Facing the microaggressions of a male-dominated industry hasn’t stopped women in digital marketing from thriving in their professions.
In 2017, Inc. told us of 30 inspiring women who were leaving their mark on the world of marketing and technology. In 2018, Forbes identified three generations of forward-thinking technologists leading more than a dozen tech sectors across the globe.
Last year, the Adzooma team watched as Purna Virji, Sr. Manager, Global Engagement at Microsoft, won the title of the US 2019-2020 Search Personality of the Year. The award commended her excellence across the entire industry, honouring the greatness that is known to shine through her work.
Hundreds of other female marketing leaders have also taught us, inspired us and paved our way for success in the industry – and like Purna, gave us the confidence to strive for more than has been made to seem possible.
Female excellence that has radiated through the industry
As we continue to cast a spotlight on indisputable white privilege, our list of female marketing leaders doesn’t discriminate and reflects the best talents of the industry regardless of race. We have also echoed all areas of marketing, from business development and leadership to global innovation.
Here are 10 of the most influential women of 2020.
1. Mina Seetharaman – EVP, Chief Strategy and Creative Officer at The Economist Group
Twitter: @minaseeth
Prior to joining The Economist Group, Mina was co-founder and Executive Director for OglivyOne’s Advanced Content Marketing and Video Practices, first responsible for approximately $20m in digital execution work.
She then moved on to become the Global Director, Content Strategy, Global Integrated Content Solutions at The Economist, working her way up to make global change.
As if that wasn’t impressive enough, she is also The Economist Group’s representative to the UN Women GICC and on the advisory council for the Digital Marketing Institute.
Mina’s clients have included Citigroup, Microsoft, Barclays, HSBC, GE, Van Cleef & Arpels, Prada, American Express, and more.
2. Olga Andrienko – Head of Global Marketing at SEMrush
Twitter: @Olgandrienko
It’s safe to say Olga is a force to be reckoned with in digital marketing. She has launched the SEMrush brand in more than 50 markets with 90% YoY growth and won 9 awards for the company as the best search software in USA, UK, Europe, and MENA.
In addition, she is currently responsible for all of the brands marketing and top of the funnel activities in North America, Europe, APAC and LATAM, and has 16 years of collective experience in brand management, demand generation, and leading and growing a SaaS / B2B marketing team.
In fact, she’s known to have built one of the strongest international communities in the online marketing industry.
3. Purna Virji – Sr. Manager, Global Engagement at Microsoft
Twitter: @purnavirji
Named by PPC Hero in 2016 as the #1 most influential PPC Expert in the world, Purna Virji is known for being a highly respected and award-winning digital marketer.
She is a regular keynote speaker at conferences across the globe, including AdWeek, The Next Web Conference, and INBOUND, and is also a columnist for Search Engine Land and Moz.
In addition, Purna is known for her work as an award-winning former journalist and making powerful advances as the CEO of Purview Marketing. And we named her as one of our top Google Ads and Microsoft Ads experts of 2020.
4. Lisiane Ndong – Client Success Manager UK, FR & Nordics at Searchmetrics
Twitter: @lisianendong
Entrepreneur and digital marketing specialist, Lisiane Ndong is the current Client Success Manager UK, FR & Nordics at Searchmetrics, the leading global enterprise platform in SEO analytics and content marketing.
She previously worked at The Insiders and was responsible for managing local and global Influencer Marketing campaigns for FMCG and Consumer Electronics companies (Samsung, Nestle, Panasonic), before moving on to pursue her outstanding career in content marketing, social media, and search.
5. Tyrona (Ty) Heath – Global Lead, B2B Institute at LinkedIn
Twitter: @tyrona
Working her way up from a Custom Media Solutions Strategist at Google to becoming the Founder of Spectacle Marketer, and now LinkedIn’s B2B Institute Global Lead, Tyrona is consistently promoting excellence across the digital marketing sphere.
She has an MBA in Marketing and Management and an International Economics degree, both of which have led her to become a phenomenal influence in the industry today.
Even more than that, she is a contributing author in the recently published book “The Professional Black Woman” and author of “Marketer’s of Tomorrow: A Step by Step Toolkit for Inbound Marketing”.
6. Charlotte Williams – Founder of SevenSix Agency
Twitter: @thestylum
Starting with her blog in 2010, Charlotte Williams is now the founder of SevenSix Agency, a social media and influencer marketing agency based on diversity and inclusion. Before its launch in March 2019, Charlotte worked as a freelance marketing consultant and Marketing Manager for WAH London.
She was also the Marketing Manager at Sanrio Global Limited and the Global Marketing Manager for Hello Kitty, responsible for events and influencer outreach, digital marketing and social media, campaigns for the 18-30 market, and more. She is also the co-host of The Sustainability Influenced podcast.
7. Miracle Inameti-Archibong – Head of SEO at Erudite Agency
Twitter: @mira_inam
As the Head of SEO at Erudite, Miracle has more than a decade’s worth of experience supporting small, national and global brands with technical SEO and data strategy. She was previously an SEO Account Manager at marketing and advertising firm Steak, and before that a Senior SEO Account Executive at 360i.
Miracle recently spoke at Digital Gaggle on whether or not progressive web apps are the future of the web, and has also spoken at brightonSEO, SearchLove, and InOrbit20.
8. Margaret Molloy – Global CMO & Head of New Development at Siegel+Gale
Twitter: @MargaretMolloy
Along with a 20-year track record of marketing excellence, Margaret was named The Drum’s B2B Marketer of the Year in 2017 and recently won an award for the 2020 Top 100 Marketer OnCon Icon.
She is currently responsible for setting Siegel+Gale’s growth strategy and orchestrating its execution, overseeing all new business and marketing including demand generation, content marketing, thought leadership, public relations, social media, and new business sales pitches.
Highlighting her excellence further is the fact that she also directs the firm’s flagship study, The Global Brand Simplicity Index.
9. Maryam Banikarim – Head of Marketing at Nextdoor
Twitter: @MaryamBanikarim
Known as the former CMO of Hyatt Hotels, Maryam Banikarim recently joined the social networking service Nextdoor to lead their marketing and managing their communications and policy teams.
Giving a statement about her hire, Nextdoor CEO Sarah Friar said:
“Maryam is an incredible leader with a strong track record of results in building integrated teams, elevating global brands, and driving growth.”
In addition, just part of Maryam’s expertise includes sitting on the board of One Spa World, being a member of the Samsung Retail Advisory Board, and being the Board Chair for Reporters without Borders US.
10. Kay Hsu – Head of Creative and Design, Partnerships Marketing at Facebook
Twitter: @KayHsu
Last but certainly not least, Kay is an award-winning strategic marketer with experience in product development, creative, brand, communications and digital planning. She was previously the Global Director for Instagram Creative Shop, and is recognised for the brand relaunch of Seamless.com, as well as for the Sony Xperia Creators Program, both of which allowed her to gain industry-wide recognition.
Her current role at Facebook involves leading a “passionate, diverse design & creative team, across a variety of product categories outside of sales: Media, Audience Network, Gaming+”.
To lead, thrive and prosper
The women mentioned above are truly excellent in their craft, giving upcoming and diverse women the influence they need to succeed.
Who inspires you to become a better digital marketer? Let us know on Twitter or read more about Diversity Month on the Adzooma blog.
