Top Canadian Marketers to be Following on LinkedIn in 2022
Creating awareness and generating interest in a business is an ongoing challenge, reserved for the role of the chief marketing officer (CMO). Designated to shape the public image and culture of a brand, a CMO is responsible for bringing global attention to the brands they operate and represent.
Through the Marketing News Canada Podcast, we have had the privilege of interviewing numerous Canadian CMO’s or CMO-adjacent positions. Many of these individuals have set the standard for Canadian excellence in marketing, establishing the face of companies we know today.
These professionals have shared their insights, advice, experiences, and so much more with us, giving us a glimpse into the daily habits in these roles. We have rounded up 20 of our podcast guests and notable CMO’s/Marketing leaders that you need to follow on your LinkedIn!
Hope Bagozzi, Chief Marketing Officer at Tim Hortons.
As the CMO for the coffee chain Tim Hortons, Hope has led the company through the challenges of the pandemic and beyond. Hope joined Tim Hortons as CMO in 2020 after spending 15 years at McDonald’s Canada. As a prominent marketing leader, Hope is the recipient of several awards, including the Cannes Lions, Effies, Cassies, Marketer of the Year, and Best Executive Award. Her noteworthy accomplishments can be seen in the teams, relationships, and campaigns that she proudly leads.
Lisa Mack, Vice President of Brand Marketing at TELUS.
Lisa is the VP of Brand Marketing at TELUS, where she plays a large role in the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility. In her role, Lisa focuses on investing in people, teams and culture to deliver strong business results. She has spent the last 7+ years, leading a multidisciplinary team in the company’s communications strategy and planning.
Sandhya Suryam, Director of Marketing at Everything Wine.
As the Director of Marketing for Everything Wine, Sandhya sets the standard for making beverage shopping fun and approachable. In her role, she works to make the customer shopping experience an enjoyable one, focusing on every detail of the customer experience. Sandhya shares her background from a variety of industries, including tech, tourism and government. Her experiences from these roles have built her expertise as a marketing leader and allowed her to share her knowledge with her followers.
Camila Merlano, Western Canada Marketing lead at McDonald's.
As the Western marketing Lead for McDonald’s Canada, Camila’s responsible for growing the brand and driving key strategic priorities for the company. She works in cross-collaborative partnerships to better drive products in the new normal. As a marketer, Camila stands behind Mcdonald's and her role within the company and shares her expertise with those she meets.
Lauren Weinberg, the Chief Marketing Officer from Square.
Lauren is a goal-oriented CMO with more than 20 years of experience in digital media. She has built and managed high-performing teams of 100+ and is known as an expert in direct research and methodology. Lauren believes that the pandemic has shown how strong businesses are, with many shifting to being completely online in a matter of a few weeks. Lauren is educated in both marketing and journalism, making her a strong Chief Marketing Officer for Square and a great source of insight.
Livia Zufferli, Partner, CMO Program Leader at Deloitte Canada.
Livia is the CMO for Deloitte Canada, where she uses storytelling and creativity to share the brands she influences. In this role, Livia works to improve diversity, as she believes diversity provides richness. Not just cultural diversity benefits a business, but also skillset diversity. By combining different skill sets the ultimate team is able to be curated to have the best work possible produced. Livia brings her fun and witty personality to the Deloitte team and diversifies their skill set.
Stephen Bailey, the CMO of Fluevog Shoes.
As the CMO for the quirky shoe brand, Fluevog, Stephen believes in making a brand approachable and desirable for consumers. The more quirky, the better their products can resonate with any age group in a fun way. Stephen’s creativity and witty personality make him the perfect candidate for marketing with Fluevog Shoes, as the brand is fun and outgoing just like him. Follow along on his LinkedIn or by keeping an eye out for the many creative Fluevog campaigns.
Paul Cowan, Chief Marketing Officer at FreshBooks.
Paul has over 15 years of experience in brand marketing, which has led him to his current role at CMO for FreshBooks. Having worked in both large matrix corporations and small start-up environments, he has done it all and earned a unique skillset along the way. Paul believes that in marketing, people do not need to fear change. Making bold moves is what got him into his current position and what keeps him on the pulse of the industry. Ted’s extensive experience and dedication to brand marketing make him the ideal chief marketing officer for FreshBooks.
Braden Hoeppner, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Herschel Supply Co.
Braden is responsible for global marketing strategy and execution at Herschel Supply Co. Before Herschel, Braden led marketing and eCommerce for multiple Vancouver-based brands, including SAXX Underwear, Kit and Ace, and Clearly Contacts. Braden compares marketing to a banana split, where you can see all the ingredients at work, unlike a milkshake that’s blended together. You can see all the parts coming together to make a beautiful dessert, but on their own, the ingredients are boring and one-dimensional. Follow him on LinkedIn for more creative and valuable metaphors for marketing!
Polly Tracey, Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs for Best Buy Canada.
Prior to her role at Best Buy, Polly has experience in many areas and regions of marketing, including Fortune 100 communications, public affairs and marketing executive experience across Europe, Asia and North America. She is committed to creating innovative initiatives that assist companies in reaching their corporate goals, impact their share of the market, and improve customer satisfaction and experience. Her enthusiasm and passion are contagious and highly recommended if you’re looking for creative and motivational marketing content.
Alan Depencier, Chief Marketing Officer at the Royal Bank of Canada.
After 16 years of working with RBC, Alan is now the proud and talented CMO responsible for countless campaigns and communications. Throughout his career, Alan has combined digital and physical mediums that have made for successful marketing outcomes. He has also spent much of his career investing in Canadian Youth, finding ways to give back to the community he works. With a long-standing career and expert advice, Alan is an excellent role model for any prospective marketing professionals.
Anne De Aragon, Vice President and Country Manager of GoDaddy Canada.
Anne was GoDaddy’s first Marketing Director in Canada, responsible for Canadian operations, performance, and campaigns. In addition to her role as VP and country manager, Anne is responsible for consistently attracting and engaging new customers while leading business strategy. Her work at GoDaddy has been driven by her desire to help small businesses and entrepreneurs realize their full potential. She holds a wealth of knowledge for both small and medium businesses looking to grow.
Ivan Pehar, the Country Manager at Spotify Canada.
Ivan is an accomplished Digital Media Professional with more than 20 years of experience in both advertising and interactive media. Working in everything, from new business development to the development of innovative advertising programs, Ivan has led a successful career and now works as the Country Manager for Spotify Canada. He is exceptionally passionate about the user experience, which is why he works to provide the highest quality content possible. For this reason, Ivan is an ideal person to be leading Spotify’s marketing team.
Mike Marks, Head of Marketing of Adobe Canada.
As the head of marketing for Adobe Canada, Mike Marks works to develop an understanding of both marketing and sales. His career has focused on ways to effectively leverage the science of marketing to improve marketing initiatives, making them go from good to great. Mike has led many award-winning, high-performance teams and led Adobe through successful campaigns. He now works exclusively on messaging - getting the right message to the right customer, at the right time, using a variety of platforms.
Pamela Saunders, Director, Communications & Engagement at Microsoft
In her role as the Director of communications and engagement at Microsoft, Pamela gets to share her natural talent as a storyteller. Growing her career as a communications professional, she has spent the last two decades working with a diverse collection of companies on campaigns, events and social strategies. She is a well-rounded professional and speaker, with an impressive background rooted in communications and public relations. Follow her journey for inspiring and motivational marketing content.
Sébastien Desnoyers-Picard, Chief Marketing Office of Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC)
As an Indigenous advocate, Sebastien has paved the way for Indigenous stories through his work with the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC). As an International marketer, working dad, and business owner, Sebastian shares valuable insights with Canadian marketing professionals. He sets the standard for what it means to be a modern and authentic Storyteller by sharing the truth and honouring Canada’s indigenous peoples as a part of the ITAC team.
Sarah Krafman, Former Sr. Director, Brand Strategy & Communications at Endy
As the former Director of Brand Strategy and Communications at Endy, Sarah has led an impressive career in marketing and communications. In her role at Endy, Sarah worked to use influencer marketing and different strategies as a way to grow Endy’s name and brand reach. She has mastered the method of carving a digital marketplace for Endy and encouraging Endy to reach more Canadians. She now works as an advisory board member for InfluenceTHIS.
Linda Hazzan, Director, Communications, Programming & Customer Engagement for Toronto Public Library
As the Director of Marketing for the Toronto Public Library (TPL), Linda Hazzan knows how to communicate the written word. Under her guidance, the Toronto Public Library has had to pivot in new ways to serve its community and recover during the covid-19 pandemic. Having spent more than 15 years with the Toronto Library, Linda has built up considerable expertise in public resources, helping them to reach an intended audience. Her career has taught her to value both true values in marketing rather than just revenue and profit.
Candy Lee, Chief Marketing Officer at HelloFresh Canada
Candy Lee is the CMO and marketing mastermind behind the HelloFresh Canada marketing team. Candy is also a full-funnel marketer with hands-on experience in brand & performance marketing. With an award-winning career background, she has built both HelloFresh and Chefs Plate Canada, into the reputable brands we know today. She is an excellent source of information for any prospective marketers or those looking for campaign inspiration.
Nancy Andrews, VP of Government Relations and Communications at Canada's Ocean Supercluster
Nancy is the communications lead behind many of the amazing projects done by Ocean Supercluster with the intent to combat climate change, enhance ocean innovation, and make Canada a major player in the blue economy. Nancy is an expert in communications, sharing tips on how to grow your communications career (or any career for that matter) and become a great leader. Her work with Ocean Supercluster aims to improve the world, one campaign at a time.
Compiled by Emma Whiten, Editor of Marketing News Canada