March's Marketing Mentors

The theme of this year's International Women’s Day is #breakthebias . This theme works to celebrate women in their work, while also recognizing the need for a world free of bias and discrimination.?

For this edition of Marketing Mentors, we are celebrating the women who fight for a diverse and equitable workforce, making meaningful changes in their everyday roles. These women are not only mentors to other women, but they are mentors to every marketing professional looking to build a future work pace based on equality and inclusion.?

Through the Marketing News Canada Podcast, I have had the opportunity to speak to many powerful women, learning about the various ways they are transforming the industry. Providing valuable insights, advice for others, and some hot-industry takes, these women are showcasing what it means to be a true mentor and #breakthebias in the Canadian Marketing industry. Here are just a few of the many notable women we have interviewed over the years and what they are doing to shake up this industry:?

Amber Mac (AmberMac Media):

Amber Mack has contributed significantly to the world of marketing and communications through her work as a tv host, entrepreneur, author, and speaker. She is always working to educate others and challenge the industry. Her work helps other professionals better understand the industry and their own contributions to it. Amber was named one of the Bay Street Bull Women of the Year for her leadership in the technology sector. In 2018, she was named one of DMZ’s 30 inspirational women making a difference in tech. She has also keynoted more than 400 events around the world and has moderated sessions with Justin Trudeau, James Comey, Tony Robbins and Chris Hadfield. Her constant need to innovate the industry and break through the barriers she faces is what makes Amber an excellent role model for prospective women in business.

Nadia Tchoumi (Union Gospel Mission)?

Nadia Tchoumi is the Manager of Media Relations and Communications for the Union Gospel Mission. Her career began as a reporter for Rogers TV, but she quickly established a name for herself and was promoted to anchor in less than two years. Years later, Nadia took a powerful step in her career by relaunching the Canadian Association of Black Journalists, serving as the Executive Director. Nadia is also a co-founder of Not Forgotten Global Missions Organization. This non-profit provides housing and basic needs for widowed women and their children, and those orphaned from civil unrest. Her consistency and dedication to serving others is admirable and what lands her a spot on our list of mentors and women breaking the bias.?

Lisa Mack (TELUS ):

As the VP and Brand Marketing lead of TELUS, Lisa Mack is an admirable communication professional with a well-established career journey. Through her work with TELUS, Lisa guides the company to meet social purpose goals and facilitates the remarkable outcomes that the company is enabling in Canadian communities. She is a natural leader driven by integrity, focused on investing in people, teams and culture. Her work with TELUS and diverse previous experiences have led her to break barriers and overcome obstacles, making her an excellent mentor and individual to follow.

Camila Merlano (McDonald's Canada ):

In her role as the Western Canada Marketing lead at Mcdonald's, Camila is responsible for growing the brand and driving key strategic priorities across the western region. Her work provides insight into how the evolution of social media has impacted the outcomes of corporate marketing projects. As a marketer, Camila stands behind Mcdonald's and her role within the company, including the promotion of inclusive and diverse workplace culture. Camila believes in working collaboratively with teams, agencies, stakeholders and vendors to develop inspiring and agile out-of-the-box solutions that deliver on the broader strategic vision.

Jenn Harper (Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics INC.)

Jenn Harper is the Founder of Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics INC, as well as an activist, feminist, entrepreneur and all-around businesswoman. Through her business and role in the marketing community, Jenn strives to educate as many people as possible about the decades of trauma that the Indigenous community has faced. Jenn’s hard work and dedication have been noticed as she was awarded the 2017 “Social Enterprise Award” and was invited to sit at the table with Prime Minister Trudeau to discuss the strategy for the Women Entrepreneurs Fund (WEF). Another notable achievement of Jenn’s is her appearance on Dragons Den back in 2019 for Cheekbone Beauty. She continues to disrupt the industry and break biases every day, serving the indigenous community, women, and industry professionals.

Shari Walczak (The Garden)

Shari Walczak is the talented Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at The Garden, one of Canada’s top independent creative agencies. Over the years, her guidance and leadership have helped some of North America's top brands unlock fresh opportunities by rethinking and reframing their overall purpose and brand strategy. Shari is also a contributor to the recently published bestseller: The Collective Wisdom of High-Performing Women, Leadership Lessons from The Judy Project. Through her work at The Garden, Shari finds new ways to ignite her passion for marketing. Her commitment to brand strategy for over the past 20 years has given her the experience and expertise to help some of North America's largest brands. By breaking through professional blocks and paving her own way, Shari has created a unique creative agency, which is now named one of Canada’s top independent creative agencies.