Catherine Wagner Veary is an entrepreneurial marketing leader with a passion for high-growth, tech scale ups. She has over 14 years of experience combining creative thinking with strategic rigour to deliver impactful campaigns that drive business growth. After beginning her career in Australia with brands such as Deloitte and Tourism Fiji, she went on to lead through the line campaign development for NatWest, Royal Mail and Gousto. Most recently at Motorway, she has led marketing activations that capitalised on high-profile sports moments including 6 Nations on ITV and Premier League on TNT Sports as well as launching a new brand positioning and creative campaign ‘It’s not magic. It’s Motorway’.

David currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer at Klarna and is a member of the company’s executive management team. David joined Klarna in 2017 where he led the fintech company through an extensive brand transformation, from one of many financial institutions that held a “trustworthy blue” look and feel, to a consumer lifestyle brand, shopping platform meld with a fully licensed bank, all with a hot pink edge. He is responsible for everything related to consumer growth, design, marketing, brand, communications and sustainability. During his time so far at Klarna, David has overseen several pioneering marketing campaigns inserting the brand into pop culture discussions and garnered international attention; from working with high profile celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Snoop Dogg, A$AP Rocky, Paris Hilton and – most recently – Shaquille O’Neal.

Maggie Schmerin is an accomplished brand marketing executive who pairs a lifelong love for the craft with an innate sense of adventure to deliver campaigns that toss out the standard marketing textbook in favor of unexpected and relatable creative. As Chief Advertising Officer at the world’s largest airline, Maggie leads a team of bold marketers with a global charge to share the stories of an airline when Good Leads The Way. United’s renewed focus on brand and advertising netted the company recognition as one of Ad Age’s Top Ten Marketers of the Year and Fast Company’s Brands That Matter. Maggie’s achievements in marketing and advertising most recently saw her named as Adweek’s Marketing Vanguard for the most impactful CMOs, Campaign Live CMO 50, Forbes Entrepreneurial CMO 50, Adweek 50, and Ad Age Leading Women.

Ariana Parasco is the Senior Vice President of Brand and Consumer Engagement at L’Oreal USA, where she leads advocacy and influence, digital content excellence, entertainment marketing and innovation. She oversees these functions within the office of the CDMO, helping to shape how L’Oreal brands connect with consumers across platforms and culture, now and in the future. Prior to joining the Chief Digital and Marketing Office in 2023, she served as the Vice President of Marketing for IT Cosmetics within L’Oreal LUXE. Before joining L’Oreal, Ariana held strategic digital marketing roles in luxury and tech, and she was the first internal digital marketing hire at David Yurman.

Ariana holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and a Master’s in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Dr. Marcus Collins is an award-winning marketer and cultural translator who bridges brand strategy and consumer behavior with real-world impact. As a former Head of Strategy at Wieden + Kennedy New York and a marketing professor at Michigan’s Ross School of Business, he uniquely fuses academia with industry expertise. His mastery of culturally contagious ideas has driven the success of McDonald’s cultural resurgence, Google’s “Real Tone” technology, the “Made In America” festival, and the Brooklyn Nets’ move to New York. He is a recipient of Advertising Age’s 40 Under 40 award and Crain’s Business’ 40 Under 40 award, and an inductee into the American Advertising Federation’s Advertising Hall of Achievement. Most recently, he was recognized by Thinkers50 with the Radar Distinguished Achievement Award for the idea most likely to shape the future of business management. He has also served as a jury for the Cannes Lion International Festival of Creativity. Before joining Wieden + Kennedy, he served as the Chief Consumer Connections Officer at Doner Advertising and led Social Engagement at Steve Stoute’s advertising agency, Translation.

Gemma Joyce has spent the last ten years telling stories with social media data, presenting at international events and having her work featured in major media outlets. She now leads a team of talented content marketers and copywriters at social media management and consumer intelligence company Brandwatch.

Meghan is a social media leader, strategist, and storyteller with a passion for building engaged communities and driving meaningful brand connections. As Director of Social Media at Cision/Brandwatch, she leads a global team in shaping social strategy, thought leadership, and employee advocacy – ensuring our brand stays ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Katie Slayford is a the Senior Social Media Manager that leads innovative digital strategies for Brandwatch. With a deep passion for crafting impactful social media campaigns, Katie blends creativity with data-driven insights to tell stories that resonate and deliver measurable results.