botanist gin at Rémy Cointreau Americas, she brought a new look and feel to life for The Botanist in the U.S., doubling the brand’s business and winning the Shanken Impact “Hot Prospect Brand” award, which recognizes some of the fastest-growing brands in the spirits industry.

For the first refresh on the brand in over six years, Maier brought a new look and feel to The Botanist in the U.S., elevating its visibility both in the retail environment and at brand activations. She rolled out a new strategy tailored to a redefined consumer target and forged partnerships to drive brand visibility.

One tactic: In 2023, Maier paired The Botanist with the fast-growing sport pickleball to engage new consumer audiences. That led to The Botanist becoming the official gin of Major League Pickleball. Maier also partnered with online racquet community Break the Love to amplify the brand with consumers further. Plus, she developed a new “Botanist Courtside Collins” drink to drive new menu listings around the partnerships.

Maier oversaw a 400% year-over-year increase in media impressions for The Botanist in 2023, along with record-breaking engagement results for the brand. In addition to her work for The Botanist in 2023, Maier signed KWT Global as the new public relations and social media agency tasked with elevating other brands within the Rémy Cointreau Americas portfolio.

Then, in 2024, Maier led the launch of The Botanist Islay Cask Matured Gin Range, the brand’s first-ever innovation in the U.S. market. The effort generated the most robust public relations results in a single period, with more than 15 earned features and placements in outlets such as Esquire, Robb Report and VinePair.

Maier has also worked to boost such brands as Cointreau, the orange liqueur at the heart of the margarita, and several brands at beauty company L’Oréal. Her strategy always puts the consumer at the forefront and reflects her commitment to turning data and insights into plans that drive strong business results.

Kudos to Aislinn Maier!

Director of Marketing

Visit Macon

Marisa Rodgers transforms Visit Macon into a national travel hotspot with innovative branding and strategic PR

In just over a year, Marisa Rodger’s new brand identity for Visit Macon drove so much success across B2B and B2C sectors that the Macon-Bibb County, GA government and economic development partners began co-opting the new brand countywide and led to national publications calling Macon-Bibb County a must-visit destination. This has earned Marisa Rodgers recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024, in the Brand Marketers category.

With a background in marketing from her time at the Hot Springs, AR Convention and Visitors Bureau, director of marketing Marisa Rodgers joined Visit Macon Inc. in 2022 and immediately began reshaping the identity of tourism for Macon-Bibb County. The Visit Macon Inc. nonprofit organization acts as the county’s tourism branch, supporting hotels and restaurants on an annual budget of $3 million.

In just over a year, Rodger’s new brand identity for Visit Macon drove so much success across B2B and B2C sectors that the Macon-Bibb County government and economic development partners began co-opting the new brand countywide. On top of the new brand, Visit Macon received a $210,000 grant from the Knight Foundation to fund a complete redesign of its website thanks to Rodgers.

In the first six months, the new site doubled unique visits and user engagement compared to the previous year. Within the first three months, the website recorded over 600,000 visits, a benchmark now held as a gold standard by the Knight Foundation’s Miami headquarters and its 27 Knight Cities nationwide. This achievement not only boosted Macon’s visibility but also attracted the attention of Tombras, the marketing team in charge of the chicken fast-food chain Zaxby’s.

After a seven-year hiatus, Zaxby’s chose Macon as the exclusive market for relaunching its popular milkshake, citing the work of Rodgers and her team as a driving factor in their decision. The campaign around “Milkshake Tourism” generated over 100 media stories within a single day and earned two mentions in AdAge. Visit Macon reinvested in the massive success by trademarking the term “Milkshake Tourism” for future campaigns.

Rodger’s marketing accomplishments were matched with her public relations triumphs as over 50 travel journalists covered Macon in 2023, helping to elevate Macon into a top travel destination, according to Travel and Leisure, The New York Times and Conde Nast Traveler. Southern Living featured Macon in a six-page spread, and national television coverage across CBS This Morning, ABC and The Weather Channel, further increased Macon-Bibb County’s profile as a must-visit destination.

Kudos to Marisa Rodgers!

Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer

AAA Life Insurance Company

Betty Schick’s summit set the strategy for AAA Life’s growth

CMO Betty Schick used her years of experience to guide AAA Life to new heights of sales and service, making her a winner in the Brand Marketer category of Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

Betty Schick joined AAA Life as chief marketing officer in 2013. Under her tenure, AAA Life — the American Automobile Association’s national life insurance business — has grown from a small regional company to a national leader, with 1.6 million policyholders and billions in premium and annuity deposits.

With her previous nine years at The Auto Club Group in Dearborn, Michigan, Schick employs her expertise across multiple disciplines, including brand marketing, market research, corporate communications and more in connection with longstanding relationships with AAA Federation marketing leaders.

In 2023, Betty brought together distribution and marketing leaders across the AAA Federation for a strategy summit to support a goal of doubling member penetration over 10 years, with direct mail a key driver of growth. The results were immediate: booming agent sales and new records for sales results by year’s end, a success that enabled Schick to establish a single life insurance strategy across AAA.

Schick also supports diversity and equality, serving as an executive sponsor of AAA Life’s Professional Women’s group; her leadership helped AAA Life earn recognition as one of the top Women Led companies in Michigan in 2023. She recently spoke on a panel for Women’s History Month at AAA Life, sharing some advice she learned from her late father: “Always keep your commitments.” Her commitment to AAA and the success of AAA’s life insurance business has spanned more than three decades, contributing to AAA Life’s success, relationships and strategy.

In the future, Schick will focus on raising awareness of AAA Life among AAA members, increasing their access through digital channels, and delivering a comprehensive experience across all AAA Life interactions.

Congratulations to Betty Schick and her determination to follow her father’s advice to keep her commitment to AAA Life and its members.

Chief Marketing & Communications Officer

ivWatch

Here’s how Erin Wendell shook up the medical marketing space at ivWatch

Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of IV safety company ivWatch Erin Wendell brought her 14 years of global communications experience into an otherwise heavily regulated industry. Her efforts to bring riveting storytelling to medical marketing has earned her recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards Class of 2024 for Brand Marketers.

To start, Erin Wendell wanted to revamp the company’s presence at trade shows, leading it to show exhibits at over 15 shows in 2023. Though the assembly crew worried the chosen images might be censored or removed, the gallery was the talk of the show. Booth attendance almost doubled, lead generation boomed, and the company’s message and presence were positively impacted.

“Erin’s strategy has always been to ‘rise above the noise’ in her work. She does not try to ‘fit in’ by showing molded plastic parts and features and comparisons but instead, her work makes an emotional connection with her audience and how our products change lives. It’s not about selling a product but more about creating a movement. It’s bold. Many practicing this art fear bold and prefer a safe approach and they get lost in the noise of fitting in. Not Erin,” said CEO Gary Warren.

Beyond the tradeshow approach, Wendell also shifted market focus from the U.S. to Europe and the U.K. She organized international roadshow tours spanning 10 to 15 days, visiting eight countries, exhibiting at tradeshows, joining in speaking engagements and traveling daily. The company expects international customers will make up most of its customer base by the end of the year.

“In the U.S., we were making slower inroads than we should because of the fear clinicians had about admitting their hospital or clinic had a problem in this arena. In the U.K. and Europe, governmental entities and private hospitals alike are not afraid to admit that IV injuries are happening given that 50% of IVs fail, often through no clinician’s fault,” according to Wendell.

In July 2023, Wendell launched the company’s first PR initiative, landing 30 media placements and 65 pieces of content. The company’s work was honored in Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2024, named a Fierce Life Sciences Innovation Award finalist for medical device innovation and won a PM360 Innovative Health Award in the Health-Tech/Non-Consumer category.

Congratulations to Erin Wendell!

Senior Vice President

Ruder Finn

Antonia Caamano puts Ruder Finn’s clients at the head of the pack

Antonia Caamano turned a Cisco exec into a major thought leader and brought a niche networking service provider to the top tier of media coverage. She’s a winner in the Content Marketer category of Ragan’s Top Women in Communications Awards, Class of 2024.

Since joining Ruder Finn in 2021, senior VP Antonia Caamano has spearheaded multiple campaigns bringing technology brands to the forefront of the media’s and the public’s attention, focusing on providing solutions for her clients’ evolving content marketing needs and communications objectives.

In 2023, for example, Caamano took on the assignment of communicating Cisco Learning & Certifications’ (L&C) value to partners, customers and individuals. She launched an executive thought leadership campaign for Par Merat, vice president of Cisco L&C, positioning her as a leading industry voice, and strategically deployed proactive media relations, social media and thought leadership content in support.

Her strategy earned media coverage featuring Par’s commentary in outlets including Fortune, Chief Learning Officer, Dark Reading and IT Pro Today, and interviews with Fast Company and Bloomberg. Additionally, Caamano and her team drafted and published social posts for Par’s LinkedIn page, earning more than 198,776,000 impressions and more than 1,732 new followers.

Cammano then took advantage of the momentum to refresh Cisco L&C’s brand narrative, streamlining it to share its learning resources with individuals and organizations. She brought together the agency’s branding experts to secure the project; the new Cisco L&C brand narrative is expected to launch with an anthem video later in 2024.

In another project, Caamano helped transform Infoblox, a little-known, niche networking service provider, into a DNS security leader and an expert on DNS threat intelligence. This called for her to support the launch of three global threat intelligence reports that translated complex cybersecurity concepts into accessible media narratives. Her efforts resulted in 36 unique articles, reaching 54.7 million people, including exclusive coverage with Brian Krebs of Krebs on Security, a top security journalist.

In addition to her primary responsibilities, Caamano is actively involved in new business pitches; most recently, she won the account for Neo4j, one of the fastest-scaling technology companies in its category.

Congratulations to Antonia Caamano and her work generating excitement and attention where it matters.

AVP, Marketing Administration and Community Relations

UPMC Health Plan

Maris Dauer of UPMC Health Plan drives community engagement through strategic budget management and charitable initiatives

Through the effective management of three different budgets totaling more than $97 million and overseeing over $6 million in annual contributions, Maris Dauer ensures UPMC Health Plan maintains a strong connection with the community across its wide-reaching footprint. This has earned Maris Dauer recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024, in the Content Marketers category.

UPMC is a healthcare provider and insurer in Pennsylvania that provides commercial products, including workers’ compensation and employee assistance, special needs plans, a Medical Assistance plan and Children’s Health Insurance Program plans, across its wide-reaching footprint. In her current role as associate vice president of marketing administration and community relations at UPMC Health Plan, Maris Dauer oversees key operations across UPMC’s marketing and innovation department. Among her responsibilities, she oversees budgeting, project management, internal communications, retail marketing and community relations.

Managing three different budgets totaling more than $97 million, Dauer orchestrates charitable giving and sponsorships, overseeing over $6 million in annual contributions to nonprofit organizations and community initiatives. While ensuring the organization’s community partnerships remain a productive aspect of the organization, she supports UPMC’s more than 6,000 employees through engagement incentives and versatile marketing materials.

Thanks to Maris Dauer, the “brag sheets” were created, a concept that synthesized the value of UPMC’s commercial, Medicare, Medicaid and other products to be easily used by teams across every department from sales and marketing to public relations. As a great public advocate for UPMC, Dauer has been featured in media appearances, including interviews on Good Morning America, and has her views on the industry published in medical journals such as The Journal of the American Medical Association and The American Journal of Health Promotion.

In addition to her work at UPMC, Dauer serves on boards for The National Aviary, United Way, Riverlife, the Allegheny County Parks Foundation and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. She has chaired major fundraising events for the American Heart Association and Sojourner House and has served on committees for others, including the March of Dimes. Dauer’s educational background in public health, with master’s degrees from Emory University and Johns Hopkins University, and service as Co-Chair for the United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council underpins her expertise and leadership in both marketing and community health.

Congratulations to Maris Dauer!

Vice President, Fortune Brand Studio

Fortune Media

Megan Gilbert of Fortune Media’s Brand Studio drives transformational growth with high-impact deliverables

After reshaping the editorial direction, strategy, and production capabilities, the new Fortune Media Brand Studio attracted high-profile clients and produced more than 944 creative deliverables. The work of Megan Gilbert and her team across content disciplines has earned her recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024, in the Content Marketers category.

After going independent in 2018, Fortune Media launched its Brand Studio a year later and brought Megan Gilbert on as vice president to transform the new studio and help synergize efforts across departments to drive sales from clients worldwide. With a reputation for excellence across an extensive career in branded content at Gawker Media, The Washington Post, Vice Media and others, Gilbert was trusted in guiding the new studio to success.

After reshaping the studio’s editorial direction, strategy and production process across disciplines, the results attracted high-profile clients such as Salesforce, PayPal and AWS. The Fortune Brand Studio produced 944 creative deliverables for 156 clients in the past year, including 53 renewals and 103 new partners. Her team’s work spanned across digital, video, audio and print media, with both remote and on-location productions in nine U.S. states and three countries. A hallmark of effectiveness for the team was executing a television commercial shoot in the Bahamas for Zurich Insurance, featuring LPGA and PGA TOUR pro golfers Albane Valenzuela, Collin Morikawa, Billy Horschel and Sahith Theegala.

Gilbert’s leadership helped to earn the Fortune Brand Studio 48 international creative, editorial and design awards and accolades in 2023 alone. At the Content Marketing Awards in Washington, D.C., Fortune Brand Studio won Content Marketing Project of the Year, Best B2B Content Campaign of the Year and Agency of the Year (Within a Media Company). The studio also received shortlists and awards from the Anthem, PR Daily, Webby, Telly, Digiday and Davey Awards, making it the most awarded B2B branded content studio worldwide.

Beyond the accolades, Gilbert’s effective strategies have led to Fortune Media’s sustainable growth. Despite challenges from the pandemic or industry-wide contractions, the company saw a 15-fold increase in branded content revenue since its first launch in 2019, making it a primary revenue driver for Fortune Media.

Congratulations to Megan Gilbert!

Vice President, Marketing, Onyx Collective

The Walt Disney Company

Onyx Collective’s Shawnte Parker has caught the attention of major industry players

Shawnte Parker was one of the first hires at Onyx Collective, a premium content brand under the Disney ownership umbrella. Since joining the fold, she’s been instrumental in driving marketing campaigns for Oscar, Emmy, and Peabody-winning films and TV series. With over 20 years of experience building world-class marketing strategies, Shawnte has led her team to win multiple prestigious awards, including Promax, Clio, and Golden Trailer Awards. Her efforts led to her to a Ragan Top Women in Marketing, Class of 2024 honor in the Content Marketers category.

Onyx Collective aims to showcase diverse stories and empower artists of color. The brand has thrived under her marketing leadership. Shawnte Parker has built a marketing team that understands the stories being told and creates campaigns that make the creators feel seen and heard. Producers and talent have expressed their appreciation, often noting that they don’t need to over-explain their vision because the team simply understands the mission ahead of time.

Her work has caught the attention of major industry players like Prentice Penny and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, who have lauded Onyx for being a place where diverse creators can bring their stories to life without the usual need to justify their perspectives. Parker’s marketing campaigns are built on this cultural alignment, allowing the content to shine.

Parker’s leadership helmed the marketing for Onyx’s first Emmy-winning title, “The 1619 Project,” with even Oprah Winfrey applauding the team’s promotional efforts. She also led the campaign for “UnPrisoned,” a comedy series that became the brand’s most-watched premiere on Hulu. The campaign sparked a national conversation about second chances, redemption and the humanity behind stories impacted by the penal system.

Parker’s culturally aware, emotionally impactful strategies have made a real difference in how Onyx Collective connects with audiences, making her a standout leader in marketing.

Congratulations to Shawnte Parker and her team!

Head of Creative Content & Production

SHEIN

Marisa Runyon elevates SHEIN’s content strategy, revitalizing live streaming and securing times square spotlight

Marisa Runyon’s creation of the SHEIN in-house production studio, revitalizing the company’s live streaming shopping platform, and securing the company’s first-ever U.S. digital billboard in Times Square has earned her recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024, in the Content Marketers category.

In just over a year at SHEIN, Marisa Runyon has made a significant impact in her newly created role as head of content, transforming the company’s U.S. consumer content strategy into a priority for growth and community building.

When she joined, SHEIN’s once pioneering livestream shopping platform had been underutilized. Immediately, Runyon stepped in and breathed new life into the platform by assembling a team of professionals, including a full-time host, editors and producers, to enhance the quality and engagement of live stream content. On par with that initiative was creating an in-house production studio to streamline content creation for SHEIN and reduce the company’s reliance on outside vendors, driving down costs. The new best-in-class facility was so popular with SHEIN employees that it became a focal point during tours of the company’s LA headquarters.

With a new in-house content team, SHEIN is able to better showcase the brand’s local community involvement through dynamic recaps and quality content. For the SHEIN Art Discovery Project, the company hosted a multi-city tour featuring local muralists, block parties and charitable donations. The content from these events was featured across SHEIN’s social channels, shifting the brand away from a product-focused feed to richer, story-driven content. Under Runyon’s leadership, SHEIN secured its first-ever U.S. digital billboard in Times Square featuring content from its popular partnership with the Giudice family and created a multi-episode series for Women’s History Month featuring Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross.

Runyon’s experience working at shows like Entertainment Tonight and fashion brands like Rachel Zoe, Inc. gives her a deep understanding of how to connect with consumers through a shared passion for style and clothing. Her ability to convey these insights into effective strategies led to cross-functional reviews for SHEIN, as well as a host of firsts for the company as it prioritizes storytelling in its broader marketing efforts.

Kudos to Marisa Runyon!

Vice President

HarrisX

Allison Brady is a master of research and data for her HarrisX clients

Allison Brady has worked with spirits companies, major retail franchisors and philanthropies; she also led research into the representation of faith in entertainment. She’s a winner in the Data/Analytics Leader category of Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

As vice president at data research firm HarrisX, Allison Brady leads strategy, communications and corporate research, driving initiatives for top-tier global organizations and their leaders. Brady also leads an annual study on C-suite communications, which surveys CEOs, CCOs and CMOs from across various U.S. organizations. The study uncovers data on the newest industry trends and informs strategic decision-making on issues like the return-to-office and artificial intelligence.

Among her successes, Brady helped a fast-growing spirits company launch its brand and product, building off its current position while distinguishing the brand in a crowded market. She has also worked with one of the world’s largest retail franchisors to strengthen its internal and external communications strategies; her research was crucial to helping the brand create a messaging platform that provides better coordination between the business and its franchisees.

Brady has also helped some of the largest philanthropic organizations in the U.S. drive positive social impact. Her first-of-its-kind research helped guide these institutions in their media strategy, grants and investment planning.

In partnership with Radiant Foundation, Brady also led a study of nearly 10,000 global entertainment consumers across 11 countries to better understand how faith is represented in film and television. The findings were showcased at a Variety event and used by decision-makers across the entertainment and nonprofit industry.

Brady’s work has been cited in popular media outlets like Variety and Forbes. She was most recently cited in an IndieWire piece that sparked a viral conversation about the relevance of movie theatres. A post about her research was viewed by more than 21 million users on X.

Congratulations to Allison Brady, who stays on top of the latest trends for clients across the globe.

Vice President, Commercial Operations

Endo

Therese Meaney transforms data analytics at Endo, driving innovation in healthcare solutions

Therese Meaney, a data expert at Endo, is being recognized for her role in revolutionizing the company’s analytics and operations. Her strategic leadership has enhanced real-time data capabilities, enabling Endo to deliver impactful healthcare solutions while improving efficiency and reducing costs. Her work has earned her recognition in the Data/Analytics Leaders category for Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

Therese Meaney is a skilled problem solver and data analyst at Endo. She has a great ability to analyze complex data to derive valuable insights that enhance healthcare solutions. Since joining Endo, she has transformed the company’s business analytics and operations, establishing an in-house capability that improves agility, efficiency and real-time data analysis.

Meaney has built a strong team to create Endo’s Center of Excellence for Commercial Operations. In the past year, she has advanced the company’s omnichannel strategy by integrating patient journeys and actionable insights into measurement tools, resulting in a 50% increase in omnichannel adoption. This improvement allows Endo’s field team to provide tailored content to physicians, achieving open rates of up to 37% for modular content in the highly regulated pharmaceutical sector.

“Therese has continually pushed the Omnichannel team’s boundaries by encouraging them to look at how the data is telling the story,” said Jennifer Gomez, executive director of data management and digital enablement. “She challenged the team to incorporate data insights into every aspect of omnichannel — from segmenting audiences through ROI reporting. In doing so, Therese created an environment that empowers her team to use their skills and talents to significantly contribute to Endo’s success.”

Additionally, Meaney led a significant data warehouse transition, consolidating data from two separate systems into one custom-built warehouse designed by Endo’s data scientists. This transition has improved performance reporting and visualization, setting Endo on track to save $3.5 million this year.

In 2023, Meaney centralized monthly forecasting for over 400 products, enhancing analytics and reducing error rates to within 10%. Patrick Barry, EVP and chief commercial officer, commends her leadership and vision, noting that her advancements in analytics and forecasting have positioned Endo to better fulfill its mission of improving patient lives.

A round of applause for Therese Meaney!

Senior Director, Marketing

GAF Energy

Allana Helland shines a bright light on the possibilities of solar energy at GAF Energy

At GAF Energy, Allana Helland generates leads and business in the solar panel industry. She’s a winner in the Lead Generation Marketer category of Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

Lead generation in consumer tech marketing calls for both a quantitative and a qualitative approach to data. Allana Helland, senior director of marketing at GAF Energy, is an expert at both, having worked in marketing for the residential solar industry for more than a decade.

In the past year, Helland’s lead generation program has contributed $5.5 million to the company’s sales. She was instrumental in launching GAF Energy’s Timberline Solar roof, which incorporates the world’s first nailable solar shingle, generating a record number of inquiries and leads.

Just 3% of homes today have rooftop solar installed — far below what’s needed to meet today’s climate goals. This low rate is due in part to customer acquisition costs (CAC) being so high. CAC represents 23% of the price of a residential solar system, meaning companies typically spend $5,200 acquiring customers for an average seven-kilowatt rooftop solar system.

In the past year, though, Helland’s team achieved an average CAC of less than $65 for GAF Energy — proof in Helland’s eyes that generating leads in residential solar is about changing the equation so that people come looking for the product instead of being chased by energy companies. Helland’s role in advancing GAF Energy’s Timberline Solar has generated more than $5 million in ad equivalent revenue for the company.

In 2023, Helland spearheaded the company’s transition to Hubspot, overseeing an integration with Salesforce and streamlining the sales/marketing/customer operations collaboration process within a highly complex data environment. The transition helped GAF Energy efficiently qualify and manage leads thanks to her effort.

She also initiated a campaign to recapture leads who had previously submitted inquiries for Timberline Solar but had been disqualified for being outside the company’s territories. Helland deployed an email marketing campaign whenever a territory opened to re-engage the previously disqualified leads. The campaign resulted in almost 800 new submissions.

Congratulations to Allana Helland!

National Vice President of Field Marketing

Coldwell Banker Realty

Lindsay Listanski drives Coldwell Banker’s market growth by empowering 52,000 agents

By connecting over 52,000 agents to over 100 marketing experts for quick and reliable strategies that lead to a 98% resolution rate across 4,000 appointments, Lindsay Listanski made it easier for Coldwell Banker agents to be more effective at market navigation. Her efforts earned her recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024, in the Lead Generation Marketers category.

Since joining Coldwell Banker Realty in 2021 as the national vice president of field marketing, Lindsay Listanski has helped the legacy service provider better position itself for the changes that came with the modern real estate market. Overseeing a team of more than 150 markets and 52,000 agents nationwide, Listanski has been instrumental in driving an increase in recruiting, retention and market share growth for Coldwell Banker Realty. Her emphasis on practical tools to support agents and prioritizing efficiency led to increased productivity and internal clarity on the team’s impact on business outcomes.

Thanks to the introduction of Listanski’s Next Available Appointment platform, agents working in hybrid environments could be supported as their needs continued to evolve. With the platform, agents were connected to over 100 marketing experts for virtual appointments, providing them with quick and reliable strategies. After a few months of use, agents scheduled more than 4,000 appointments, had a 98% resolution rate, and were able to focus more on client relationships. By streamlining access to marketing experts through the NAA platform, agents were provided with resources necessary for navigating the market more effectively.

Beyond her role as national vice president of field marketing, Listanski is the executive co-chair of “What Moves Her,” a program under the Coldwell Banker’s parent company Anywhere Real Estate. The program empowers women in the real estate industry by fostering leadership skills and career development opportunities. As co-chair, Listanski guides campaigns and national growth strategies while advocating for policies and practices that support women in real estate. Her effectiveness as a leader and marketing has earned her multiple honors, including the Business Elite 40 Under 40, HousingWire Rising Stars, the NJBIZ 40 Under 40 awards, and the Swanepoel Power 200, which ranks the most influential people in real estate.

Kudos to Lindsay Listanski!

Head of Marketing Innovation

Intersystems

InterSystems’ Clemence Sop’s expertise takes her around the world to improve healthcare infrastructure

Clemence Sop’s work for InterSystems has gotten dramatic results in Belgium and the Netherlands and also enhanced the company’s thought leadership in the industry — leading to more business. She’s a winning Lead Generation Marketer in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

Clemence Sop’s role as head of marketing innovation at data technology company InterSystems takes her around the world, supporting customers and partners in more than 80 countries.

In Belgium, for example, she spearheaded the #1patient1record4belgium campaign, an initiative that directly addressed healthcare data management affecting everyone from patients to policymakers. She did it by building an online community through LinkedIn, developing content for YouTube, establishing a long-term SEO game plan and launching a Masthead campaign that earned more than 11.5 million impressions in two days (equivalent to the population of Belgium itself).

As a result, the country’s minister of health worked with Sop’s team to build a custom data infrastructure solution for Belgium’s nationwide healthcare system. InterSystems technologies have been introduced in 52 of Belgium’s 59 hospitals.

Sop and her team delivered similar results in the Netherlands. The sales cycle for large-scale healthcare IT services there typically runs 5-10 years, but her marketing innovation strategies have reduced the average sales cycle for new hospital accounts to less than 12 months. InterSystems technology can now be found in more than 60 hospitals nationwide, improving the quality of health care for millions of Dutch citizens.

Her knowledge of social media algorithms and innovative technologies has reshaped InterSystems’ approach to sales and marketing, taking advantage of AI tools, custom-tailored social listening reports and dynamic engagement strategies to significantly reduce the time-to-pipeline and time-in-pipeline for InterSystems sales executives.

She also revamped the company’s top-down thought leadership strategy, piloting a program for InterSystems’ head of client services. The strategy called for publishing content consistently on LinkedIn and Twitter (X), developing and launching a biweekly podcast focused on customer and client experience and creating a custom website focused on delivering exceptional client experiences.

Thanks to Sop’s efforts, the executive regularly secures meetings with key target accounts within a month of initial outreach — more than three years faster than traditional sales methods for accounts worth millions in new revenue opportunities.

Kudos to Clemence Sop!

GM Marketing

Intel

At Intel, Carrie Hannigan Kaiser tackles the big projects and delivers results

With her team, Carrie Hannigan Kaiser has led launches of major products for Microsoft and others, generating attention and revenue. She’s one of the winning Product Marketers in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

As general manager of marketing at Intel, Carrie Hannigan Kaiser leads the marketing strategy for Intel’s largest $20 billion business unit. Her responsibilities include product positioning, content marketing, global advertising campaigns and product launches. She’s worked on both consumer and commercial products and set best practices in the B2B marketing space.

Kaiser leads teams of 25 people or more, managing budgets up to $8 billion as she oversees solutions and strategy for clients including Microsoft, Qualcomm, Lenovo and more. In her role she has grown her portfolio revenue to $50 million.

For example, Kaiser led positioning and integrated marketing plans for Intel’s vPro/Core Ultra processor. She took a customer-first, buyer journey approach, implementing multichannel programs that relied on advocates and audience playbooks, and built a small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) bench program that extended Intel’s social media reach by nearly 30,000 and earned close to 500 engagements. Plus, she led global advertising campaigns, tracked webinar metrics and delivered high-value content to customers.

Kaiser has also collaborated with Intel partners through co-marketing with more than 40 partners, leading and providing support and an AI PC Acceleration program for onboard partners. She spearheaded a major push to implement Intel’s AI PC program in just five weeks, driving Intel’s AI PC leadership across internet service providers; 70% of the volume was driven by commercial buyers, establishing marketing leadership.

Her strategies to enhance brand awareness of Intel’s products across all major channels include more than 100 TV commercials and 200 print ads, along with social and digital campaigns that have won awards. She led the campaign for the Windows 10 launch, which featured TV and digital advertising along with social media strategy that generated some 320 million impressions across 13 global markets.

Kaiser fosters a collaborative and supportive environment with her team leaders and has built positive relationships with her internal and external customers. She also strives to buffer her direct and extended team from off-strategy requests.

Congratulations to Carrie Hannigan Kaiser!

Director of Product Marketing, Security AI

Microsoft

Rani Lofstrom leads successful Microsoft Copilot launch

The launch of Microsoft Copilot for Security triggered a record-high surge in the company’s stock price, marking the fifth successful security solution brought to market by Rani Lofstrom, Microsoft’s data and insights director, in just three years. This achievement earned Lofstrom Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Award, Class of 2024 in the Product Marketers category.

Rani Lofstrom’s comprehensive product marketing strategy stood out amid a flood of generative AI products in 2024. She led the announcement of Copilot for Security’s general availability in March at the Microsoft Secure event, where CGI graphics made the keynote a more engaging experience. Before the event, Lofstrom’s team hosted two in-person sessions for media and analysts, where a group of early product users – customers and partners – shared their experiences.

The approach generated 214 instances of media coverage, including 40 from what Microsoft considers top-tier outlets. The social and paid media campaigns garnered 19 million impressions, 5 million video views and 83,000 link clicks. The product webpage received 77,000 visits, about three times the benchmark, while the blog announcement saw 104.3K views — 5.5 times the benchmark.

Copilot’s product webpage received 77,000 visits, nearly three times the benchmark, while the blog announcement saw 104,300 views — 5.5 times the benchmark.

Lofstrom’ launch resulted in a record-high uptick in Microsoft’s stock price on the day of the announcement, reaching 427.81. The previous high was 420.82 on Feb. 9.

She also conceptualized a thought leadership campaign featuring Star Trek actor Levar Burton to extend the energy surrounding the launch. Her team built an interactive installation at the RSA Conference — an IT security event — to transform the complex concept of AI-powered security into an interactive science fiction mission. This installation ranked among the top five at the 40,000-attendee event.

Lofstrom’s leadership in security product marketing at Microsoft, the world’s largest security company, tracking 78 trillion daily security signals, has been pivotal to the company’s successful rollouts in recent years.

Credit to Rani Lofstrom for her achievements with yet another successful product launch — and for winning this award.

Director, Product Marketing

Trellix

Laurie Robb transformed Trellix’s product positioning from ‘Data Protection’ to ‘Data Security’

After repositioning Trellix’s data suite and developing the internal training systems across teams, Laurie Robb ensured the Trellix teams were equipped to echo and act on the new message regardless of their departments. The execution of these changes with a 100% approval rating success earned Laurie Robb and Trellix recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024, in the Product Marketers category.

With over 25 years of marketing communication experience across cybersecurity, SaaS, and healthcare industries, Laurie Robb joined the Trellix team in 2023 to lead product marketing for their Data Security division. Before joining Trellix, the company’s product portfolio was known as “Data Protection” which is often linked to just Data Loss Prevention. Once Robb became involved, she led a massive shift from “Data Protection” to “Data Security,” signaling a more comprehensive set of capabilities for the company and better positioning it for stronger marketing positions in the years to come.

Thanks to the SWOT analysis Robb conducted, Trellix was able to spotlight critical issues in product branding, positioning, and sales structures. The early identification of these challenges allowed Robb to craft comprehensive solutions, product repositioning, and repackaging strategies. With the new strategies came the development of foundational messaging and training to ensure the Trellix sales team was equipped with the resources needed to effectively communicate the new Data Security portfolio’s expanded capabilities.

During sales kickoffs, Robb’s efforts were praised by internal teams for their clarity and effectiveness in driving key points home and strengthening consensus across product management, engineering and sales departments. Laurie Robb designed and delivered a one-hour product training session to more than 650 Trellix sellers and received a 100% approval rating. The training, praised for its easy-to-understand content and clear case studies, further equipped the sales team for success with the new product positioning.

In addition to rebranding the company’s product suite, Robb played a critical role in message development and creating customer-facing content and developed the repositioning launch, including internal enablement, partner toolkit, and launch roll-outs for Trellix. She completely replaced the content on five Trellix web pages, developed new solution briefs, and data sheets, and launched five new sales tools for the company.

Kudos to Laurie Robb!

Associate Director, Digital Strategy and Content

embecta

Sarah Balch leveled up embecta’s social media strategy to promote diabetes education

Sarah Balch’s efforts to increase embecta’s digital footprint, spotlighting its purpose work and corporate restructuring in the process, earned her a spot in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024 in the Social Media Marketers category.

Sara Balch, associate director of digital strategy and content at embecta, is being recognized for her outstanding contributions to the company’s digital presence and the diabetes community. Under her leadership, embecta’s social media campaigns have played a critical role in expanding access to diabetes education and promoting the company’s brand as it spun off from Becton Dickinson (BD) and launched its own IPO.

One of Balch’s standout achievements was the World Diabetes Day campaign, titled “All In,” which was designed to raise awareness of diabetes and improve access to educational resources for both healthcare professionals and patients. The campaign ran across multiple international markets, including Canada, the U.K., Germany and Japan, and generated a significant 2.5 million paid impressions and 57,000 organic impressions. The campaign was honored with the Cause Marketing Award from Ragan Communications and PR Daily’s Social Media & Digital Awards.

Balch’s success stems from her data-driven approach, meticulously tracking key performance indicators to optimize results. Her campaigns have consistently earned recognition, securing awards from PR Daily, Viddy, and Ragan Communications while also enhancing embecta’s brand visibility. In addition to these measurable successes, Balch has also focused on building relationships within the diabetes community, partnering with advocacy groups like Camp Nejeda and Children with Diabetes, where she volunteers to raise awareness through embecta’s social media channels.

Her efforts have cemented embecta as a leader in the digital diabetes conversation, making her a deserving recipient of this award. Balch’s work is widely recognized for combining innovative strategies with purpose-driven content that benefits both her company and the broader diabetes community.

Ragan congratulates Sarah Balch on this well-deserved honor, demonstrating how a sound social strategy still has the power to prioritize purpose and enhance brand reputation.

Marketing Manager - Social Media

BERNINA of America

Maggy Urso drives ad reach growth and increases the audience for BERNINA with creative strategies

Despite a considerable reduction in ad spend on Meta platforms, BERNINA saw its Ad Reach increase by 21% and overall audience growth by 6% thanks to Maggy Urso’s ability to manage resources and understand the brand’s audience. Maggy Urso’s success earned her recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024, in the Social Media Marketers category.

Over the past year, as the company’s social media marketing manager, Maggy Urso has helped produce more than 300 million engagements and over 9,000 unique content pieces across BERNINA’s online platforms. The premier manufacturer of sewing and embroidery systems, sergers and embroidery software BERNINA sustained a strong digital presence thanks to Urso’s ability to juggle multiple responsibilities, including content creation and strategy.

From March 2023 to March 2024, BERNINA’s Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest accounts saw a 24% increase in net audience growth, contributing to overall audience growth of 6% year-over-year. Despite a 6% reduction in ad spend on Meta platforms, BERNINA saw its ad reach increase by 21%, thanks in part to Urso’s ability to make the most of the resources available to her. As marketing budgets shrank, Urso’s approach to social media marketing made it BERNINA’s most cost-effective channel for growth.

Her work has directly contributed to three consecutive years of growth for BERNINA and its largest growth year to date. With 100,000 downloads for the brand’s Sew & So podcast, Urso’s strategies converted the attention of sewing enthusiasts exposed to the brand’s content. With a focus on Facebook Live, her strategy resulted in a 40% increase in impressions, a 13% rise in shares and video views and a 251% increase in post-link clicks.

Maggy Urso’s creative and efficient approach to social media management made for simple processes and enabled the expansion of the brand’s ability to succeed on multiple platforms simultaneously. Under her supervision, the brand’s social media, education and sales departments grew into a more cohesive production machine. As the director of BERNINA’s intern program for social media and serving on the brand’s Ambassador committee, Urso instills her strategic insights and experience in captivating audiences to the next generation.

Congratulations to Maggy Urso!

Senior Vice President, Marketing & Community

SECU MD

Amy Basta champions community kindness, financial wellness and more at Maryland credit union, SECU

Amy Basta started the Kindness Campaign; now SECU’s Kindness Month. Her other initiatives benefit students, SECU employees and the community. She’s a Team Leader winner in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

Under Amy Basta’s leadership as senior vice president of marketing and community, Maryland credit union SECU earned several significant marketing awards in 2023: a Future Branches Innovators Award for Most Effective Branch Technology Implementation, multiple awards from the American Marketing Association Baltimore Chapter and the MDDC Credit Union Association, and the MarCom Gold Award for SECU’s Kindness Month Campaign.

The Kindness Campaign was born during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic to connect SECU employees by encouraging acts of kindness in their communities. Over the last four years of Basta’s leadership, the campaign has evolved into a goal of 10,000 acts of kindness, becoming a strategic, integrated communications campaign that has generated more than 600,000 acts of kindness across Maryland and beyond in 2023, when Governor Wes Moore named October Kindness Month in the state.

Basta was appointed to the board of the SECU Maryland Foundation in 2023. As part of the SECU Leadership and the Operations Committee, she assembles groups across the organization to support external and internal events through DEI, affinity groups, community engagement and business development. In the past year, Basta began leading two pillars of SECU’s three-year strategic vision: university partnerships and financial wellness, which are aimed at providing financial literacy through SECU’s university relationships and lobbying for legislation supporting financial literacy in schools.

She also led SECU branches in holding 44 financial wellness seminars in 2023. The seminars addressed topics like credit scores, budgeting, first-time home buying, loan basics and business resources. In addition, four SECU branches partnered with two high schools and two universities to provide 37 seminars to students to explain issues like the difference between credit unions and banks, credit scores and how to budget; plus, four SECU branches provided members with seven homebuying seminars.

Since joining SECU four years ago, Basta has expanded her team from five to 13 in total, along with forming an internal digital media buying team. The organization has recognized the team over the last three years with the SECU Spark Award (awarded to Basta herself), the Visionary Award (for the University Partnership team) and the Team Impact Award (for the marketing team).

Congratulations to Amy Basta, who brings the message of financial wellness to the Maryland community at SECU.

Head of Strategy, Americas

Stein IAS

Maria Becker transforms B2B strategy at Stein IAS, driving record new business success and innovative client solutions

While Maria Becker led strategy at Stein IAS, the agency saw its most successful year for new business and set a record for inbound opportunities with a 67% win rate. These achievements have earned Maria Becker recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024, in the Team Leaders category.

Maria Becker, head of strategy at Stein IAS, has helped to reimagine the agency’s approach to B2B strategy by focusing on knowing the deep intricacies of her client’s businesses and industries to identify dormant growth opportunities. While leading strategy at Stein IAS, the agency saw its most successful year for new business in 2023, setting a record for inbound opportunities and a 67% win rate. Becker’s contributions led to the agency achieving $7.3 million in new annualized revenue and a 16% overall growth.

Her strategic leadership was integral to landing high-profile clients, including a partnership with Kraft Heinz. The focus on complete immersion into the client’s world to understand their nuanced challenges and opportunities is led by stakeholder conversations, workshops and collaborative strategies to support action-ready roadmaps. For Kraft Heinz, that led to a roadmap for executing campaigns for hallmark products and positioning the company to move into new market territory as a key partner to restaurant owners and operators. For HCLTech, Becker succeeded in shifting the perception of the company from a traditional IT services provider to one offering solutions in AI and Cloud software.

Becker champions Stein IAS’s adoption of AI and leverages the technology to augment the strategic capability of her teams and provide a new suite of sustainable benefits for the agency and its clients. It’s Becker’s ability to deliver effective strategic insights and be innovative in B2B marketing that has led her to be a judge for the 2023 B2B Drum Awards and the 2024 ANA B2 Awards. Additionally, her insights as a strategist have been published in the Journal of Brand Strategy, she’s been a guest speaker on the value of high-impact B2B brands and was a co-host for LinkedIn’s Ty Heath event on DE&I and business strategy.

Credit to Maria Becker!

Vice President, Marketing

Kipu Health

Shannon Conklin rebranded Kipu Health around a single message to center on patient health

Shannon Conklin’s rebranding effort, along with thought leadership webinars and SEO, grew Kipu’s influence in the behavioral health space and earned her recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024 in the Team Leaders category.

Shannon Conklin, vice president of marketing at Kipu Health, has been recognized for her transformative influence on the company’s brand and marketing strategy. Since joining Kipu, Conklin has led a comprehensive rebranding effort, shifting the company’s focus from point solutions to a unified message centered on the patient journey and improved healthcare outcomes. Her strategic approach has strengthened the company’s position in the behavioral health space.

Conklin’s leadership has driven impressive results, including a 256% increase in pipeline generation and a 40.2% year-over-year growth in website traffic. Her marketing efforts also achieved a 190% rise in total keywords within the top 50 search rankings, and her overhaul of the Kipu website has significantly boosted engagement. With a team of just five, Conklin’s management style has amplified productivity and creativity, making it seem as though she leads a much larger department. Her ability to prioritize, innovate, and inspire her team has led to top scores in team culture, with an employee NPS score of 60.

Beyond brand evolution and internal leadership, Conklin has also focused on client engagement through initiatives like webinars and the “Voices of the Industry” thought leadership channel. These efforts have positioned Kipu as a leader in behavioral health marketing and helped the company earn recognition, including being named “Business of the Year” by the South Florida Business Journal.

Conklin is noted for her servant leadership, advocating for her team’s professional development and well-being. Her dedication to diversity and inclusion and her focus on results make her a standout leader in marketing.

Ragan congratulates Conklin for this honor, proving that a strategic refocus on your audience drives brand reputation.

Chief Marketing Officer

Krispy Krunchy® Foods

Alice Crowder leads Krispy Krunchy Chicken’s expansion with an eye on hard data

Alice Crowder probed the numbers and used the information to redesign the brand’s imagery, simplify store operators’ options and revamp the menu, and she has more tasks on her plate. She is a Team Leader in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

Krispy Krunchy Chicken opened nearly 500 new stores in 2023. To lead the expansion, CEO Jim Norberg hired Alice Crowder as VP of marketing. Her assignment: to build up the company’s relationship with the operators of its 3,000 locations across 47 states, leading to a complete transformation in the brand’s approach to building relationships with its operators’ guests.

Crowder’s first move was to launch a segmentation and awareness/usage study to uncover key information: what consumers like about the Krispy Krunchy brand, what they want it to stand for in the future and more. Using this information, Crowder reshaped how the brand presents itself to its operators and their customers.

This called for an overhaul of the brand’s image. Completed in fourth quarter 2023, the reimaging included new signage, photography and even brand language to be more relevant to customers and draw attention to operators’ stores.

Crowder also recognized that the custom graphics packages the company was using in store openings were more expensive and complex than necessary, so she worked with operations to simplify and standardize the new-store opening kits, rebranding them “Success Kits.” The move saved operators money and freed up the brand’s graphic services department, allowing them to focus on creating more revenue-driving content.

A major part of the effort focused on reimagining the menu. Crowder designed the brand’s first TURF (Total Unduplicated Reach and Frequency) study; its insights helped Krispy Krunchy Chicken remove redundant items from the menu and redesign it so operators could fill orders more easily and consumers could find what they wanted. This improved operators’ margins and also led to “Krunch Boxes” — the brand’s answer to combos — which increased side sales by double digits.

Crowder is currently concentrating on continuous improvement of the menu, as well as revamping Krispy Krunch’s social media efforts. She’s also implementing a third-party delivery program designed to enhance the brand’s reach and convenience for consumers.

Congratulations to Alice Crowder!

Director of Marketing

The Fortegra Group

Fortega Group marketing flourishes under Patti Gomez Baker’s leadership

From internal to external communications, Patti Gomez Baker led the way for the Fortega Group, consistently driving growth and leading to new recognition and opportunities. For her exceptional work, Gomez Baker is honored with the Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing award, Class of 2024, in the Team Leaders category.

Patti Gomez Baker, director of marketing at The Fortegra Group, has been recognized for her leadership and strategic vision, helping drive significant growth for the specialty insurance carrier. Since joining the company in 2020, she has spearheaded initiatives that have bolstered brand awareness and fueled business growth while aligning with the company’s core values and long-term goals.

In 2023, Gomez Baker led her marketing team of 12 to complete 667 projects across nine business lines, reflecting her strong organizational skills and commitment to efficiency. Her strategic leadership extended to public relations, where she implemented a plan that resulted in 69 earned-media articles, over 7.8 million impressions, and more than $2 million in ad value equivalence. These efforts were complemented by her oversight of internal communications, including launching a company podcast and monthly newsletter to enhance employee engagement.

Gomez Baker’s work also extended to trade show marketing, where she managed efforts for 35 events, leading to 205 booked meetings, further driving business development. Her integration of AI technologies and marketing tools improved workflow efficiencies, allowing her team to deliver complex projects quickly and precisely.

What sets Gomez Baker apart is not just her results but also her leadership style. She fosters an environment of open communication and collaboration, valuing the input of every team member. Her focus on team development has created a culture of respect, continuous learning, and creativity, enabling the team to exceed expectations consistently.

Under Patti Gomez Baker’s direction, The Fortegra Group’s marketing efforts have flourished, making her a deserving recipient of Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Award.

Chief Communications & Marketing Officer

SAG-AFTRA

SAG-AFTRA CCMO Pamela Greenwalt kept support high during the historic actors’ strike

Rallying more than 160,000 union members for a major strike is no small feat. But Pamela Greenwalt rallied SAG-AFTRA to support and maintain a successful strike that led to new economic considerations and AI protections for actors and other union members. That coordination has earned her recognition as a Top Women in Marketing, Class of 2024, in the Team Leaders category.

Pamela Greenwalt, SAG-AFTRA’s chief communications and marketing officer, played a key role in the union’s historic 2023 strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The 160,000-member union took action against studios to demand recognition for performers’ economic contributions and protect them against the rise of artificial intelligence.

Greenwalt’s work began before the strike, as she collaborated with National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland to prepare a comprehensive 60-page plan and train over 850 strike captains. Her efforts in member education included media outreach, social media campaigns, webinars and direct member engagement, leading to overwhelming support for the strike authorization.

Greenwalt’s strategy focused on message consistency and media saturation during the strike. Her team’s work resulted in over 112,000 articles and 10.7 billion organic impressions in 139 countries. Public support remained high throughout the effort, with 67% backing the strike. She also used social media to energize members and counter misinformation, significantly increasing followers and online engagement.

Greenwalt coordinated daily pickets, major rallies and high-profile media appearances, keeping SAG-AFTRA’s leadership in the national spotlight. She also worked with political supporters and other unions to maintain solidarity and ensure a broad base of support.

Her leadership continued through the ratification process, where she helped mobilize members to vote for the new contract. Greenwalt’s strategic and communications expertise was essential in helping SAG-AFTRA achieve its goals and securing a new deal for its members.

Congratulations to Pamela Greenwalt for her hard work and success.

Director, Marketing, Communications & Administration

Consolidated Asset Management Services (CAMS)

Melissa Kinsella’s innovative strategies and leadership have propelled Consolidated Asset Management Services to new heights

In the past year, Melissa Kinsella has elevated CAMS’ market presence through new client-centric promotion materials, syncing messaging across company channels, and repositioning the brand as an industry leader. This has earned her recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024, in the Team Leaders category.

Melissa Kinsella’s strategic insights and innovative approach to marketing have been key in crafting highly effective branding campaigns that strengthened Consolidated Asset Management Services (CAMS) reputation in the eyes of the market. With over 22 years of experience, Kinsella brought a reservoir of expertise to her role as director of marketing, communications and administration at CAMS. In the past year, her leadership has driven a series of milestones that elevated CAMS’ market presence and operational success. She led the design, layout and rollout of client-centric promotional materials, ensuring that CAMS’ unique value proposition resonated powerfully across diverse channels.

In the last year, Kinsella spearheaded the comprehensive rebrand of the asset management company. Focusing on staying competitive in a rapidly changing market, she leveraged market research, consumer insights and the company’s core values to reposition the company as a leader in its industry. At its core, CAMS manages or operates more than 59,000 MW of generation, 3,500 miles of pipeline, and over 40,000 HP of compression. More recently, the company has embraced renewable energy as it added over 33 GW of thermal assets and 1.8 GW of wind and solar assets. The feedback from clients and industry peers on the recent changes, including the rebrand, exceeded expectations for CAMS.

Internally, Kinsella initiated employee engagement programs and development opportunities that have contributed to the company being named one of the 2023 Best & Brightest Companies to Work For in Houston and across the country. The coupling of internal investments in the development of team members with the innovative rebrand of CAMS has proven Kinsella’s effectiveness as a leader.

Her achievements during Women’s History Month earned her recognition by the Houston Business Journal in its People on the Move feature, which celebrated her impactful change not just for CAMS but within the wider Houston business community.

Congratulations to Melissa Kinsella!

Chief Communications Officer

Everest Group

Dawn Lauer climbs the heights at Everest

Dawn Lauer helped rebrand the company and revamp its marketing assets while also enhancing its website and executing events for the firm’s 50th anniversary. She’s a true Team Leader in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

As global chief communications officer, Dawn Lauer leads all marketing, public relations, branding and communication efforts at global property and casualty insurer Everest. Lauer’s work with her team played a pivotal role in advancing the company’s branding, marketing and communications initiatives in the past 12 months.

Here’s a look at what she’s accomplished:

Everest rebrand initiative. This included name and ticker symbol changes, implemented through an extensive integrated campaign to engage key internal and external audiences. The team revamped marketing and advertising assets at the enterprise and business division levels and created an online repository hosting all assets and brand-related content, making them more easily accessible to Everest associates.
Everest website. Lauer’s team refreshed the company’s corporate website to align with its rebrand, which required spearheading new design, content and functionality, all resulting in an improved user experience.
Investor Day. Lauer played a key role in the strategy, development and coordination of Everest’s second Investor Day. Her scripting conveyed the company’s message, and she played a pivotal role in preparing investor materials, orchestrating events and supporting senior executives.
Fiftieth anniversary. The team designed and implemented a global internal and external campaign for Everest’s 50th anniversary, executing a multichannel strategy to reinforce its new brand, spotlight its positive transformation and articulate the company’s future vision. The celebration’s activities were integrated across stakeholder events throughout the year.

Lauer also elevated Everest’s external profile, highlighting Everest’s value proposition and a strong performance by penetrating top-tier business and financial outlets with broadcast segments on CNBC and Bloomberg, as well as The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and Barron’s. In addition, the team raised awareness of Everest’s growth story and expansion strategy at firmwide and business-specific industry events.

Finally, Lauer and her team work closely with the Everest DE&I Council and employee resource groups to develop programs and communications that reinforce the company’s commitment to ESG.

Congratulations to Dawn Lauer, who worked to put Everest in the spotlight during a year of rebranding and the celebration of its 50th anniversary.

EVP, Chief Marketing Officer

Evertec

Alexandra Lopez-Soler leads a wide array of high-priority initiatives for Evertec in Latin America

Rebranding, acquisition integration, image satisfactions — these are just a few items on Alexandra Lopez-Soler’s plate of responsibilities for the financial tech company. She’s a winner in the Team Leader category of Ragan’s Top Women in Communications Awards, Class of 2024.

As executive VP and chief marketing and communications officer for Evertec, the largest financial technology firm in Latin America, Alexandra Lopez-Soler is responsible for branding, internal and external communications, crisis management and more, leading a team of 35 people in 13 offices and 11 countries.

Joining Evertec in 2013, Lopez-Soler helped complete four cross-border acquisitions involving 11 offices over five years, integrating the acquired companies under a “one brand/one market” approach. She also led the rebranding and repositioning of Evertec, changing the perception of it as an IT and ops firm into a multinational public corporation with approximately 5,000 employees and approximately $700 million in revenues in 2023.

In 2023 she was busy with many projects, including:

Managing the communication strategy for Evertec’s integration of Sinqia, Brazil’s dominant financial services software provider. It was Evertec’s largest acquisition, giving it an entry into payment processing solutions in Brazil.
Increasing Evertec’s overall image satisfaction by four points in four years. Among Latin American clients, Evertec’s image rose by 14 points, according to IPSOS, and its Net Promoter Score doubled, with image responsible for the lion’s share of the increase.
Growing Evertec’s publicity value by more than 300% year-over-year, generating more than 2,200 leads for its Latin American businesses and 2,300 leads for its merchant acquisition business in Puerto Rico.
Aligning Evertec’s social responsibility efforts with its business strategy by, for example, increasing gender diversity and equity in its scholarship program and reducing the disparity between male and female men applicants).
Transforming Evertec’s fundraising for nonprofits in Puerto Rico by taking advantage of Evertec’s technology, which accounts for approximately 80% of donations.

Outside of work hours, Lopez-Soler is also a founding board member and secretary of the board for Vimenti (formerly the Boys & Girls Club), a nonprofit organization focused on eradicating child poverty in Puerto Rico.

Congratulations to Alexandra Lopez-Soler.

Chief Marketing Officer

Muscular Dystrophy Association

Morgan Roth amplifies the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s mission, driving inclusion and marketing success

Thanks to Morgan Roth’s introduction of new paid social components to broaden the organization’s reach, the MDA saw a 114% increase in ROI across the program in 2023 and consistently captured nearly 60% of the conversation in the NMD community. This earned Roth recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024, in the Team Leaders category.

Morgan Roth’s personal experience living with a neuromuscular disease gave her an intimate understanding of the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s mission and truly embodied the commitment it looked for when it came to amplifying the voices of its community. After joining the organization in early 2023, Roth immediately hired others with neuromuscular diseases to ensure the narratives that the Muscular Dystrophy Association would portray were reflected authentically within its systems. This led to the creation of the VP of Disability Outreach and Empowerment position, a role focused on accelerating the MDA’s promotion of access and inclusion for individuals with NMDs or other disabilities that impair mobility.

With a reinforced mission commitment came a revitalization of MDA’s multi-channel marketing program. Shifting from a consistent negative message focused on financial instability to a content strategy highlighting the organization’s wins, unique legacy and ongoing momentum was the foundation for more robust changes to MDA’s marketing strategy. Thanks to the foundation and the introduction of new paid social components to broaden the organization’s reach, the MDA saw a 114% increase in ROI across the program in 2023. In addition to driving marketing success, MDA’s earned media efforts also began to increase. For the first time, the organization began tracking its share of voice within the NMD community, consistently capturing nearly 60% of the conversation against major competitors.

Last summer, the MDA launched its “Accessible Air Travel” campaign, which urged reforms for safer air travel for people in wheelchairs. The campaign went viral and inspired over 5,600 letters to Congress from MDA constituents. Morgan Roth’s strategic promotion of MDA’s leadership on the issue led to multiple invitations to the White House and the Department of Transportation, where MDA consulted with figures like Vice President Kamala Harris and DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg on the needs as expressed through the campaign.

Credit to Morgan Roth!

VP, Portfolio Marketing

Trellix

Deepa Sankar launches portfolio marketing strategy for new cybersecurity firm Trellix

Starting from the ground up, Deepa Sankar melded strategy, messaging and branding to build a successful program. She’s a winner in the Team Leader category of Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

Cybersecurity firm Trellix was created in 2022 by merging security firms McAfee Enterprise and FireEye. Deepa Sankar joined the company in May 2023. Her assignment was to lay the foundation for a world-class portfolio marketing function.

Portfolio marketing brings product marketing, technical marketing, competitive intel and other strategic functions together into a single group. Once the strategy is defined, portfolio marketing simplifies and prioritizes the deliverables, communicates and removes roadblocks and executes the plan. When Sankar joined, the branding team had already launched the Trellix brand and generated waves in the market. Sankar’s role was to build the organization from the ground up, strategizing campaigns, messaging and content for demand generation, building customer references, generating competitive intelligence and more.

When Sankar arrived, this organization had only a handful of product marketers. Hitting the ground running, Sankar created an end-to-end content plan for demand generation. The team of one product marketer and one content marketer created the messaging and content, including assets, emails and landing pages for promotions.

At the same time, Sankar started building the team, hiring a campaign strategist and product and technical marketers for Trellix’s Platform, which covers multiple security controls. Sankar then built the competitive intel and customer marketing functions, using single-person teams to build content and references for the entire Trellix business.

Sankar’s portfolio team connects the dots for the organization, using a clear strategy that aligns with Trellix’s overall business and marketing objectives and works collaboratively across departments. The team produced more than200 pieces of content, launched two technical workshops helping with deal acceleration and hot leads, increased home page traffic by more than 6% in 10 weeks after launch and saw an approximately 100% uplift in conversions for Trellix’s “Request a Demo” web page

Congratulations to Deepa Sankar.

Vice President of Marketing and Communications

Bernhard

Lauren Skeen redefined Bernhard’s brand and culture, positioning it as a leader in modern energy solutions

After redefining the public image of one of the largest publicly owned firms, Lauren Skeen helped Bernhard see a 125% growth in team personnel while transforming it into a brand ready to embrace modern challenges in the energy sector. Her efforts earned her recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024, in the Team Leaders category.

As one of the largest privately-owned firms with over a hundred years of experience servicing higher education, healthcare, commercial, and specialty markets, Bernhard delivers turnkey Energy-as-a-service solutions that reduce energy use, risk, and cost for their clients.

Since becoming VP of Marketing and Communications at Bernhard, Lauren Skeen has taken the initiative to redefine the company’s public image. Under her guidance, the marketing and communications team experienced a 125% growth through redefining KPIs and further aligning the department with Bernhard’s business objectives. Skeen developed a new style guide and brand book to set the foundation for future success further and ensure the company’s messaging was consistent across all platforms. With a new visual identity and an updated social media strategy, Bernhard saw a 6% increase in page views and a 32% increase in followers within six months.

Lauren Skeen launched the B-United Campaign to build a more cohesive company culture. The campaign focused on transparent information sharing, improving the understanding of individual roles concerning the company’s business objectives, and helping employees better understand their value to each other. In addition to successful internal initiatives, Skeen was pivotal in creating and distributing Bernhard’s first ESG report. The new reporting helped position Bernhard as a progressive company in the energy sector while clarifying its commitment to sustainability in the market.

To solidify Bernhard’s role in delivering innovative and scalable energy solutions to its clients, the company launched three new Energy-as-a-Service projects countrywide, totaling nearly $250 million in energy infrastructure upgrades. Skeen oversaw the communication efforts on these new projects and ensured the marketing supported the business objectives. With a comprehensive view of communication, marketing, and business alignment, Lauren Skeen helped to position Bernhard as a company ready to engage with where the energy sector is today and will be tomorrow.

Congratulations to Lauren Skeen!

Executive Director of Consumer Marketing

Endo

Dayna Sracic takes the lead in getting health messages out to the world at Endo

At Endo, Dayna Sracic gets the word out about the importance of getting symptoms checked promptly, increasing diagnosis rates for several critical health conditions. That earns her a nod as a Team Leader in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

Dayna Sracic leads a cross-functional team as executive director of consumer marketing at specialty pharmaceutical company Endo, guided by her commitment to “making every day better than the last” for both her team and the patients Endo serves.

Sracic doubled the size of Endo’s consumer marketing team and dramatically increased funding for its direct-to-consumer efforts. She and her team have built an industry reputation for delivering innovative marketing campaigns addressing sensitive health conditions, including recent launches of:

“Man with a Plan.” This was an unbranded campaign to motivate men to find a urologist if they have symptoms of Peyronie’s disease (PD), a condition that can lead to a curvature deformity of the penis when erect.
“PD Pool Hall.” This unscripted branded video series featured conversations between men with PD, offering frank perspectives to encourage men to talk to their doctor about treatment.
“Coffee and Cords.” This video, part of a series, encourages patients to seek a hand specialist for non-surgical options (and/or a second opinion) for treating Dupuytren’s contracture (DC), a disabling hand condition.

Under Sracic’s leadership, diagnosis rates for PD rose from 2% in 2017 to 3% in 2023, and the conversion rate on MakeaPDPlan.com increased from 5-10% to 20-25%. Similarly, the DC campaign achieved a URL conversion rate of 25-30%, helping to increase diagnosis rates from 4.5% in 2017 to nearly 6% in 2023.

Sracic also serves on both the steering committee and the talent subcommittee (as chair) for the Alliance for Women at Endo, an employee resource group that supports rising women leaders. She recently served as chief of staff for the commercial operations leadership team, which oversees commercial planning across Endo’s business units.

As Chrissy Buckley, senior manager of consumer digital marketing, puts it, “Dayna is a remarkable leader whose compassion and general disposition make everyone around her want to work harder and think more strategically.”

Congratulations to Dayna Sracic.

Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer

Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission

Sarah Townes’ innovative perception study guides the brand evolution for the city of Columbus

Sarah Townes’ record-shattering results for Experience Columbus played an outsized role in driving the city’s rapid growth, earning her recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024 in the Team Leaders category.

Sarah Townes, chief marketing and communications officer at Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, has been recognized for her transformative leadership since joining Experience Columbus in 2019. Under her direction, the organization achieved record-breaking results in 2023, including a 70% increase in earned media coverage and a 100% boost in website page views. These accomplishments were highlighted in the organization’s Year-End Report, released in early 2024.

Townes has led several key initiatives to strengthen the city’s brand, including a perception study in collaboration with research firm SMARInsights. This study, the first of its kind since 2017, aimed to understand how residents, visitors and meeting planners view Columbus. The findings are now being used to guide a significant brand evolution for the city in 2024 in partnership with the newly appointed agency Luquire. Her efforts have also helped Columbus navigate its rapid growth, one of the fastest among U.S. metro areas.

In addition to overseeing brand strategy, Townes managed critical partnership efforts, achieving an impressive 91.5% retention rate among key stakeholders. Her social media strategies also drove significant engagement, with 23 influencers contributing to a 106% year-over-year increase in followers across various platforms.

With over two decades of marketing experience, Townes has worked with major brands like Aveda, Kellogg’s, and Disney Parks. Her team’s work in 2023 earned 14 industry awards, including Marcom, PR Daily, and W3 honors. Townes’ ability to lead creative campaigns and foster partnerships has solidified her reputation as a leader in destination marketing.

Ragan congratulates Towns for demonstrating how this work can reshape the fabric of American cities and influence societal growth.

Chief Marketing Officer

Freeman

Mickey Wilson has propelled Freeman to industry dominance, driving a surge in sales and rebuilding a marketing team

Mickey Wilson has led the strategies that drove website visits up by 70% year-over-year, and sales qualified leads increased by 140% for Freeman. The company now leads its industry in earned media share of voice, earning it Wilson recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024, in the Team Leaders category.

Coming out of the pandemic in 2021, as Freeman’s senior director of marketing and communications, Mickey Wilson rebuilt the marketing team from the ground up, expanding it by 391% over two years while maintaining a 97.7% retention rate. Freeman successfully launched a new company positioning that solidified its reputation as a top-ranked player in the events, tradeshow and experiences industry under Wilson’s guidance. Today, 78% of companies familiar with Freeman choose to partner with them, a rate 14% higher than the closest competitor. Decision-makers are also more likely to have a positive view of the company, with 72% expressing a very favorable impression, marking another significant metric increase over the previous year.

Wilson is the catalyst who drives Freeman’s mission to create authentic, innovative marketing initiatives that place the audience at the heart of everything they do. In her role, she has led the strategies that drove website visits up by 70% year-over-year and sales qualified leads increase by 140%. Freeman now leads its industry in earned media share of voice and dominates keyword coverage in its space. When Freeman acquired Sparks, it was Wilson who orchestrated the strategic communications for the maneuver resulting in 90% of event decision-makers viewing the acquisition as a positive move for the company.

Outside of crafting external communication strategies, Wilson and her team helped to impact the employee experience at Freemon, helping it earn recognition as one of the Top Workplaces in the U.S. by Energage for 2024, ranking No.49 among employers with over 2,500 employees. Freeman has also been named to Chief Marketer’s Top Marketing Agencies and Forbes Best Employers for Women for three consecutive years. With an invigorated internal company culture and new monthly newsletters, engagement metrics have increased, with intranet page views up by 10% and user sessions climbing by 20%.

Kudos to Mickey Wilson!

Senior Vice President of Marketing

Nebo

From intern to SVP of marketing: Stephanie Wallace drives growth in digital marketing at Nebo

Stephanie Wallace, senior vice president of marketing at Nebo, is being recognized for her contributions to digital marketing. Her strategic leadership has been pivotal in driving the agency’s growth over the past 20 years, earning her a spot among the honorees in the Tech/Digital Marketers category for Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

The narrative surrounding iconic figures like Steve Jobs and Walt Disney often emphasizes the myth of the lone hero. However, this perspective overlooks the crucial contributions of individuals behind the scenes, such as Stephanie Wallace at Nebo. Promoted to senior vice president of marketing in 2023, Wallace’s 14-year journey from marketing intern to SVP highlights her skills in strategy, creativity and collaboration.

Under her leadership, Nebo has successfully maintained 20 years of growth without layoffs and won over 100 awards in two years. Wallace’s expertise has guided major clients like Cox and Cartoon Network, and she’s become a respected contributor to prestigious platforms such as Search Engine Land and The Moz Blog. Kimm Lincoln, Nebo’s president, praises Wallace’s ability to deliver results consistently.

In an industry where men dominate senior roles, Wallace stands out as a powerful female leader who showcases resilience and authenticity. She has made 10 on-stage appearances at marketing conferences in three years and received Search Engine Land’s Marketer of the Year award.

Wallace’s commitment extends beyond professional success; she serves as a role model for her colleagues and daughters, embodying the message that women can excel in any field despite challenges. By fostering a human-centric approach to marketing, the SVP has been integral in transforming Nebo into a dynamic omnichannel organization. Ultimately, while tech giants like Steve Jobs are celebrated, it is leaders like Stephanie Wallace who are equally vital to driving success in the digital marketing landscape.

Congrats on all your hard work, Stephanie!

Vice President, Social Media and Branding

SKDK

Rachel Feder Porter’s passion for health equity drives engaging social content at SKDK

Rachel Feder Porter has dedicated her young career to driving engagement for a number of healthcare-related campaigns focused on health equity. For her work, Feder Porter is an honoree in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024 in the “Marketers to Watch” category.

As SKDK’s VP of social media and branding, Rachel Feder Porter leads digital strategy for clients ranging from public interest groups and nonprofits to private companies and political campaigns.

The 29-year-old recently played an instrumental role in launching the strategy of the New York City Department of Health’s HealthyNYC initiative. Through social media, she directed the creation of engaging and thoughtful content to support city residents’ mental and physical health.

Other notable projects include guiding campaigns during the Democracy Forum and the World Economic Forum and leading a coalition advocating for increased Medicaid reimbursement rates in New York. She also led the strategic direction of announcing a historic $1 billion donation to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

With a background in political communication, Feder Porter previously held roles at NARAL Pro-Choice America and the Democratic National Committee. An experienced social media trainer, the California native previously led social media strategy through major Supreme Court cases, confirmation battles, and multiple election cycles.

According to Amy Brundage, SKDK’s managing director, Feder Porter’s work has significantly increased engagement, followers, impressions and reach across platforms for a range of clients throughout her time there.

“(Feder Porter’s) leadership in crafting engaging social media content has not only garnered significant attention for our clients but has also driven meaningful conversations around important issues such as innovative mental health treatments and work-life balance,” Brundage continued.

Credit to Rachel Feder Porter for her outstanding start to what’s sure to be a long and successful career.

Co-Founder

The Quality Edit

Lee Joselowitz leads The Quality Edit revenue growth by revolutionizing performance marketing

Through growth marketing strategies and pioneering a new method of combining performance marketing and PR, Lee Joselowitz and The Quality Edit experienced a 40% year-over-year revenue growth. Their success earned Lee Joselowitz recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024, as a Marketer to Watch.

After beginning her career at an up-and-coming marketing agency in Los Angeles, Lee Joselowitz joined the in-house team at Ritual as head of growth marketing. She was critical in establishing the company’s scaling initiatives, helping the startup reach over $100 million in annual revenue. Over four years, Joselowitz built and managed the marketing team focused on paid social, paid search, SEO, affiliate partnerships and influencer marketing. The comprehensive multi-channel marketing approach drove rapid user growth and strengthened Ritual’s brand recognition.

While her results proved her effectiveness at Ritual, Joselowitz consulted for DTC brands like Our Place, where she worked with the founder to build the brand’s growth strategy from the ground up. Within the first year, the cookware brand saw 50% month-over-month growth and reached $20 million in revenue.

Thanks partly to her clear strategies for rapid scaling in competitive markets and experience across industries, Joselowitz co-founded The Quality Edit, a media and marketing company focusing on “Performance Publishing.” With the help of her co-founders Scott Silver and Lauren Kleinman, The Quality Edit is able to blend performance marketing with long-form editorial content to provide brands with a unique approach to reaching customers through more effective partnerships with publishers.

Between 2022 and 2023, The Quality Edit experienced 40% year-over-year revenue growth, a 33% increase in affiliate revenue, and a 53% boost in organic traffic. Furthermore, The Quality Edit has driven $50 million in incremental revenue for clients and acquired 300,000 new customers while generating more than one billion digital media impressions.

Under the guidance of Joselowitz, The Quality Edit’s model for combining content creation with performance marketing strategies continues to evolve to meet the demands of a growing client base. A significant portion of the company’s client base consists of female or BIPOC-founded companies, with 58% of the roster representing traditionally marginalized groups. This underscores the intentional approach The Quality Edit has made to ensure its strategies are not just one-dimensional but offer a comprehensive approach that values diversity within its approach to performance marketing.

Congratulations to Lee Joselowitz and her team.

Strategist

Nebo

Nicole Palmer’s strategic blend of data-driven insights and creative storytelling helped Nebo achieve standout growth

Nicole Palmer’s comprehensive strategies exceeded client expectations and helped achieve 123% of their target conversions while helping different clients exceed their annual goals by more than 80%. Thanks to these results, Nicole Palmer has earned herself recognition in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024, as a Marketer to Watch.

Nicole Palmer’s ability to blend data-driven insights with creative approaches to storytelling helped Nebo set a high bar for strategic marketing in 2023. As a strategist, Palmer built the frameworks that helped drive sustainable growth for digital agencies.

As the lead on a massive rebrand and messaging overhaul for one of the agency’s largest clients, Palmer laid the foundation for a new strategy that focused on improving conversion rates. The comprehensive strategic approach exceeded the client’s ambitious goals, achieving 123% of their target conversions. By focusing on more than just aesthetics and brand voice, the messaging connected to the audience’s core interests.

For Walk-On’s, a national sports bar chain recently named No.1 in the U.S. by ESPN, Palmer reimagined the chain’s entire approach to audience engagement and the effective use of celebrity ambassadors like Dak Prescott. With a focus on leveraging these figures in authentic ways to the brand while amplifying reach and engagement, Walk-On’s saw a nearly 100% increase in social media followers, with engagement rates soaring by almost 80%.

For Lovesac, a brand known for its strong digital community and customer engagement, it would take a multi-channel approach, tailoring content and engagement tactics for each platform to find success. This targeted strategy helped Lovesac exceed its annual goals by more than 80% and saw its priority channels outperform by over 60%.

Palmer consistently bridges the gap between data and creativity, often looking for insights to support her focus on delivering measurable results. Her methodical approach to research and development for Georgia Power’s sustainability programs allowed her to cover detailed customer journeys, goals and key touchpoints for each stage in the journey and map out the Sustainability Solutions 360 programs with tailored messaging across three different audience segments. The client was so impressed with the work that they suggested no changes.

Kudos to Nicole Palmer.

Creative Director

DCG

Allison Weinstock tackles human trafficking for the Department of Homeland Security

Allison Weinstock created the Blue Campaign for Human Trafficking Prevention Month, educating audiences on the issue and encouraging them to show their support by wearing blue. She’s a Marketer to Watch in Ragan’s Top Women in Marketing Awards, Class of 2024.

Allison Weinstock, creative director of DCG Communications, is committed to uplifting the experiences of at-risk populations and marginalized groups. Her work as art director on the Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign Human Trafficking Prevention Month campaign is a case in point.

The January 2024 campaign focused on educating U.S. adults on recognizing the signs of human trafficking and explaining how to report it. The audience was encouraged to wear blue to show their support of human trafficking victims, and the campaign used the hashtag #WearBlueDay. Weinstock led five designers in creating a suite of images designed to look like social media profile pictures. The images featured illustrated characters and real people wearing blue to share the message of human trafficking awareness; anyone with a social media profile could see themselves in the images and be inspired to share the message widely.

The campaign earned 274,582 impressions for the month, 20% more than the total for the year’s first quarter. However, Weinstock’s campaign reached an even larger audience as part of Super Bowl LVIII. Weinstock and her team created digital and out-of-home ads aimed at educating people in the hotel, restaurant and entertainment industries about the signs of human trafficking and how to report it when they witness it on the job.

The ads helped drive more than 39 million impressions and 557,100 visits to the custom Blue Campaign Super Bowl landing page, accounting for 76% of all site visits to the Blue Campaign pages during the dates they ran.

Weinstock is dedicated to using innovative approaches to address big issues like human trafficking as well as veteran suicide prevention and eliminating terrorism, all in the name of saving lives.

Congratulations to Allison Weinstock and her efforts to drew attention to the problem of human trafficking.

Ragan congratulates the honorees of its
2024 Top Women in Marketing Awards!

HONOREES

Agency Leaders

Brand Marketers

Content Marketers

Data/Analytics Leaders

Lead Generation Marketers

Product Marketers

Team Leaders

Tech/Digital Marketers

Marketers to Watch
(Age 30 and Under)

Awards

Ragan congratulates the honorees of its 2024 Top Women in Marketing Awards!

HONOREES

Agency Leaders

Brand Marketers

Content Marketers

Data/Analytics Leaders

Lead Generation Marketers

Product Marketers

Social Media Marketers

Team Leaders

Tech/Digital Marketers

Marketers to Watch(Age 30 and Under)

Awards

Ragan congratulates the honorees of its
2024 Top Women in Marketing Awards!

Marketers to Watch
(Age 30 and Under)