Marketers are always looking for new ways to inform, engage and inspire action from our target audiences, often looking to both established and well-known brands for motivation and creativity.
Thankfully, behind many of our favorite brands there are bright and talented marketing experts whom we can learn from and be inspired by.
With that said, below are some gifted brand marketers you should be checking out, connecting with or following on LinkedIn.
1. Jason Miller
Group Manager of Global Content and Social Media Marketing, LinkedIn
As the leader of global content and social media marketing for LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, Jason Miller is dedicated to helping marketers understand how to take advantage of digital advertising and content marketing opportunities on the professional social network.
In addition, he’s a sought after speaker for B2B marketing conferences taking place around the world, been named to numerous “Top Marketer” lists such as Forbes’ “The World’s Top 40 Social Marketing Talent,” and received a handful of awards for his work. He’s also published a number of helpful and insightful marketing posts on LinkedIn.
2. Amisha Gandhi
Senior Director of Influencer Marketing, SAP
Amisha Gandhi is an experienced marketing and communications professional, working with technology and media companies large and small in her career thus far.
Amisha is currently the Senior Director of Influencer Marketing for SAP, and has currently held positions with Burson-Marsteller, a public relations and communications firm, and Citysearch. In addition, she’s another fixture on the conference circuit, most recently speaking at Content Marketing World 2016 and Social Tools Summit 2016.
3. Carlos Gil
Global Head of Global Social Media, BMC Software
In his role as Global Head of Social Media at BMC Software, Carlos Gil is responsible for driving marketing strategy and execution for all corporate social media channels, which includes its social selling and employee advocacy programs.
Carlos is also a regular keynote speaker at conferences such as Social Media Marketing World, a Snapchat influencer, and has also published a number of social media-related posts on LinkedIn.
4. Alex Hisaka
Head of Global Content Marketing, LinkedIn
Alex Hisaka has been passionate about content and people since a young age, parlaying the passion into a career in traditional advertising and then digital marketing. As Head of Global Content and Marketing for LinkedIn, Alex is involved in a little bit of everything including content and campaign strategy, and defining key messaging, and brand voice and personality.
Before coming to LinkedIn, Alex worked for other recognizable brands such as SalesForce and PayPal.
5. Heather Hurst
Director of Corporate Marketing, Workfront
Heather Hurst has more than 15 years of brand marketing experience, holding positions at inContact and Digital Technology International before going to Workfront in December 2012.
She bills herself as someone who tells brand stories and getting those stories attention through both traditional and non-traditional marketing tactics.
6. Stephanie Losee
Head of Content, VISA
Stephanie Losee is a former owner of a content marketing consultancy where she worked with major brands and agencies to craft editorial content strategy. She’s also an author, a board member for a variety of organizations including the Native Advertising Institute and The Content Council.
Currently, Stephanie is Head of Content for VISA and can occasionally be seen and heard speaking at various content marketing conferences such as Content Marketing World.
7. Shelley Ryan
Global Content Strategist, Dell
Shelley Ryan, who says she’s obsessed with building brand credibility through third party content, is Dell’s Global Content Strategist, heading up global influencer marketing strategy.
Before going to Dell in 2011, Shelley was the Director of Public Relations for the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children for nearly seven years.
8. Tami Cannizzaro
Vice President, Digital Demand and North America CA Technologies
Tami Cannizzaro is a senior marketing executive boasting more than 15 years of experience in the technology space, and a known leader in the world of B2B marketing. Tami currently leads marketing in North America for CA Technologies, and has also held positions at eBay, IBM and Oracle.
Tami, who is also the author of “Digital Age of Marketing” blog, is often a speaker at industry marketing events, but she’s also a guest lecture speaker for Boston University and Rutgers University MBA programs.
9. David Beebe
Vice President of Global Creative and Content Marketing, Marriott International
David Beebe has had had a fascinating career, working for many years in the entertainment industry for big brands such as Disney/ABC Television Group, DIRECTV and Showtime, and even taking home two Emmy awards.
Now, David leads global creative and content marketing for Marriott International’s portfolio of 19 different brands. He’s also known as an industry thought leader, often being a keynote speaker at conferences such as Contently Summit, Content Marketing World and several others.
10. Ellen Gomes
Senior Content Marketing Manager, Marketo
Ellen Gomes is a skilled digital marketer with loads of experience in content and social media, who say’s she always looking to talk with new people about new ideas. Like many of the marketers on this list, Ellen is also a conference speaker.
Ellen has been with Marketo since September 2014, rising in the ranks from a Content Marketing Specialist to a Content Marketing Manager and to her current position as a Senior Content Marketing Manager.
11. Loren McDonald
Marketing Evangelist/Client Success, IBM
Loren McDonald’s title “Marketing Evangelist” says it all. Loren is a marketing executive with more than 32 years of experience building brands, awareness, leads and revenue through thought leadership programs.
He’s a frequent speaker at industry events, with one of his most recent appearances being at MarketingProfs B2B Marketing Forum (where I heard him speak for the first time).
12. Pawan Deshpande
CEO, Curata
Pawan Deshpande is the founder and CEO of Curata, a content marketing software provider who is also a frequent speaker at technology, entrepreneur and marketing events, and teaches courses on content marketing.
Before founding Curata nearly a decade ago, Pawan held research and engineering positions at Microsoft and Google.
13. Chris Moody
Content Marketing Leader, GE Digital
At GE Digital, industry thought leader Chris Moody helps lead content marketing efforts to educate and raise awareness of the power of the industrial internet of things (IIoT). Before arriving at GE Digital, Chris built an award winning content and social media team at Oracle Marketing Cloud.
Chris is also a frequent guest lecturer on the topics of content and social marketing at local universities.
14. Laura Cameron
Vice President of Digital Marketing, KeyBank
As a member of KeyBank’s Digital Marketing team, Laura Cameron leads new client acquisition programs through digital channels, managing paid and organic search programs and measurement. Recently, she was a featured speaker and panelist discussing the increasing importance of creating mobile moments for your audience at Content Marketing World 2016.
15. Buddy Scalera
Senior Director Content Strategy, The Medicines Company
Buddy Scalera is a content strategist who has been working in pharmaceutical marketing for 17 years. He’s also the author of six books on visual storytelling and a noted speaker.
In addition to his experience marketing for pharmaceutical companies, he’s also quite the creative writer, freelancing for Marvel Entertainment and other publishers from 2000-2014.
16. Amanda Duncan
Senior Communications Manager, Influencer Relations, Microsoft
Amanda Duncan has more than 10 years of marketing and communications experiencing, working for companies such as Wells Fargo, Nokia, Brit+Co and now Microsoft.
Amanda is a part of the Influencer Relations Team at Microsoft, working to create, execute and support company-wide announcements, news stories and events, and specifically focusing on New Media Influencers.
17. Justin Levy
Director of Social Marketing, Citrix
In his role as Director of Social Marketing at Citrix, Justin Levy is an advisor on all social media activities across the company, working on a wide range of projects to develop social strategies and scale social media.
During his career, Justin has worked with brands of all sizes including Sony, SAS and PepsiCo. In addition, like many others on this list, Justin is a sought after public speaker on social media, marketing and technology topics.
18. David Edelman
Chief Marketing Officer, Aetna
David Edelman has held several leadership positions at management consulting firms and digital agencies and boasts more than 1 million followers on LinkedIn.
Currently, David is the Chief Marketing Officer for Aetna where he leads research, design, strategy and implementation of enterprise-wide marketing initiatives. He also speaks frequently at industry events and conferences, blogs on a variety of topics and regularly publishes content on LinkedIn.
19. Dennis Goedegebuure
VP Growth & SEO, Fanatics
Dennis Goedegebuure is an award winning marketer and SEO expert who’s worked for recognizable brands such as eBay and Airbnb. Currently, he heads up global SEO strategy for Fanatics, focusing on growth and new SEO.
Dennis is a frequent speaker at industry events, with some of his most recent appearances being at SEOktoberfest, MNSummit 2016 and Zenith Digital Marketing, and he’s eager to connect with new people on LinkedIn.
20. Jen Erickson
Director of Digital Marketing, DocuSign
Jen Erickson has been in her leadership role at DocuSign just over one year, after spending five years with Oracle. She specializes in campaign globalization and international marketing, supervising digital campaigns across verticals.
Jen was also included in TopRank Marketing’s 50 Influential Women in Digital Marketing list in 2015 and 2016.
Ready, Set, Follow
Whether you’re looking to expand your network, stay up to date on the latest digital marketing news or want actionable tips to boost your marketing efforts, following or connecting with your fellow marketers can be incredibly helpful.
Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t encourage you to follow and connect with TopRank Marketing on LinkedIn. Find our company page here. If you’re interested in connecting with me, you can find my profile here.
What bright and talented marketers do you follow on LinkedIn and other social channels? Tell us in the comments section below.
Disclosure: LinkedIn, SAP, BMC, Dell and Oracle are TopRank Marketing clients.
