Finalists revealed for the WFA Global Marketer of the Year

An expert jury of 15 marketing industry leaders considered a host of eligible names submitted by the industry as part of the shortlisting process, with each judge nominating their top contenders. The marketers with the most votes have been shortlisted. All will be added to the WFA’s Hall of Fame.

“This year’s Global Marketer of the Year shortlist showcases eight brilliant responses to our constantly changing times. The candidates have helped shepherd their brands in the midst of geopolitical unrest and economic uncertainty, while demonstrating their agility and innovation in the face of rapid technological transformation,” said Mastercard’s CMCO Raja Rajamannar, chair of the expert jury and WFA president.

“At a time when marketing as a function faces tremendous pressures, these marketers are proof positive of the value of what we do.”

The shortlist includes:

Fabrice Beaulieu, chief marketing, sustainability and corporate affairs officer, Reckitt

Beaulieu has instigated a major shift towards a purpose-led brand strategy. The Finish brand, for example, has contributed to the saving of 10m gallons of water by encouraging people to ‘skip the rinse’ through partnerships with National Geographic and WWF. This year has also seen the launch of the Reckitt Marketing Academy in more than 30 countries, helping more than 2000 marketers and resetting the learning culture.

Patricia Corsi, chief marketing, digital and information officer, Bayer

Corsi has placed sustainability at the center of the Bayer brand and product strategies, as well as the innovation process in partnership with R&D. She has developed more synergies between IT/Digital Transformation and the marketing and sales teams, leading to greater efficiency and effectiveness.

Cristina Diezhandino, global chief marketing officer, Diageo

Diezhandino has been pivotal in creating a culture of effectiveness to ensure sustainable business growth. In the fiscal year 2022, Diageo’s marketing investment increased to £2.7bn (up from £2.2bn), while organic operating margin was up 121bps. She has continued to invest in marketing effectiveness tools, such as Catalyst, Demand Radar and Sensor, to ensure the company has the right product in the right place at the right time and at the right price.

Asmita Dubey, chief digital and marketing officer, L’Oréal

Under Dubey’s leadership, the company has continued to optimize its internal marketing organization through upskilling, as well as by improving the way it works with agencies and startups. It has started to build a diverse ecosystem of web3 partners that spans artists, communities, tech platforms such as Arianee, and People of Crypto, a creative lab that promotes diversity and representation in web3. On the sustainability front, L’Oréal Paris is joining the LOOP initiative and will take part in a project to trial new types of packaging.

Julia Goldin, chief product and marketing officer, executive vice-president, Lego

Goldin’s role is broad, encompassing 1,800 Lego colleagues around the world, including those in product development, marketing, research and insights, licensing and partnerships and Lego’s in-house creative agency. In the past 12 months, Lego has partnered with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to reduce carbon emissions in their manufacturing and supply chain operations, and to promote global action on climate change. Actions include the Lego Replay program for donating old bricks.

Cheryl Goh, group vice-president of marketing and sustainability, Grab

As founding chief marketing officer and vice-president of marketing for Grab, Goh has built the disruptive brand’s marketing department from zero. Recently, she has spearheaded several of the companies’ sustainable initiatives, including GrabForGood – a $275m fund for social and environmental programs – aiming for net zero by 2040, giving customers the opportunity to opt to offset the carbon footprint of their rides and growing the electrical fleet.

Karen Riley-Grant, chief marketing officer, Levi Strauss & Co

Riley-Grant joined Levi’s six years ago and is a big believer in the fact that standout innovation comes from co-creation. This year, the company expanded its House of Strauss creator houses in Mexico City, in order to foster creativity and increase brand awareness. Revenue for the 12 months ending August 31 2022 was up 14.6% year-on-year, confirming the company’s status as one of the world’s most iconic denim jean brands.

Martin Renaud, executive vice-president and chief marketing and sales officer, Mondelēz International

Since joining Mondelēz in 2018, Renaud has transformed the company’s marketing strategy – building excellence in its brand investment profile, renewing its creative approach, and spearheading its ambitious goal of becoming the digital snacking leader. He has overseen substantial investments to accelerate and sustain growth in digital commerce.

Vote for your favorite now

The next stage in the process will be a public vote and a jury vote, with each element accounting for half of the final score. Industry representatives can vote for their favorite starting today until January 22 2023. The winner will be announced in the first week of February 2023.

This is the sixth year that WFA has run Global Marketer of the Year. Last year’s winner was Conny Braams, chief digital and commercial officer, Unilever.

Special recognition for Jodi Harris, formerly of AB InBev

Outside of the 2022 competition, special recognition was also agreed upon by the jury after reviewing the in-memoriam nomination for Jodi Harris, who sadly passed away earlier this year.

A former vice-president of marketing culture and capabilities, she is considered to have played a key role in AB InBev’s creative success, as well as being an industry champion for better marketing.

Harris first took on the marketing culture role in 2018 and has been credited with spearheading initiatives that put a focus on creative output, including an internal awards program. She created a marketing culture that would always put people first and was convinced that if you believe in people and you invest in them and their capabilities, then the world is yours.

Her work is reflected in the brewer being named Cannes Lions 2022 Creative Marketer of the Year.